New Ein Qiniya ("Under the Ruins") is the newest climbing area in Palestine. Development started in April 2017. It has a potential for more than 25 routes. The routes here are a bit shorter than in the other climbing areas, but in turn they offer great movement, especially at “The Wall” sector.
Season:
The cliffs are south-facing, which makes New Ein Qiniya extremely hot in the summer. The best time is definitely winter, spring, and autumn. The proximity to Ramallah (15-minute drive) makes it a popular after-work climbing area. From 5 pm until sunset (8pm in the summer) you can have decent temperatures in the late spring and early autumn.
Gear:
New Ein Qiniya is a very new climbing area and some of the routes might still have loose rock. Therefore, the belayer should definitely wear a helmet. You will need 8 quickdraws and a standard 60 meter rope. Some of the routes can be climbed trad.
Political Considerations (!!):
The crag is surrounded by beautiful nature and you will have a splendid view, however, we recommend not to camp there, as the proximity to the illegal Israeli settlements of Dolev and Talmon make it a problematic area at night. A watchtower overlooks the valley and if you camp there with headlights on or a campfire, this will most likely attract the attention of the IDF soldiers. Do not hike onto the nearby hills or to the cliffs left (west) of New Ein Qiniya. They are close to one of the settlements and some climbers already witnessed local kids get shot at by settlers while they were collecting herbs in that area.
