Some 2,500 visitors crowded Mount Hermon on Monday as the site was opened to skiers for the first time this season. "The ski conditions are amazing," said visitor Yoav Yafeh, of Haifa. He left his house at 4:30 a.m. to ensure he would be among the first to arrive at Israel's only ski slope. Tel Aviv resident Shlomo Avital brought his two sons to ski, and was not disappointed. "It's truly like Europe in Israel," he said. "There is no doubt that we'll come back later this week and throughout the winter." The group of about 20 veterans, six of them visually impaired, was led by Eyal Yarimi, who leads the ski project run by the Erez Foundation for disabled veterans and terror victims. "Ahiya amazes me all the time," said Yarimi. "His determination and his will to accomplish and to progress are so impressive. He skied the whole track from the top of the chair lift to the very bottom of the hill." Klein prepared for the ski trip with a simulator before getting to try the real thing. "It is an incredible experience for me as a person with visual impairment," he said. "I ski and do triathlon races and it opens many doors for me and raises my adrenaline. My motto is not to be afraid, but to dare, to try, to succeed and to move forward in life."
Credit: Ofer Freiman
Among the visitors was also a group of disabled Israel Defense Forces veterans, including 23-year-old Lt. Ahiya Klein, a combat engineer who was severely injured in an explosion while helping to uncover Gaza tunnels dug into Israeli territory in November 2013. Klein lost his eyesight and was hospitalized for several months. On Monday, he was able to ski with the help of an instructor who stayed by his side.
