As every meter of the steep ascent re-immerses them in another stage of 14 months of training, it becomes clear why Haruv Reconnaissance Unit chooses to hold its ‘summary’ event specifically in ‘Sartaba’ in the desert. Here, training and team bonding reach a new peak – especially when the final part to the summit cannot be conquered alone, without the outstretched hand of the soldier in front of you.
The First 200 Meters
In this segment, the legs are indeed ‘fresher’, but the high terrain appears the most intimidating. The beginning of the walk reminds Private First Class Y., a new sniper in Haruv Reconnaissance Unit (officially, as of yesterday), of the initial process he and his friends went through during basic training.
“The images in my head are mainly the crawls in the training area,” he smiles, “and also something called ‘Good Morning Wall’, a kind of morning drill before the fitness tests. You run to the wall facility with full gear and overcome it, with those at the finish line doing it again.”
Later, Private First Class Y. recalls the moment of class division between basic training and advanced training, where they parted with certain familiar faces but also got to know new ones. These connections deepened during the beret march, and their first ‘team retreat’: “It’s a route where stretchers are carried with weights of 140-150 kg – a difficult experience, but thanks to it, we are now accustomed to carrying quite a lot.”
The Next 400 Meters
Pride accumulates with every meter of the route, and each soldier retreats into their personal thoughts and challenges. This part corresponds to the professional skills weeks in the Haruv combatants’ training. “After two weeks of split learning,” Private First Class Y. explains, “suddenly navigators, observers, builders, and more, meet again, and in one exercise, you see how all these angles coalesce into a unified whole.”
Just before the final stage, the platoons gather at ‘Heh’ directly below the steepest peak, with a climb of about 45 degrees remaining. The silhouettes of the combatants are dark against the pink sky – and they can only guess that the soldiers from the older graduating class, nearing their release, are already gathered at the summit to welcome their sweaty arrival.
Summit Air at an Altitude of 650 Meters
Now, the combatants cling to each other to move forward and complete the journey. Against the backdrop of the iconic song ‘I have a beloved in the Haruv Reconnaissance Unit’, each combatant who reaches the summit is accompanied by an onslaught of encouraging pushes and pulls from the older soldiers.
One by one, through a smoke grenade, they all ascend to the top of the mountain and the remains of the Hasmonean fortress in its center. “I couldn’t breathe,” Private First Class Y. recounts the moment, “I thought it was impossible, until my future commander grabbed my hand.”
Battalion Commander Oren, Captain R., has a few words for his soldiers amidst the colorful celebrations and the awarding of the pin: “I debated what to say, until the last Shabbat we spent together. I came to prayer, which half the battalion attended – both those on guard and those not. And it turned into a much larger event, reminding me of a specific Shabbat during one of the reconnaissance missions in Gaza: the same feeling, the same meal.”
“And that leads me to the bottom line – this similarity is not accidental,” he concludes, his voice betraying his emotions, “You have gone through more than a year and two months, you have gone from a state of no knowledge to a level of professionalism where I feel that each and every one of you is ready for battle. It’s enough for me to call out ‘Pair up with me’, and I’m sure two will come, who will break down walls on the way if necessary. I am very proud of you.”