July 11^th – 23^rd 2022

Tusheti, Georgia

Lechuri – Omalo – Gontai – Girevi – Dartlo – Diklo – Omalo – Abano Pass – Lechuri

Miles: 230 (140km)

Miles total: 10’920 (17’580km)

We take you on a fantastic journey. Into a wild, mystical area, where there are stories about ghosts, where 800-year-old defense towers keep secrets, all the locals are like one big family, and where shepherds accompany their sheep, goats and cows up the steep valleys.

Tusheti, one of the most untouched and pristine areas of the Greater Caucasus; one of the highest and largest national parks in Europe (835 km2) with unique flora and fauna. With high expectations, we go to the most remote region of Georgia! And we will not be disappointed :-).

The drive to the 9800 feet (3000m) high Abano Pass takes hours.

On the other side, we see how the landscape stretches almost endlessly. The first small settlements pass us and we reach the main town of Omalo at 6600 feet (2000m). It feels like you have to get back to civilization on this side of such a long pass and see big main roads, but you find yourself back in one gigantic mountain basin, surrounded by gently rolling mountain landscapes and deep valleys!

We have to admit we are a little disappointed on arrival as there aren't the typical dramatic mountain peaks and Omalo isn't the most picturesque mountain village. With every day in Tusheti, however, we feel the special, the mystical of this unique place more and more. We spend almost two weeks here and it is definitely turning into a highlight of our trip!

Roads of Tusheti:

First, let's go back 45 years. Tusheti: remote, lonely and beautiful. There were no roads 45 years ago! It was only built in 1978! In those days, to get to Tusheti, you had to be on the road for days with a horse and provisions. Today it has become easier and the 37 mile (60km) long adventurous Abano Pass road allows to reach Tusheti in five hours! This isn't our time, by the way, it's the locals'!

Crossing with other vehicles can also be a challenge. The numerous memorials commemorating those who died in an accident give us a queasy feeling, but many locals are said to be not averse to alcohol and driving.

But to be honest, we find the main roads more dangerous, where you have to constantly overtake at 50mph (80kph) and there are often three cars in two lanes next to each other.

In Tusheti itself, the roads are no better and a 9 mile (15km) route takes over an hour.

In the total of two weeks we covered 140 miles, all off-road!

Requirements for the vehicle: without four-wheel drive and enough ground clearance, the pass cannot be mastered, or only with serious damage to the vehicle! Reduction gear is also extremely helpful, so that you can "crawl" very slowly over steep, rough rocky passages and thus protect the clutch and springs!

History and Religion:

In the 4th century, some inhabitants of the lowlands fled to the uninhabited mountainous region of Tusheti to avoid forced Christianization. Later, the residents, the Tushs, nevertheless accepted Christianity for economic reasons, but continued to practice their own faith relatively independently.

In the whole of Tusheti there are only a few churches and in many places there are small sanctuaries in the open air, the so-called "Chati", where sacrifices are still made to the gods of nature in pagan tradition. These religious sites are usually strictly divided according to gender. Where women are not allowed, this is usually marked with a sign (for the tourists!).

It is also exciting that the mountain region is considered "clean" and pigs as "unclean". So, it is that the consumption of pork is not allowed in the whole of Tusheti.

Tusheti today and the villages:

Many of the small villages are almost deserted today and only a few are inhabited exclusively in the summer months, when the shepherds drive their flocks to the alpine meadows. Of the around 50 villages, 14 are completely extinct and are being reclaimed by nature. However, the tourism that has emerged in recent years has brought major changes and new sources of income. The well-known tourist resorts of Omalo and Dartlo now consist mainly of guest houses, and two large hotels have even opened in recent years. Even in the smaller villages there is now almost everywhere at least one accommodation for tourists. Nevertheless, the villages remained more or less authentic. The houses, built entirely of slate, have been restored or rebuilt in the old style. The partly wonderfully decorated wooden railings of the balconies give the houses an artistic touch. Like the Svaneti region, Tusheti is also known for its defensive towers: witnesses of the warlike past.

They differ, however, in the roofs, which here are not made of shingles but made of stone and built in the shape of a pyramid.

The village of Dartlo is particularly picturesque and is considered a museum village. Here, thanks to the support of the World Bank, all the tin roofs were replaced by slate roofs. The small footpaths through the village are hardly mown; as you explore, you sometimes find yourself surrounded by beautiful wildflowers.

In combination with the beautiful stone houses, this results in a picture straight out of a photo book! A point of interest in Dartlo is also the traditional court, consisting of 12 stone chairs, which were for 12 elderly wise judges. The maximum punishment of this court from the 16th century. was banishment from the village and society. It survived until at least the 18th century.

Although Dartlo is certainly the most beautiful village in all of Tusheti, we find other villages like Diklo or Shenako more interesting.

They are authentic, are regularly inhabited and everyday life takes place unhindered!

Actually, the power supply runs almost everywhere via solar. Only very sporadically some places have the smallest hydroelectric power generators.

Stories about country and people:

The winter in Tusheti and the 82-year-old doctor:

In this story, it will be cold and white. Winter does not stop in Tusheti either. When the snow falls and the almost 9800 feet (3000m) high Abano Pass becomes impassable in October, the area practically dies out. If there weren't five elderly people who would spend the whole winter, from October to April/May, all alone in Tusheti! By the way not all in the same village as one might assume, no! A married couple and a single person live in Shenako, one person in Omalo, and last but not least a man in Bochorna. This man, the local doctor, is 82 years old and has lived all his life (besides studying) in Tusheti! Between the villages (approx. 6 miles apart) you have to go on horseback because of the snow! Pretty lonely!! If you do need something from civilisation, it will be brought up by helicopter (which, by the way, flies up every 2 to 3 weeks). But how can you afford this? Well, since the area borders Russia, the soldiers at the various military posts in the region change shifts every few weeks and then the crew simply packs one or the other into the helicopter :-).

The horses of Tusheti:

Tusheti without horses would be like Las Vegas without casinos! We see animals everywhere. In the morning we wake up and next to us horses are grazing in the wilderness in front of a fantastic mountain panorama. Like the cows and donkeys, the horses are roaming freely everywhere, and yet they have an owner somewhere.

The boys don't brag to the girls about mopeds or bicycles, but about their horses and how good they can ride. A young man doesn't turn on his BMW's stereo system, but starts his small boom box and rides off with relish to techno music. We also meet countless providers of horse trekking. You don't need any riding experience to take part, because riding is general education :-). And so, it is that we meet tourists who have injured their shoulders falling off their horses. Everything a level wilder than with us :-).

Families go to the mountains:

In the summer, many families move from the lowlands to Tusheti with their cattle for five months. This procedure, up in the spring and down in the fall, takes about a week each time! Unbelievable! The children of the families also go to the remote mountain region for a month and a half during their school holidays. Year after year they meet their friends in the villages and enjoy their summer time to the fullest. Up until 35 years ago there were still schools in Tusheti and families lived here all year round. With the construction of the "road" over the Abano Pass 44 years ago, many things changed and families moved to the lowlands for the winter and schools were abandoned.

Coffee and Techno-music on the Abano Pass:

So, we arrive at the 9800 feet (3000m) high pass during the return trip. Unfortunately, we can hardly see our own hands because of the fog, nor the beautiful mountain panorama. But not only the weather is irritating, but also the loud techno music that penetrates through the fog; we only vaguely see the car that goes with it.

The family bond is great. And one of the park rangers also supports her by quickly installing a WiFi internet connection on the pass. We invite her to our camper in the evening. In the cold and windy weather, she happily accepts our offer and generously returns the favor with delicious tea herbs, cookies and cheese. We learn interesting things about Tusheti and exciting things from her life. Her big dream is to open her own restaurant, earn money and explore the world! She studied tourism in Tbilisi, speaks very good English and worked as a guide in Tusheti for a while. Today she lives in Tbilisi again and currently works in a good wine shop. She had had the idea of the snack and coffee bus for a long time and can now realize it for the first time this summer. We are impressed by the courageous young woman who gives everything to make her dreams come true. We are also amazed and pleased about the unconventional and progressive views of the lifely woman Daji, which she shares with us very openly. Arranged marriage and children at 20: no thanks! She wants to live her own life, has clear goals and fights for her dreams. And she likes techno, parties and black men :-).

Hikes:

Gontai Viewpoint:

Of course, we do various hikes in the beautiful area. From our deluxe camping spot at Gontai viewpoint with 360° views, we embark on a high-altitude hike that takes us over a wide grassy ridge to the Pizilanta peak (9800 feet / 3000m), three hours away. The beginning of the hike is already a highlight: the path leads through a sea full of blooming alpine flowers! The variety and extent of the flower fields is overwhelming and far surpasses our Swiss alpine flora, especially in terms of extent!

The view from the ridge gives us a completely different view of the area: Above the deep green valleys, the peaks, some of which are over 13’000 feet (4000m) high, tower into the sky and their flanks shine brightly in the sun. They are slate cliffs, we call them silver mountains :-). The visibility is good and we can see the Russian mountains across the border. The view over and into the wild valleys is impressive and we marvel at how rutted and cut up the whole area is. Some vultures (probably griffon vultures) and other birds of prey are circling overhead in the sky. There are also said to be bearded vultures, called “the bird that fetches the lambs” by the locals.

For the way back we descend into the valley and pass the village of Bochorna, which lies at 7694 feet (2345m) and officially claims the title "highest settlement in Europe". And thus contesting the title of our Swiss village Juf! The only question is: is the Caucasus or Georgia in Europe? Opinions are divided here... The village is inhabited all year round by just one person, namely the 82-year-old doctor (mentioned in the report "Land and People").

Girevi:

We also want to explore the area around our sleeping place in Girevi on foot. The road definitely ends here and tourists and locals can only continue on foot or on horseback. The well-known trekking over the Atsunta Pass to Shatili finally leaves “civilization” here. Being close to the Russian border during the trek, trekkers need to register at the military post next to Girevi village. Directly behind it, the valley widens and a wide, stony river bed takes up the entire width of the valley for a short stretch. A rather rare sight in Tusheti, most of the valleys are very narrow and steep and the river has little space. We leave the river bed, climb steeply and hike along a steep valley side towards Atsuna Pass. With binoculars, we observe the shepherds' camp on the valley floor, where sheep shearing is in progress. A bunch of sheep lies in a narrow pen, and three men crouch next to it, cutting the wool from the sheep's bodies with a kind of scissors.

Known as a quality commodity, Tushetian wool was exported to Russia in Soviet times and was a lucrative business. From the 1990s, the precious raw material was simply burned or thrown away. Fortunately, there is now another company that processes the wool. The yarn is mainly processed into souvenirs for tourists. Handicrafts are offered everywhere in Tusheti (socks, gaiters, gloves, felted goods, etc.). The further we hike into the valley, the more beautiful the landscape becomes. No road cuts through the green slopes, only the well-trodden sheep paths meander through the steep slopes and only the brown pens in front of the simple shepherd's huts interrupt the lush green. Decayed defense towers can still be seen far back in the valley. We would have liked to continue walking, but we want to be back in Dartlo in the evening to meet Evelyn and visit a festival in Omalo the next day. (Unfortunately, the festival did not take place after all. If we had known this beforehand, we would definitely have stayed longer in Girevi...).

Dartlo Fortress:

High above the village of Dartlo is the half-ruined Kvavlo Fortress. We fight our way up the 1200 feet (350m) of altitude via a hiking trail that no longer exists, through tall grass and beautiful flower fields (our stubborn heads didn't allow us to take the pleasant path along the street ;-).

From the fortress itself there are almost only ruins of houses, the defense tower from the 13th century is protected from decay with a metal construction. However, there is actually still an intact inhabited house, which of course also functions as a guest house. For the way back we choose the pleasant hiking trail back to the village of Dartlo. Here, too, the flower-strewn natural meadows, some of which are almost as tall as a man, are a highlight of the hike!

Diklo:

From the small village of Diklo, where we also stayed the night, we climb about 1350 feet (400m) up the ridge from the bottom of the valley. Here we make our first acquaintance with the notorious Tusheti shepherd dogs, of which we have already heard some horror stories. They are said to be of the more aggressive kind, defending their territory and their herd with heart and soul and have already made it to the caution-advice pages of foreign affairs authorities. Hikers have also been said to have been bitten, and an Englishman recently told us that he had such a dog barking in front of his tent for a whole hour! Well, just before we reach the ridge, we hear barking, we stop and watch. Then the first dog appears, shortly thereafter another five large specimens bark above us on the slope and loudly protect their territory. What now?

We were advised to throw stones at the dogs, as the shepherds themselves use it as an "educational method"... We trough a few stones, but the dogs don't seem impressed. So, we do the only thing that makes sense and is probably recommended worldwide in such a situation: Make a large detour around the dogs or, in the worst case, retreat! In our case, fortunately, it is possible to get around without any problems, although the dogs keep an eye on us and bark at us for a long time. From above we can see that there is a shepherd's hut with penned sheep right on the ridge and close to the hiking trail. Perhaps not the most ideal course of a hiking trail... A short time later, another herd of sheep approaches us while we are taking a break. We search the herd for dogs with binoculars, although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between sheep and dogs :-). In fact, this herd doesn't seem to have any dogs with them, but we're preparing to flee to the roof of the nearby antenna house in an emergency :-). Soon the herd comes around the hill, the goats in the van look at us a little puzzled, but then slowly pass us!

 Today's destination is a nameless summit at around 3100 m. The steep, pathless climb is relatively exhausting, but we are rewarded with a beautiful mountain panorama and a great view of the valley.

Sleeping places:

Our sleeping places are all incredibly beautiful! Surrounded by pure nature combined with a magnificent view. Cows, horses or donkeys often pay us a visit. The donkeys in particular can be of the more intrusive variety and we had to defend ourselves with hands and feet from the camp chair :-). Like shortly before Tusheti, we meet again Florian and Sarah from Bern twice :-).

Our amazing journey through Tusheti comes to an end at this point. Time to continue south towards Armenia.

July 24^th & 25^th 2022

Lechuri – Gombori – Shulaveri, Georgia

Miles: 50 & 110 (80km & 180)

Miles total: 11’080 (17’840km)

We are heading south, towards Armenia. We make a stopover at the 1000 year old Alaverdi Cathedral. Despite all the churches we see all the time, this cathedral is something special for us with its 170 feet (50m) height (until a few years ago the highest church in Georgia), the 85 feet (25m) high narrow windows and the funny ornate chimneys of the outbuildings.

Right next to the cathedral we discover a gourmet restaurant at a winery, so let's go. You can afford this in countries like Georgia, since a top-class lunch with a glass of wine and dessert still only costs 30$. We find a place to sleep near a pass.

The next morning we go to Tbilisi. On the plan: shopping mall for shopping and a great Indian restaurant. Since we always got something similar between our teeth in the two weeks in Tusheti, we are now happy about something completely different. We continue south and find a beautiful spot for our last night in Georgia!

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