Mount Sinai - The Mount of Moses

Mark and I on the summit of Mt. Sinai during sunrise - Proof I made it! (Photo by Evan)

Orthodox Priest on the Summit of Mt. Sinai at sunrise - Photo by Evan Travers

Some of the 750 "stairs" to the top of Mt. Sinai - We climbed at night, but these photos show a group climbing in the day. Click on the photo to see the tiny people making their way up!

Our family and friends on our way down to civilization after having climbed Mt. Sinai all night. 

 Photo by Don Murphy

The Morgenland Hotel is rather primitive (think camp) - no such thing as a wake up call - rather, wake up "knocks" on our door. I hadn't slept much - maybe two hours - because I kept fearing that we'd oversleep and miss this memorable journey. I was actually up and dressed by the time the Bedouins knocked on our door at 1:00 a.m. We had less than 30 minutes to dress, assemble our gear, grab some breakfast (not too appetizing) and get on the bus.

The trail starts near St. Catherine's Monastery. Our family had considered the camel option, but that seemed too wimpy. We had, after all, traveled across the globe; and Moses had climbed it when he was 80 - with Ten Commandments in hand, so certainly we could make this trek as well. Right? Not to mention that riding the camels was costly - especially for all 8 of us. We declined on the offers for camels and started the hike up the mountain.

You have to understand - it is pitch dark. I can't even see the mountain. Our flashlights (which I had forgotten in my hotel room - rats!) only illumined a few steps before us. The stars were absolutely magnificent, but to be honest - my head was hanging down looking for the next secure step most of the time.

We were told that the hike would be 3.5 miles of incline, followed by 750 some odd "steps". The mountain is 7497 feet tall. I have to admit, I hadn't gone that far when I suddenly realized I already felt winded. I am not used to a constant incline, being an Alabama girl and being accustomed to walking along our flat road. I don't know if the elevation had something to do with my difficulty catching my breath or not - but let's just say, I was struggling from the beginning. I didn't feel tired, nothing "hurt", I just felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. The song that ran through my head most of the night was from my childhood memory of Rudolph, "You just put one foot in front of the other. And soon you'll be walking 'cross that floor!"

I knew I could make it up the mountain - I just needed to traverse at my own pace. Our bedouin guide had other ideas. He thought that if he grabbed me by the wrist, he could "drag" me up. This was hilarious, but exhausting. He climbs this mountain sometimes twice a day - like a mountain goat - leaping from one rock to the other. I blindly followed his lead, feeling like an old goat tethered to a young buck. I simply couldn't keep up with his pace. When I stopped for a breather - he made the whole group stop. This got embarrassing after about the 3rd stop on my account. I started to really wish they would just leave me to climb at my own pace. The bedouin guide would hear none of that. I became his "challenge".

Eventually, after begging and pleading - I tried lying. :) I told him I wanted to stop and wait here for the group to return from the mountain. He consented to leave Mark and I alone on the path to wait for the group on their way down. As soon as the group was beyond the next curve, we continued our trek. It was actually glorious hiking with just Mark.

It was rather "adventurous" to be walking alone, with Mark, up the mountain in the dark - kind of romantic too. I felt SO MUCH better once I could set my own pace. For a while we walked among a group of Russian Orthodox pilgrims led by a priest carrying a lantern lit with a single candle. He was singing as he climbed and his beautiful voice set a rhythm for my steps. It really brought me to tears - just knowing what I was doing with people from all over the world. We ran into various groups of travelers along the way, and it became a game to guess the nationalities of those with whom we crossed paths.

I was able to keep going without as much difficulty. We got separated from the Russians when a caravan of camels came plodding up the path. Caravans carrying travelers came frequently during our hike. Mark and I always hugged the rocks and let them pass unheeded. Camels aren't too aggressive, but you have to dim your flashlight (light makes them angry) and it is best to yield to them when they plod up the path.

At one point, Mark and I even caught up to our Bedouin guide and our Birmingham friends - they were surprised to see us. They were taking a break at one of the Bedouin rest stations where they sell water, tea, latrines, blankets, etc.

After we got separated from the Russians, I asked Mark to sing for me. He chose such wonderfully encouraging hymns and his voice again set my pace as the words fed my soul. I knew I would make it up this mountain. Most of the time we walked alone, but occasionally we would meet up with another group - or a caravan of camels would pass us by.

I was covered in this gritty dirt. I could tell that it not only covered my skin, but was coating my mouth and being sucked into my lungs. I felt dry and parched despite occasional sips of water from my water bottle. Later I learned that the dust that fills the air as we walk is left from pulverized camel excrement - but we won't discuss that now. :)

Slowly we were making ground up the mountain. I really wanted Mark to make it up to the top before the sun's rise and I was holding him back. I told him I would stay at the last Bedouin rest station while he finished the summit. He left me with a couple of dollars to purchase water and tea - and use the bathroom if needed, and he continued along the path.

I decided to find a nice quiet rock upon which to perch and view the sunrise. I sat for about 3 minutes - but it was killing me. I hadn't traveled this far to quit short of the summit! I decided to keep going. Now I was really alone. I couldn't see anyone ahead of me, and to be honest I was quite afraid I had wandered off the path. I had a little lapel flashlight that helped, but it was pretty much blind faith.... and fear .... and stubbornness .... and your prayers.

I knew I was on the "stairs" portion of our journey which was pretty much a vertical climb over rocks. I could see Bedouin men in the shadows in front of me. They would just appear from behind the rocks. Several of them offered to help me up the mountain. I didn't want to pay them - and I felt uncomfortable being alone with them so I always firmly told them "no" and just kept climbing.

I eventually came upon a group of men who were laughing and resting, kind of blocking the path. Now I felt more afraid. Should I stop? Was I on the right path? Would I find my family and the rest of the group? Was it more dangerous to stop here or keep going through this party of men? Questions flooded my mind and I decided to continue up the path that led me right through the group of Asian men. I tried to appear confident (and to hide my huffing and puffing) as I passed them by. While I was in the middle of them, I heard a voice ask, "Where are you from?"

I didn't like giving personal information - especially in this situation - but I answered anyway. "I'm from America!" To which the same man continued his questioning. "Do you know Dallas?" I answered him again, "Yes, I know where Dallas is." Then he smiled and told me that he had attended Seminary there at Christ for the Nations. I responded with a "Praise the Lord" - and told him I had heard of this Seminary (from my days at Wheaton). These men were from Indonesia and for the next phase of my climb they accompanied me. They seemed to want to protect me. When I stopped, they stopped. When I climbed, they followed. They offered me water and encouragement. That was neat too - here I was in Egypt, climbing with believers from Indonesia!

Nearing the top, some folks were already beginning to come down. I passed many pilgrims who encouraged me with their broken English, "Short short", to let me know I was close to the end. One lady from India stopped me, touched my forehead and spoke a blessing over me.

I could hear the Korean men ahead of me praising the Lord from the summit. One Korean gentleman was singing with a loud, clear voice, "How Great Thou Art" in English. My adrenalin was pumping and the last steps seemed like a piece of cake.

I made it! I have to say, when I saw the Murphys climbing on rocks ahead of me - I knew I was home. I had climbed Mt. Sinai AND I had found my family and friends at last! I was relieved that I wasn't lost or left behind!

They cheered me on and couldn't believe I had made it alone in the dark. I was so proud of all my children making it up to the top without me. While Mark and I were missing from the group, our older children rallied around the younger ones, encouraging them, purchasing snickers bars for them, and protecting them up the steep climb. It was truly a marker in all our lives to have accomplished this feat!

We greeted one another, sang happy birthday to Christopher. It was his 18th birthday! .... what a way to begin the 19th year of your life - from atop Mt. Sinai! We took a few pictures, prayed, and then began the descent down the mountain. It was MUCH easier going down! It was now light and the goal was to make it back to the bus before 8:30 a.m. The temperature was rising rapidly and the sun was beginning to scorch. We hurried off the mountain chatting all the way down.

As I reached the last mile down the mountain, my muscles were really tightening and cramping yet they felt like jello. I just couldn't control them anymore. Everyone seemed to have longer legs and be moving more quickly over the dusty ground. I felt like I was in slow motion - and I was getting really hot - over heated. At that point, I wouldn't have minded a free camel ride - but I wouldn't have dreamed of wimping out at the very end. Let's just say I was the last person to reach the bus - but I did make it on time!

It was a strenuous step of faith for all of us. Had we seen what we were going to do - had it been daylight when we started - I doubt I would have attempted it. It is a very formidable looking mountain!

Maybe that is why God only illumines our path right around our feet, spiritually speaking. If He revealed what was further down the path, He knows it would be too difficult for us to bear. He only asks us to trust Him for our next steps. And those steps lead to the next steps and so on. Kind of like climbing Mt. Sinai!