Mountains of Hope:
Sharing the stories and dreams of the communities along the Lebanon Mountain Trail

The Lebanon Mountain Trail winds through more than 80 villages and towns, connecting people, places and stories across 450 kilometres of terrain, with an additional 150 kilometres of side network trails to explore. From ancient cedar groves and sacred valleys to wildflower meadows and mountain peaks, it is a route rich in biodiversity, history and culture. Kinetika worked in collaboration with the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA) to bring these stories to life in a new way, through the design and creation of illustrated silk flags.

Across the trail, schools and communities came together to co-create 27 hand-painted silk artworks, each capturing the spirit, identity and environment of their region. Measuring 1.2m², the silks formed a vibrant visual tribute to the people who lived along the trail and to the landscape that sustained them.

This became Mountains of Hope, a creative journey that honoured the past, celebrated the present and imagined a shared future.

Workshops with schools along the Lebanon Mountain Trail.

27 Silks. Countless Stories. 1 Trail.

The LMT was divided into 27 linear trail sections, along with protected areas and seven side and network trails – each with its own personality and story to tell. This project produced a unique silk panel for every one of these places, with each design shaped by local participants and reflecting what made that stretch of the trail meaningful.

Through the process, themes of connection to the land, intergenerational memory, cultural resilience, dreams for the future and environmental guardianship emerged. The result was a bold, moving visual tapestry that brought the full beauty and complexity of the trail to life.

Walk with Lebanon
3 April – 3 May 2026

A global invitation to walk in solidarity with communities along the Lebanon Mountain Trail.

In April 2026 an international group of artists planned to walk the full trail, carrying these silks back to the communities who created them.

Due to the recent escalation of conflict in Lebanon and the impact on communities across the region, we can no longer undertake the planned walk this April. However, the stories of these communities must still be told.

Between 3 April and 3 May 2026, we will share the story of one community and the silk created with them each day, following the route we would have walked across Lebanon. We invite walkers, artists and communities around the world to walk alongside us in solidarity.

Walk Together

From 3–7 April, Kinetika and a small group of artists will begin the month by walking the Lycian Way in Turkey, carrying a selection of the silk flags in solidarity with the Lebanon Mountain Trail communities.

This walk will mark the beginning of the Mountains of Hope journey, creating space for reflection, conversation and solidarity.

Walk with us

Take part in the Mountains of Hope global walking initiative.

How to participate

Choose a day/s between 3 April – 3 May
Read the story of the silk we share that day (below)
Take a walk wherever you are
Invite others to join you
Reflect on the questions at the heart of the project (see form below)
Share your walk online
Tag the project and help amplify the message

Participants are welcome to submit photos, drawings or reflections from their walk.

Selected contributions will be curated into a collective zine/publication to be shared with the Lebanon communities and at the World Trails Network Conference in Perth this year.

Read the Silk Stories

Section 1A Andqet to El Qoubayat This section of the Lebanon Mountain Trail runs from Andqet to Qoubayat along the northern mountains on the border between Lebanon and Syria. Forests, orchards an

Gallery of Silks

Creating the Silks

Through workshops, drawings and conversations with 27 communities along the trail, these stories were transformed into 27 hand-painted silk flags. The creative process was led by artists Takla Khoueiry (LMTA) and Ali Pretty (Kinetika), working with communities along the trail and an international team of artists who helped bring the flags to life in silk.

To help communities get started, we developed a resource pack, designed to spark imaginations, honour local identity, and build confidence in self-expression. Live, interactive online sessions with Kinetika’s artists further supported community leads and creatives, giving them everything they needed to guide their community through the design journey.

View the Resource Pack

Creative Residency in the UK

In autumn 2025, Kinetika hosted an international creative residency in the UK, bringing together Takla Khoueiry from the Lebanon Mountain Trail, Wales’ Citrus Arts and Leeds’ Slung Low. The residency combined training in silk-making techniques with walks, workshops and the co-creation of the silks.