Georgia. Svaneti Trekking

In the morning (around 8 a.m.) we meet in Tbilisi (at the airport or in the city center) and go to Mestia, the focal point of Svaneti. On the way, we will have a lunch and visit the world's second highest arch dam – Enguri, 271.5 meters high. Arrival in Mestia late afternoon/evening. Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight in Mestia.

Note: Our trekking tour starts in Tbilisi, but we can also pick you up from Kutaisi.

Breakfast in the hotel. Next, we will go to the village of Mazeri (about 30 min.), from where we will start trekking to glacier at the foot of Mount Ushba (4700 m). On our way we will see the Shdughra Waterfall, which is the highest waterfall in Georgia.

Ushba is distinguished not only among the peaks of Georgia, but also among the peaks of the world. Although it does not rank in the 10 highest peaks of the range, Ushba is known as the "Matterhorn of the Caucasus" for its picturesque, spire-shaped double summit. Due to its steep profile and unstable weather, Ushba is considered by many climbers as the most difficult ascent in the Caucasus.

After the trekking, we will go back to Mestia and have dinner. Overnight stay in the hotel.

After the breakfast, we will go to the Adishi village (35 km, about 1,5 hr.). Adishi is one of the oldest villages in Svaneti region. The village is interesting because of its secluded location, thousand-year-old fortified towers and four different churches with unique frescoes from the 10th and 12th centuries. One of the oldest examples of Georgian writing was found in Adishi as well – The Adishi Gospels. Adishi used to be a large community with 5 villages, but only one village has survived. Other settlements were destroyed by various avalanches and landslides.

From Adishi, we will go up the Adishischala river. After two hours of hike with a slight elevation gain, we will set up the camp in a riverside birch grove at the foot of Adishi glacier. Here we’ll cook a dinner on a camp stove and enjoy a wonderful evening surrounded by beautiful majestic mountains. Overnight: tented camp (2260 m).

Early in the morning, we will cross the Adishischala river that comes from the Adishi Glacier. Afterwards we will climb the Chkhutnieri pass (2740 m). It will take about 2 hours. The pass offers great views of surrounding mountains and the Adishi glacier. If the weather is nice, we can leave our backpacks at the pass and walk along the ridge north-east towards the glacier for even better views. We will then begin to descend towards the village of Khalde. From Khalde we will drive to the highest located village in Georgia, that is Ushguli (around 2300 m). In Ushguli, we will stay in an ancient house of our hosts and enjoy a dinner prepared by a hostess from fresh local products. Overnight stay in the guesthouse.

Today we will go to the glacier of the highest mountain in Georgia, Mt. Shkhara (5193 m). This is the place where the main river of Svaneti, the Enguri, starts. It takes about five hours to hike to the glacier and return. On the way we will visit Virgin Mary Church, which is also called Ushguli Lamaria and is one of the most important monuments of Svaneti. After the trekking, you will have some free time in Ushguli. Overnight stay in the guesthouse.

After breakfast in the morning we will climb up to Gorvashi pass (2972m). From here you will have exceptional views over whole Greater Caucasus, the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains. You will see Shkhara, Tetnuldi, Ushba and even Elbrus (at least on sunny days). To the east, you will be able to enjoy views of Koshtan-Tau and Ailama. Then we will hike along the top of the ridge to a small lake. That is our spot for camp. From here there is a beautiful view of the valleys in the east and the snowy peaks beyond. Overnight: tented camp (2260 m).

From the lake, we will continue walking and soon reach Latpari pass. We will get to our car and drive to Mestia. After checking into the hotel and rest, we can visit the local ethnography museum or a museum dedicated to a local alpinist, Mikhail Khergiani. Also we can see the interior of a traditional Svan house, as well as climb the Svan defense tower. In the evening, we will have a dinner in the hotel. Overnight stay in the hotel.