Mount Lebanon - looking SE from near the town of Qartaba. The snow-covered ridge is the crestal plateau of Mount Lebanon, rising to over 3000m above sea level. Snow melt on the karstic platea feeds the rivers through vast cave networks.
Geologically, the snow-covered crags are Cretaceous limestones. These sit on a geomorphological bench containing easily eroded Cretaceous sandstones (the Chouf). The prominent crags beneath, overlooking the gorges, are the top of a thick sequence of Jurassic limestones.