Hiking pioneer Chamoun Mouannes

Chamoun Mouannes Beirut - Anwar Aql Daw Hiker and researcher Chamoun Mouannes is the first Lebanese to have walked across all of Lebanon, earning him the moniker "Lebanon's Ibn Batuta", comparing him to the acclaimed Arab traveller who lived in the 14th century. Mouannes' journeys however have extended far beyond the Middle East to the Deep Valley in California, USA. "My bag is my mobile home," said Mouannes when interviewed by Arabstoday, pointing to a mattress, a small gas stove and some clothes, in addition to several walking ropes, a sickle and a pair of hiking shoes. He uses this "mobile home" to satisfy his hobby which led him to founda club called  "Lebanon's Hidden Foot Trails". Mouannes was born with a passion for nature in his native village al-Shabbaniyeh, replete with forests, trees and perennial greenery. "This village is where I began my path, and where my hobby grew," he said. At the age of 13, Mouannes discovered every inch of his village by foot and soon expanded his horizons by exploring neighbouring villages.  After that, he decided to walk through all the villages and forests of Lebanon from north to south and from east to west. He discovered temples and monasteries, and became familiar with Lebanon's valleys, mountains and rivers.Mouannes, who holds a degree in sociology and anthropology, is not just interested in nature's secrets, but aims to learn about the habits and traditions of the Lebanese people from all communities and regions."I didn't believe that the Lebanese people were divided. So I decided to find out for myself. I travelled with my mobile home on my back, to visit every Lebanese village," said Moannes. He added: "I chose to walk  the narrow, inland tracks to the villages and mountainous areas, and tried as much as possible to avoid paved roads. Each region I passed through  was beautiful, but what is more important is the way the people received me everywhere. During my journeys I didn't take any food or money with me, I used to walk a certain distance everyday then take rest in one of the villages. I would just knock the door of any house, explain to the residents what I was doing, and they would receive me warmly and invite me to eat with them." Mouannes mission was to remind the people he met,  to preserve their heritage and natural resources, which are threatened by modernity. Speaking about how he founded his hiking club, the pioneer hiker said: "I love this hobby so much that I exercise twice a week. I always go alone the first time I make a route,  to study the hidden roads and foot trails that my ancestors walked upon... all the valleys and mountains and breathtaking views. I get together groups of young and old people aged anywhere from 16 to 80,  to hike these hidden roads I discover, so that they will enjoy themselves and learn to love their beautiful green country and help us conserve our nature. Each group can take at least two small trees and plant them in the mountain we walk through to keep our planet green for our new generation. When I turned 16, some members who enjoyed my work encouraged me to start a club, which I actually founded two years later, and named it  Lebanon's Hidden Foot Trails." "We also try to clean the land we walk on, so every hiker carries a small bag to pick up rubbish they might come across," added Mouannes. Mouannes said hikes take between 4 to 7 hours a day depending on the hiker's stamina.  He aims to organise hiking activities for schools and younger children who love nature which he believes would instill in them "a love for such a hobby, and enable them to memorise old foot trails and help nature survive by planting more trees and saving the environment". On his future plans, Moannes revealed he has further local project as well as others abroad. "On the local side, I'm studying the routes of the ancient people who settled in Lebanon throughout history, assisted by geologists to guide my work. My goal through this research is to revive these routes. This adventure can also be filmed and broadcast through one of the TV channels," said Moannes. As for overseas plans he says: "I am planning to walk the Great Wall of China, as I have toured many other countries including USA, Belgium, Greece, Italy and others." Mouannes receives foreign members to his club every year. This year, a US hiking team visited him for a tour of Lebanon. Arabstoday talked to Richard Aims, one of the team members who described his trip: "We liked the fresh air and amazing scenery here, this experience has changed our ideas about Lebanon, as we felt here the vitality of nature, especially the cedar trees...some of them are more than 3000 years old. I think the country suffers from a lack of water resources, but I hope to find more trees planted  when I next visit."