Hiking and Trekking in Georgia!
Few of the earth’s small nations offer the visitor as much as Georgia.
It’s a country the size of Switzerland, but able to boat the highest mountains in Europe; truly fabulous walks and fantastic architecture of stone watch-towers. Combine this with a Mediterranean climate and the legendary Georgian hospitality and you have a unique travel destination. So you are welcome to come and explore it!
When to come? — In general, the hiking seasons runs from mid-April through mid-Oct.
Where to go? — Georgia offers dozens of different paths for beginners and advanced hikers; It’s hard to give a definitive answer to the question, “Where should I hike in Georgia?” here are a few suggestions to help you make a decision.
Svaneti — the Land of Glaciers and Majestic Mountains! Impossibly beautiful, wild and mysterious, one of the most ancient historical provinces of Georgia, is located on the southern slopes of the Caucasus mountain range. Uniquely picturesque villages and snow-covered peaks rising over 4000m above flower-strewn alpine meadows offer marvelous walking opportunities. Around 175 towers, most originally built between 9th and 13th centuries, survive in Svaneti today.
Ushguli: Europe’s highest village — Way up in the Caucasus Mountains around 2,200 meters above sea level, this small village is Europe’s highest continuously inhabited settlement.
Tusheti- a hidden secret paradise, untouched by the outside world! — By travelling into the Tusheti region, an isolated and immensely characterful part of Georgia with the Tolkeinesque towers, flower-strewn meadows and spectacular snow-capped peak, we are sure to have a cracking adventure, all the while experiencing Georgia’s unrivaled hospitality. The perfect region for biking as well as horse-trekking, Tusheti holds some of Georgia’s best-kept secrets in terms of food, hospitality and natural beauty.
Khevsureti — is possibly the most mysterious region in the Greater Caucasus. Nowhere else in Europe is there a place that feels so mysterious, unique and magical, a place where ancient pagan traditions survive and mix with Christian symbols and beliefs, and medieval fortress villages guard the secrets of the valleys.
Together with Tusheti, Khevsureti is easily the most inaccessible part of Georgia. The road to Shatili is closed for many months every year due to snowfall and it’s only open to 4wd vehicles since May to October.
Mount Kazbek (5047 m) — one of the highest and most beautiful mountains of Caucasus. It is located in the East part of Central Caucasus, in Georgia. Like Elbrus, Kazbek also is extinct volcano which is clearly appreciable from its conic form with distinctive remains of ancient gigantic crater.
Technically Kazbek is not difficult for climbing. The Normal route is PD, mostly glacier walking, except the crux which is 100 m of easy ice climbing in the couloir below the summit (not steeper than 40 deg.) Kazbek is very popular object for climbing because of its simplicity and convenient easy to access location.
Chaukhi Mountains (3800 m) — Chaukhi is a separate rocky massif with two glaciers. With its many summits over 3300–3700 meters, Chaukhi is one of the most popular climbing and trekking area in Georgia. There are many technical itineraries for amateur as well as professional climbers and mountaineers. Due to its location the trek to the massif does not involve lots of energy and time. The highest summit of Chaukhi — 3842.5 m
Borjomi-Kharagauli Tourist Trails — The total area amounts to 85,083 ha, which is more than 1% of the territory of Georgia.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park tourist route network allows hiking for one or several days. Tourist route network is up to 400–2,642 meters. Paths are marked and well-arranged. Tourist shelters, picnic spots and camping sites are arranged along the routes. Sites for setting up a fire are also allocated. National park offers hiking, horse riding, biking tours.
☝ What to take:
🔶 Backpack / tent / Sleeping bag / a mat
🔶 Footwear — The proper footwear for hiking should keep you comfortable and safe, and depends on the length and type of trek.
🔶 Insulation — Jacket, A sweater, pants, gloves, hat, Rainwear
🔶 Map / A hiking guidebook- Even in a world of GPS, Google Maps, and SPOT locator devices, there are still places in the world that technology doesn’t touch. Having a map and the ability to read it is becoming an overlooked skill.
🔶 Illumination — flashlight , Extra batteries
🔶 First-aid supplies
🔶 Fire- Matches or lighter
🔶 Water — Common wisdom is to drink at least two liters of water per day while hiking, although that varies by length of hike.
🔶 High-energy snacks — Hiking burns calories and you’ll need to replenish your body.
