MOUNTAINS
Politics aside, arrive at the town of Stepanstminda (1,740m), its cheerful poverty somewhat reminiscent of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains base of Imlil, and a clear view will take your breath away. Kazbek’s snow dome summit is perhaps only 5-6km to the west, but it’s also over 3km higher in the sky - with the superbly picturesque spire of the Gergeti Trinity Church, itself a 400m slog up the interrupting hill, framing the foreground perfectly. Despite its small size, there’s plenty of hearty Georgian food and bottomless cups of Chacha (home-made brandy) to be found in town. I’d recommend Shorena’s for both these and the reliable YouTube hook up they’ve gleefully managed to engineer for dinner-time entertainment. From there you can begin your minimum of four days on the mountain quite comfortably, and recuperate well once you’re back.
The region of Svaneti and the town
of Mestia are dramatically different. They lie in the high mountain terrain in Georgia’s north-west – at the end of a recently upgraded traversing road which cut journey times from 6hrs in a 4x4 to less than three in any road vehicle. That is, unless the driver is determined to end it all and take his passengers with him (see above). Make it here alive and you’ll understand why the national tourism board is so keen to brand it the Switzerland of the Caucasus.
“THEIR ISOLATED CULTURE HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN REVERED FOR ITS POLYPHONIC SINGING, POETRY AND BRIGANDRY. ANY ONE OF WHICH WOULD SURELY BE ENOUGH TO KEEP TOURISTS AWAY.”
They had their work cut out. Migration to Tbilisi may mean that the numbers of Svan people here are ever-decreasing, but their isolated culture has traditionally been revered for its polyphonic singing, poetry and brigandry. Any one of which would surely be enough to keep tourists away indefinitely. But in 2016, at least, central Mestia is a relatively wealthy outpost of cafes, restaurants, hotels and hostels clustered around a leafy central square. More traditional, unsealed tracks spread outwards from its heart, past peaceful homes and medieval towers and on towards the streaming glaciers, long-distance hiking trails and a horizon full of ridges, snowlines and distant, glittering summits. It really is rather lovely.
Which would be a fair summation of the country as a whole. Two weeks was barely enough time to comprehend the chaos that is modern Georgia. The people were alternately welcoming and generous or peerlessly surly and
uncommunicative. The food and accommodation were sometimes excellent and sometimes awful. The mountain trails are sometimes clear and well-maintained and other times ill-signed and misleading. It is, in other words, a place of adventure and uncertainty. The only absolute truth being the mountains, which deserve your attention as well as any others I’ve encountered.
HOW TO: HIKE IN SVANETI
Getting to Svaneti is probably the most stressful part. Taking a local marshrutka from Tbilisi or Kutaisi is an option, although the stops are hard to find and difficult to discern from the melee once you’re there. Hiring a private driver is another option, and surprisingly inexpensive if there’s a large enough group of you. A third, and potentially more exciting, option is to fly in from Tbilisi or Kutaisi on a small propeller plane (
vanillasky.ge), although they typically only run two days out of each week. Once you’re in Mestia, you’ll find a tourist information centre in the main square which provides a modest amount of literature about local hiking trails and a surprisingly excellent
free guidebook to a range of alpine routes and mountaineering challenges in the area. Beware though, following the irregularly waymarked trails can prove difficult, and they often don’t follow the most scenic or attractive parts of the landscape. Seeking advice from local guides or other hikers is best.
If you climb at a high level then the surrounding peaks, such as the spectacular Ushba, will provide a world of attractions. Bear in mind that even the easiest routes on Ushba start at a grading of AD+ and that the changeable weather patterns make it one of the most notoriously challenging ascents in the Caucasus.
For hikers, views of these great mountains are easy to come across, particularly from viewpoints such as the Kuruldi Lakes (well-signed, and on a plateau above the town). Although, again, every waymarked trail seems to have a rough 4x4 track running alongside it, so your stiff four-hour walk may be slightly spoiled by carloads of tourists disinterestedly wandering around the location you’ve shed a pint of sweat to get to. The real joy comes from exploring out from the town across the passes and into the folding valleys that are only accessible on foot. Fortunately there are plenty. Back in the town, a jug of red wine at Cafe Laila (with free WiFi) or some superb local food at Sunset Cafe rounds off the day perfectly.
Words: Dan Aspel
The spectacular and challenging Ushba (4,690m).
58 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.
Dan Aspel is a freelance journalist and Mountain Leader with a particular passion for travel, scrambling and via ferrata. He dreams of one day being mistaken for an alpinist. Find out more at
www.danaspel.com
PHOTO: DAN ASPEL.
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