After a long and gloomy winter, spring has finally arrived in Palestine. With rolling green mountains and deep, maze-like valleys, the terrain of historic Palestine makes for great hiking, climbing and camping trips. Every Friday and Saturday, dozens of charter buses leave from major West Bank cities shuttling thousands of Palestinians to beautiful destinations for some sort of outdoor activity.

But this was not always the case in Palestine. The rising popularity of outdoor sports and ecotourism is a relatively recent phenomenon as the Israeli military occupation heavily restricts Palestinian freedom of movement. After the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A, under Palestinian Authority (PA) control; Area B, under PA civil authority and Israeli military authority; and Area C, under full Israeli military control.

Comprising more than half of the West Bank, most of the valleys, mountains and canyons that are perfect for outdoor sports and ecotourism activities are in Area C. Access to Area C for Palestinians is possible, but because of expanding settlements and a heavy military presence, it is not always easy.

“One of the main goals of the trail is for people to exist in Area C,” said Zaid Azhari, a field coordinator for Masar Ibrahim al-Khalil, the first ecotourism group in Palestine.