Har Adar

On the beautiful Saturday following one of the biggest storms in recent years, we wanted to see some snow. While everyone else headed north and got stuck in traffic, we decided to go to Jerusalem, hoping to find some remaining snow. On the way, we went up to Har Adar where it was very, very cold (as expected), and we found some snow to play with. Although there was less snow than we expected from the big storm, it was still something.

At the peak of Har Adar lies Radar Hill, with a very impressive memorial/observation point from which you can excellently view Jerusalem, especially the String Bridge, and below are scattered tanks, a jeep, and armored vehicles, along with information panels about the bitter battles that took place there.

I shot the first panorama as usual, without zoom, 360 degrees. Later, when I saw that I could view the entrance to Jerusalem, I zoomed in and started photographing Jerusalem’s skyline. The problem was that I had already been standing several meters above the peak for quite a few minutes, it was extremely cold, and I started shaking and dripping on the camera… I photographed quickly and retreated to the warm car. At home, when I stitched the images together, it turned out that both panoramas consisted of 17 images; but the zoomed one, with less than 180 degrees, came out more than twice as wide as the complete 360-degree one. However, due to the weather, the zoom didn’t turn out well, too gray. After a few years, I returned there and did it again, and this is the version you see above.

From the viewpoint, I marked two locations to come and photograph from, higher and closer to Jerusalem: Mevasseret Zion’s water tower and Nabi Samuel. It will probably take me months to years, but at the first opportunity… I promise!