18-28 September
While we are enjoying urban life in Tbilisi we are organizing our last trip in Georgia. The idea is to go hiking in the mountains North of Tbilisi, close to the Russian border. Hiking will bring us deeper into the beautiful landscapes of the Kaukasus than biking does. Afterwards we'd like to make another bike trip in the region East to it. Unfortunately, these regions are only accessible via the Georgian Military Highway, leading to Russia and as a consequence this road is, especially the first 100 km very busy. We discuss it with others, but it doesn't sound at all attractive to go there by bike. So, we contact a tour operator who makes us a good proposal: transport by 4WD, HC Vehicle to Truso Valley, where we can do our first hike, followed by a day-hike from Juta to Roshka. In this hike we cross the mountains around Mount Chaukri in eastward direction and arrive in exactly the region where we want to do our last bike trip. I ask the tour operator whether they can also transport our bikes, so that we don't have to go back to Tbilisi anymore. This is possible, so the driver will transport our bikes and stuff we don't need for the hike from Juta to Roshka.
We are picked up at 8 am (incredibly early for Georgians) and do some sightseeing during the trip into the mountains and visit the Russo-Georgian Friendship Monument which is also a unique viewpoint. What strikes me is the steepness of the mountains. At many points I observe erosions of avalanches.
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| The Russo-Georgian Friendship monument on the Georgian Military Highway. |
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| This part of the Caucasus is very impressing through it steep slopes and gorges |
We are then dropped off at the beginning of the Truso Valley for a 22 km hike. The hike is very interesting and starts in a gorge with beautiful basalt structures and a waterfall. The gorge then opens up into a valley with mineral water springs and a geyser, some villages and the remains of a fortress.
Truso Valley
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| Waterfall in Truso Gorge |
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| Crossing a 'bridge' |
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| Red Algae are present thanks to warm water springs and geysirs |
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| Geysir spitting water from left to right |
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| We would have loved to put our bikes in there, but we forgot to take them with us |
When we return to the car, we unfortunately can't continue. The driver's girlfriend has charged her laptop and thus discharged the car's battery. Several attempts to recharge the battery with other cars' batteries fail because most likely the cables are too thin. After an hour however we receive a new battery and can continue. We get a view of a little tiny bit of Mt Kazbek, however, it is mostly covered in clouds.
We are then driven to Juta where we have to hike up to a hut while it is almost dark (yes, it is the second half of September, days are getting very short). We have a fantastic view on Mount Chaukhi (3843 m) in the moonshine, which is quite unique because also this mountain is often wrapped in clouds. Mount Chaukhi is a complicated mountain with lots of difficult rock climbing routes and a 500 m north face wall. We will just cross the Chaukhi pass (3333 m), our highest point of the whole trip.
The next morning we have brilliant weather and start our climb to the Chaukhi pass in the freezing cold. This is the first time in our lives that we do serious hiking without a proper map, we have to rely on a GPS track on my iPhone.
Just before us a German guy starts hiking the same route and on our way we pass several spots where strong men with huge backpacks are camping. While we are walking at a moderate pace, the cool, strong men pass us very rapidly, just to be passed by us half an hour later or so, when the weight of their immense backpacks starts to slow them down. After a while we look into a couloir, filled with gravel and rubble. It is not the GPX track that we are supposed to follow, but it leads to a pass that is connected by another track to the Chaukhi pass according to the Open Street Map on my phone. The German guy is following this track and we do as well. It is quite a struggle, but at noon, we arrive at the pass. I say hello to the German guy, but he doesn't answer and looks paralysed. I look around and don't get a good view on the descent yet, because the pass is covered in clouds. Then the German guy starts speaking and explains that he had a good view and that he is not going to continue. He finds himself not experienced enough. He seems to be scared to death. Martin arrives also and I decide to have a look at the other side and I walk down a little bit. It gets very steep and it doesn't feel good, so I return. When clouds disappear we can indeed see that the route is dangerous. Not only is the path not more then a few foot prints on a very steep hard slope with some gravel, also a mistake would be fatal, as it goes down hundreds of meters. So, we decide to return and try the other GPS track that leads directly to the Chaukhi Pass. A 'loss' of 250 m in altitude, but 1 hour later we are already there and face a problem that is much easier to solve, though still quite difficult and tricky. The German guy is so scared that he doesn't want to even try it.
Still the descent is tricky and we have to use hand and feet to safely manage passages of hard steep soil. We feel sorry for the cool, strong guys that follow us, as with a heavy backpack this is not funny at all. A lady is hiking up and tells us that more difficult passages will follow. She has seen hikers proceeding on their bottoms. Fortunately, after a while we enter a steep gully filled with gravel and rubble, which is much easier as the material naturally slows you down, even if you make big steps. After 40 minutes we finally safely arrive on green flat grass. Hours later, we see the cool, strong men with the immens backpacks struggle to get down on an alternative route from Chaukhi pass, a 40 degrees steep grass slope. It doesn't look easy either.
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| Martin arriving on the wrong pass |
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| Martin arriving on Chaukhi pass (3333m) |
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| Selfie at the highest point, 3333 m (Chaukhi Pass) |
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| Looking back |
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| Look down the valley |
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| Autumn is coming |
In the guesthouse we are figuring out how to proceed. The driver, we think, will bring us down to the road, from where we will get on our bikes and climb Bear Cross Pass (2680 m), ride to Shatili and then back to Bear Cross Pass, as the valley of Shatili is a dead end. The point is that we are tired, the climb to the pass is 1200 m unpaved and there are neither guesthouses until Shatili, nor do we expect good camping spots (with water). However, it turns out that the driver was told to bring us up the Bear Cross Pass and wait for us to descend and bring us to Tbilisi. So, we agree that he brings us to the Bear Cross Pass and then doesn't wait for us, as we first want to go to Shatili.
So, the next day, we are dropped on the Bear Cross Pass and ride down to Shatili, which is a good solution for our tired muscles. It seems that biking doesn't train the muscles for walking down and every time we do that we are left with very sore and painful muscles, also this time.
We have brilliant weather again and have a very joyful ride into a valley that ends in nothing. It is 1300 m down to Shatili. 1 km north of Shatili is the Russian border and the valley can simply not be followed any further, because the border is closed. So, whoever lives in Shatili, needs to cross Bear Cross Pass to get in another remote area of the Georgian Caucasus and then follow an unpaved road for 120 km to get back in civilization. I really wonder who wants to live there. There are only a couple of houses, there are no shops and I don't even see any sign of agriculture, so all the food needs to be transported via a very long way to Shatili.
Bear Cross Pass and Argun Valley
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| View on Chaukhi and the entire hike down we did the day before |
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| View on Mt Kazbek (5047 m) |
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| Dropped on Bear Cross Pass |
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| Riding down from Bear Cross Pass |
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| The first defense tower in Argun Valley. On the flat meadow at the right hand side of the road we camped on our way back, one day later. |
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| The Argun Valley narrows down |
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| Argun Valley close to Shatili |
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Defense towers of Shatili. Shatili's Old Town was built between 7th and 13th centuries and is a unique agglomeration of tall koskhkebi (towers) clinging together on a rocky outcrop to form a single fortress whole. Within the fortress it is possible to walk from one building to the other via stairs, passages and balconies without getting exposed to the enemy.
In the early 19th century a large force of about 5000 Chechen and Dagestan warriors attacked Shatili, which was defended by only 50 Khevsurs. The Khevsurs were exceptional warriors with traditional Georgian qualities of courage, openness and honesty, fraternity, independence and love of freedom.
Nowadays only 20 people live in Shatili.
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The next day we return into the direction of Bear Cross Pass. We have plenty of time and therefore ride only a short distance to camp in the beautiful Argun valley.
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| After a very steep climb I celebrate on this beautiful podium along the road |
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| And we go on... |
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| While camping near the defense tower halfway the valley we discover this tiny creature on our inner tent. It seems to observe the extremely beautiful and well made elastic straps (with many thanks to Femke) |
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In Shatili we met Evgeniia Kiive and her parents. She is from Vladivostok and started to speak to us in Dutch. It appeared that she has studied Business Economy in Groningen and got a job in Enschede that she quit very quickly to chase her dream of becoming a wedding photographer. She is very talented and now travels around the world for her projects (check Evgeniia).
When she is driving back to Tbilisi, she comes along our camping spot and comes to meet us, with wine, cha-cha (local strong alcoholic stuff) and Khachapuri (cheese flatbread). After they leave, we were left with half a liter of cha-cha, a liter of red wine and a complete and still warm Khachapuri.
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| Luckily, this guy from the Czech Republic shows up to camp in the same meadow. He is on his way back home after having travelled to Vladivostok (a lot of Vladivostok today). We shared the overdosis of alcoholic drinks with him whereas the dog gets some Khachapuri. |
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| Khubi V. The story is similar to his ancestors. He was keen enough to not follow us beyond the Bear Cross Pass. |
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| Security guard |
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| Sheep observing strange vehicles on the road |
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| Martin approaching the pass |
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| And down again, to Tbilisi. |
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| Our last camping spot of our trip (😥). We built a beautiful fire. |
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| The landscape shows us the change of seasons. Time to go home. |
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| Beautiful beech forests and quite roads on our last day back to Tbilisi |
In Tbilisi we have some days left and visit Fabrika again. This time to watch the movie 'Talk to her' (2002) on the roof terrace and to go to the theatre again.
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ZhaoLiangART with Martial Art in Dance
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We finally go to Velo+ in Tbilisi where someone takes care of professionally packing our bikes in cardboard boxes and another colleague organizes the transport of the bikes to the apartment and airport (in the middle of the night). We are ready to go...
The numbers:
In 6 months time we have cycled through 3 countries: Iran, Armenia and Georgia.
We have cycled a distance of 6307 km
We have climbed 86,296 m,
and descended 93,669 m.
This means that the average inclination was almost 3% (up or down).
More importantly, we have met innumerous friendly, helpful and hospitable people.
Hardly any flat moment.
It was a unique experience.
Karin and Martin
End of the Last Act
