Walking Holidays in Georgia, the Caucasus

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• published: 13 Sep 2014
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Like most trips to Georgia the tour starts in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. Tbilisi is a place with a pretty old town, echoing the cultural and religious crossroads on which it sits. Over the centuries most regional powers – Turks, Arabs, Persians, Crusader knights and Cossack warriors – have ventured this way and all have left their mark. Did you know Tbilisi has been sacked 27 times. But today it’s a lovely, peaceful place to start and end your trip, with ancient churches, mosques, the old sulphur baths for which the town is famed, great restaurants and very good accommodation. From Tbilisi the tour heads north out of the capital taking a first stop at the UNESCO World Heritage town of Mtskheta. As one of the oldest inhabited towns on earth, Mtskheta is home to one of the country’s most important churches where Christianity was officially adopted as the states religion back in 337AD. From here we head north up what is known as the Russian Military Highway, passed the Ananuri Cathedral Complex – where, if the weather is right, you might like a swim in the adjoining lake – and on into the mountains. And it’s the mountains that form the real highlight of the trip. The journey doesn’t take long as we drive over the Pass of the Cross and on to Kazbegi, a pretty little town sitting in the lee of the imposing 5,000m peak that goes by the same name. From here, staying at a recently converted luxury hotel, we walk up to the spectacularly positioned St Gregory’s church to have a look around and admire the views. But its after this that the adventure really begins as we head into the hills for two days walking a camping. The first day we drive out of Kazbegi in 4x4s and head to the tiny village of Juta. Here we load up the pack horses and walk to the first night’s camping spot, gloriously positioned beneath a might cliff. After an initial climb out the village, the walk is relatively flat and takes about 2 hours meaning we arrive in time for lunch and have the rest of the day free to relax or go on more walks around the camp. The next morning we leave camp around 8.30, carrying our lunch with us, and head on towards the 3,300 metre high Abudlari Pass. It’s a beautiful walk, across the high meadows, and not that challenging. It takes between 2 to 3 hours to complete and once at the top, the feeling is sensational. From here we walk along the high ridge, surrounded by the mighty Caucasus Mountains, before walking down the other side. After lunch and a brief detour via the small but stunning Abudulari Lakes we should arrive into our second camp at around four in the afternoon. Another great days walking done. The following morning we walk for another hour and a half in a stunning valley to the little village of Roshka before picking up the boats for one of the highlights of the trip, white water rafting on the Aragvi River. Next stop is the pretty town of Gori, birthplace to Georgia’s most infamous sons, Joseph Stalin. Here there is an excellent museum, with all manner of memorabilia, and the train carriage in which Stalin travelled to the Yalta Conference in 1945. And just outside town is the amazing 1st millennia BC troglodyte cave town of Uplistsike; a conurbation used in times of invasion and to avoid religious persecution. And finally – and check if this is included on your tour – is a day in the east, in a region known as Kakheti that is reputedly the home of wine making. According to the wine historian Hugh Johnston, Georgia has a pretty good claim to be the birthplace of wine making, with evidence of viniculture dating back more than 7,000 years. Indeed the place I am at now, Kinzmauruli, claims to have been making wine since 1533. Needless to say with experience like that Georgian wine can be pretty darn good. In this region we’ll also visit some cultural highlights, taste wine and have lunch with a charming family in their garden. In my opinion, this is a wonderful trip perfectly balancing the historical highs of one of Europe’s most fascinating counties with the remote and wild mountains she possesses. It is suitable for anyone in a good state of health that enjoys walking, history, cuisine and of course wine. On the three times I’ve run this trip I’ve taken clients aged from 25 to 75 – and all have loved enjoyed it. Georgia is one of those countries that is likely to get under your skin. The history, culture, cuisine, wine – and above all sociability of the locals – is sure to have you coming back again and again. So be warned, your first trip to Georgia is unlikely to be your last!