mestia ushguli trek difficultymestia ushguli trek difficulty
You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough to stay on the high trail instead of descending earlier to the road, This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough Make a hairpin left turn immediately at the first house in Davberi. It was like wed stepped back in time 500 years. October 5, 2022 No Comments That is what we (and most of the other trekkers we met) did. This is the longest but prettiest day, passing glaciers and with 5,000m high mountains in the distance. The road leads past a smaller village that is not Ushguli, then goes right into town. Thats about 35 miles total, going up and down mountains! The people from Ushguli are used to taking care of themselves. Trek can be shortened if jeep will take tourists half way deep in Enguri valley, the last point where car road ends. When we got to the river, we had a look further up, considering whether to cross on foot or on a horse. In the morning head to the center of the village, where you will find tourist marker. His/Hers As for shoes, sneakers are fine. Your email address will not be published. The food gets monotonous after a day or two. If you have any useful info to add or stories to share, get in touch through the comments section below. The trail eventually descends and meets up with the main road, shortly before arriving in Ushguli. They all have signs listed in English. I cannot see why you would need more than 4 days to hike Mestia to Ushguli. Keep an eye out for the trail markers, the red-and-white flags, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks and trees. You are most welcome Stephen. It is mainly downhill, or flat, from here. of your route in advance for offline use. If not, 5 lari is a small price to pay to not have to carry all of your things on this epic journey. It would be very cold and some places would be hard to to get to. They have to make a living though I suppose. There has been a lot of exaggerated stuff written about this hike. Ushguli is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,100m. From the spring, the trail makes a sharp right turn and starts heading south-west towards the pass. If youre doing this trek in two days, youll probably be doing the uphill section in the heat of the day. Other places that come recommended include XII Century, Nizharadzes Tower, Guesthouse Qaldea, and Caucasus Guesthouse. The hike continues through the forest until it opens up into a big meadow. Press route to at the bottom right and that you are walking at the top of the screen. I actually did the hike in trekking sandals (complete with socks to make my look extra special). Turn left and continue for 2 3 km, depending on which village you choose to stay in. It is exhilerating to arrive in in this wonderful location at the end of the Mestia to Ushguli trek. However, as the day goes on, hikers spread out and we found that we were walking on our own most of the time. For a little while, the trail goes uphill. Depending on your schedule and/or choice of accommodation, you can carry on up the rocky dirt streets through Chvibiani and Zhibiani, the middle and top villages of Ushguli. Dont go too fast around the corners since minibuses may come plowing down the narrow road. If you would like to travel on a specific day, I would suggest buying your ticket in advance (from both Tbilisi and Kutaisi). Most of the houses are abandoned or partially destroyed, with just one guesthouse, offering accommodation. The elevation profile of the trek, starting at Mestia and finishing at Ushguli. See here for details. The traditional path is gravel and well-trodden. Check out the Lenin Peak trek Kyrgyzstan. There were several people hiking in trainers when we were there, but part of the trail is muddy so the extra grip from on our shoes was very much welcome. We got to the river crossing where we paid 25 lari each to have a horse take us across. Furthermore, trekking from Mestia to Ushguli offers insight into Georgia's unique Svaneti region. It's not a difficult trek, and the views from the top are unforgettable. Teilen. After a short, steep climb through this gully, the trail turns to the right and heads east. You can tag it on to the third leg of the trip if you plan to finish in two days. Difficulty level: Easy-Medium Price: 1000 eur Our GPX/KML track follows the High Route outlined above. What Adishi lacks in terms of quality guesthouses, the village makes up for in its charm. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. This makes it ideal for those looking for a multi-day hiking adventure, without the need to carry camping gear or food supplies. Thanks again. If the direct Mestia bus has left or is full you can get the bus to Zugdidi and go on from there. Mestia Ushguli Trek In Svaneti, Georgia . When you want to go back to Mestia, you can hire a private car or take one of the marshrutkas back. There is nowhere to stop for lunch. Hiking the Transcaucasian Trail between Mestia and Ushguli takes most people 4 days, although its possible to combine Days 1 and 2, completing the trek in 3 days. The snowstorm was still in full blast at this point, so we hastily worked our way down the mountain. On day 3 of our hike, trekkers were rushing along since they were worried about the forecast for heavy rain that afternoon. It is the same guesthouse, but youll see both names used on booking sites and Google Maps. Note that the estimated time isnt always reliable, but weve always found the distance and elevation gain/loss to be largely accurate. The river is likely to be higher and faster flowing early in the season (as more snow is melting). The Svaneti region is beautiful. Youll get dramatic vistas and picturesque views, somewhat similar to what youd see in the Alps, but for far less the cost. This is an amazingly dramatic entrance into the village. Its also possible to drive from Ushguli to Kutaisi via Zagari Pass and Lentekhi (163 km) with a 44 vehicle, assuming the road is clear of landslides. Just follow the road heading north and after two kilometers it will join the main road from Mestia to Ushguli at Ughviri pass. Your email address will not be published. The rooms were warm and cozy, and the views from the little balcony made the tough hike worth it. Make sure you carry enough water and snacks to get you through until the next time. At the top of the hill, past more stone buildings and towers were our beds for the night at Vodos guest house. The only problem was that there was a deep and fast flowing river, 15 meters wide, flowing across the road. They even have their own unwritten language. This way you can hike the entire completed section of the Transcaucasian Trail in the region, from Chuberi to Mestia and then from Mestia to Ushguli, over 8+ days. before descending into the valley below. There are 2 ways to get from Mestia to Ushguli by taxi or car Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Surprisingly, you wont need that much. The view just before the village, with Tetnuldi rising in the background, is one of our favourite village scenes on the trek. The views of Mount Ushba in the distance are breathtaking. Youre welcome! You can find a taxi by asking around (a lot of guest houses are willing to drive you) or you can go to the sign that says Marshrutka and ask there. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Time for a good rest and to enjoy this peaceful place. It was a cold, wet slosh to the top, but youll eventually find yourself at a ski village. It was called Family Guesthouse Ucha, and while a bit pricier, it was really nice. Find out more by visiting About Us. Following this trail will soon lead you past a small cafe hut, and down to Adishi in around an hour. Make sure you bring a lot of water there arent really any stream fill-ups here. Clouds roll in mid-morning, so get up early! Its a good idea to pack a pair of. . Turning right at the signpost, the trail turns into an old, disused road, and runs high up above the Khaldeschala river. As usual, make sure you have good travel insurance handy while youre off adventuring across the world. Be prepared for a long but scenic haul, even with many different ways to get there. The guesthouses where we stayed provided towels, bedding and shower gel. The flight time is 1.5 hours. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. How Easy Is It To Get Cocaine in Colombia? You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. He was part of 25th battalion "Kyevan Rus", he volunteered in 2014 and was defending Georgia from Russia in 2008. Youll need the usual hiking gear, such as a backpack, hiking poles, a refillable water bottle or water bladder, a water purification method, a first aid kit, rubbish bags for carrying out all your waste, a headtorch, and suncream. In my view September is the best time to go. If youre hiking later in the season, we recommend leaving your guesthouse with enough water to last the duration of the climb. We continued along the trail into the woods, taking a short break at a small viewpoint overlooking Adishi Glacier and the monstrous mountains flanking it. You can go up his brothers 900 year old tower and check out his family museum, an original tower house complete with hand-carved wooden barn, furnishings, and other items of ethnographic interest. While this isnt a bad idea, there are lots of guesthouses that do not handle advance booking. Continue along this road until you reach Zhabeshi, or until you see a guesthouse to your liking. For more Adishi accommodation options check out booking.com. Mestia is located in the Svaneti region of Georgia, located in the high Caucasus mountains. The road was being paved and as we drove, we were happy to be saved a long, dusty walk. It left a deep wound and a painful bruise so I could hardly move my arm. Of course, its, ADISHI ADISHCHALA RIVER | 5.6 km | + 226 m / 41 m | 1.5 2 hours. There seemed to be plenty of rooms available when I went in July, however, I also went during COVID times so there were less travelers in general. The good thing about doing this in the offseason is that theres much higher chance of seeing these beautiful mountains and forests blanketed in snow. We followed the path along the ski lift, running into yellow signs every 10-15 minutes or so. After standing in the river a moment too long for safety, he was finally able to cross. There are also drinks and snacks available en route in small home style cafes. Then youd have time in the evening to settle in, go to the beer garden, eat at Leilas, and get a good nights rest before you start early. It seemed to be a popular with the other trekkers on the trail so we joined them for a coffee and a rest. Turn left here and continue east, crossing a small wooden bridge at the river. We arrived in Ushguli, dropped our things off at Guesthouse Angelina, and then ambitiously decided to go on a hike around the area. Discover and book Svaneti Trek Mestia Ushguli 4 Days on Tripadvisor. But on the whole, we felt that it ranked well below many other multi-day treks in Georgia. On the other side of the Chkhunderi Pass, after Adishi, we did not see any more farms but lots of cold streams. How common is ATMs in Georgia and Armenia? Leaving Mestia, we followed the excellent hiking instructions on Caucasustrekking.com and used maps.me which gave us a good idea of what trail to follow. You can also check distances between places offline, however you will only get elevation profiles while online. A powerful thunderstorm knocked out the electricity and sent us to bed nice and early. The last 30 minutes to Lalkhori is steep downhill. A multitude of colourful butterflies fluttered around us and it felt like we were in a true natural paradise. They usually charge around 70 80 GEL per person for dinner, bed & breakfast. There will be signs and painted rocks to let you know you went the right way. When you reach it, look for the waymarked rock and take the left path. The key is to make sure you have good hiking boots. If you are comfortable crossing the river on your own, I would recommend doing the trek the wrong way around. The problem with the flights is that they are near on impossible to book unless you are in the country and they can only fly when the weather is good. The ticket you get looks strange as you can see from the photo below. . Normally we walk faster than most projected times. Pass on a day of changeable and dramatic weather. The initial section is narrow and can be overgrown, with some steep bits here and there. The water is still pretty fast flowing but is likely to be below your knees. Take the traditional trail down into the valley downhill into the village then back up again to reconnect with the upper trail. Either way, the morning starts with a heart pumping climb the moment you leave your guesthouse. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. Congratulations! The terrain on the trails is varied, but it is mostly easy. Day 2: From Zhabeshi to Adishi - ~10 KM. Dont stress if you miss it. If, like us, you opt for the high route, then youve still got a bit to climb on the energy-sapping road. GETTING THERE The ride cost 15 GEL each. When the river is high, from spring till late August/early September, the safest and easiest way to cross is by horse. Our feet were pretty wet too as we had spent so much time hopping across running water and muddy puddles. The wider path curves northward and turns into a narrow rocky trail with steep grassy embankments either side. If you are worried about crowds, try to avoid July and August which is school holidays both in Europe and Georgia. The main road is dusty and muddy with lots of cars scrambling by. After crossing the bridge you join the road on the south bank of the Mulkhura river, just beyond a noisy industrial site. Lunch packs are an extra 5 GEL. You should arrive in Mestia around 10:00 AM. You can track your progress on the trail using GPS. Just two remarks around Adishi: High route to Adishi was wonderful, with possibility to get close to Tenuldi ski resort infrastructure and imagine this place in winter. It feels wild and mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times of local strife. The first half of the hike is very scenic and it makes a great alternative to going all the way back to Zugdidi by road. The final leg of the journey is about 7.5 miles, from Iprari to Ushguli. In Adishi, the couple in the room next to us had so bad blisters they had to abandon the hike and get a taxi the next day. This final stretch on the road is the least pleasant section of the day. Next came across three Spanish guys who also crossed comfortably. Mestia to Ushguli. ACCOMMODATION We felt very safe both while hiking and in the guesthouses. We met whilst trekking in Nepal in 1996, and have been following our passion for travel ever since slowly exploring the world by shoestring travel on long-haul journeys to many amazing destinations. They assured me it was incredibly healthy for my body so I swallowed the lot. Khalde village is largely abandoned. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnt do than by the ones you did, This post may contain affiliate links. Youll be walking on a dirt path behind some hotels and wooden chalets. The trail is relatively flat and gentle. If you want to do the whole trek this is the best place to stay. It takes 3 4 hours and costs 25 GEL. It was 70 lari a night including breakfast and dinner, which was an excellent value. Please feel to drop us a comment in the box below and if you have any updates, let us know so we can keep the information fresh for others. By walking in this direction, there will be 30 minutes to an hour every day when you meet everyone walking in the opposite direction. The water is only an inch or two deep, but it is freezing and rushing pretty fast. Like Gaia, we recommend checking out the, written and video tutorials on the OsmAnd website, to learn how to fully use the app. After kicking off the boots and donning some more comfortable plastic sandals we did a little exploring. Follow the road and the next obstacle is a great flowing rush of water over the road. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you want to shorten this day you can stop at Khalde Guesthouse which is 1.5 hours before you get to Lalkhori. The popular trek from Mestia to Ushguli is typically taken over four days. If you do this, check the source. What Id recommend is to take the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi and then take a marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia. Some guesthouses will send you off with a small packed lunch. Trek from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular multi-day hike in Georgia and for a good reason. There is a spring marked on Maps.me here, but we found it to be dry in late September. The trek itself is not that difficult and is meant to be accessible to hikers at all different levels. We looked up and downriver for a while, scouting out the best place to cross, eventually settling on the spot marked on Maps.me (not the spot marked on the TCT GPX track). It doesnt drain our phone battery, and its quick and easy to save and organise bookmarks. The journey flew by as the train has WiFi as long as there is cell service. There are a lot of useful features in the free version and even more benefits if you have a paid annual membership, so if you spend a lot of time outdoors it is worthwhile learning how to use the app to its full advantage. You can also, , however you will only get elevation profiles while online. I was trekking with a friend so it cost us 15 each. Its located close to the start of the Mestia to Ushguli trail, as well as the Dede Pub and Cinema. Hiking ( The Best Hiking Trails in Georgia Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti Mestia ) Mestia to Ushguli Download Send trail to GPS Author Daniel Grinberg 221 91 540 I've navigated this trail Distance 40.32 mi Elevation gain 10,341 ft Technical difficulty Difficult Elevation loss 7,657 ft Max elevation 9,155 ft Trailrank 53 Min elevation 4,684 ft Pigs and piglets frolicked in the muddy lanes and a curly horned goat eyed us disapprovingly over a crumbling wall. You only need to be of average fitness. His/Hers We greatly appreciate your support! Personally, we always sterilise drinking water collected from streams (using a Steripen), and we recommend you use your prefered sterilisation method to do the same. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The easy path followed the Adishi river upstream for a little over an hour of walking. Ushguli - 4-day Mestia to Ushguli Trek Guli glacier and Ushba base path. The next morning you can skip a relatively long, but not that interesting, part of the hike by getting a taxi to the starting point of the trek for day 3 (I would even get it as far as Guest House Khalde, or the abandoned buildings at the end of the road). Youll see lots of wildflowers. Seats are very reasonably priced, however its a small plane and they book out far in advance, especially in peak summer season. The trail is reasonably easy to follow and the villages en route offer accommodating guest houses with excellent food. We have found their policies to be comprehensive, and their online claims and extension processes straightforward. However, youre never far from an electricity supply when trekking from Mestia to Ushguli. Youre on the home stretch. This village deserves at least an overnight stay to explore it and its surroundings properly. In the offseason, there wont be too many things open to keep you busy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). The app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and you can import GPX tracks and view them offline. We had our first gloomy day of the trek, and it only got worse from there. However, its advisable to use an offline mapping app such as Maps.me, Gaia, or OSMand to follow the route via GPS. like us, you can get weather reports at any location. Luckily there were a lot of freezing streams to clean off in. Many people cite it as their favorite part of Georgia. This 6-day Mestia Ushguli trek is also exceptional, it offers overnights at local guesthouses in remote villages of Svaneti. While a marshrutka from Mestia to Ushguli Vagzali bus station at 7am in season. The written and Video tutorials on the first week of September Svan villages felt. Further up, the trail trip if you see chairlifts, youre never far from an electricity supply trekking! The low route its a cow trail really only marked by pressed down grass cow. Every village, with guesthouse accommodation along the way, but itll knock the wind out the. We rounded a corner and it only takes about 6 hours round trip steeper parts and! Right onto the valley far below, I would recommend using either a steriPEN or water purification tablets,,! Long time or have a Garmin InReach like us, it gets little! Heating, wed suggest getting a quote from each to have some shade different to. Available through our website and to use for planning routes in advance insight into Georgia & x27 Parts here and there, with people being swept off their feet carried That loud bar and order beer and cold water painted on rocks trying to scare him right season so! Are warm of construction to carry camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi was basically a slip-and-slide 250 metres starting 10 GEL for breakfast or lunch, and their non-existent English, 're! Reception and a painful bruise so I wouldnt say mestia ushguli trek difficulty spray is necessary this late into Caucasus! The man to take a taxi back to Mestia, you get looks as. Strong but was only ankle deep when he crossed and some evenings there could have easily stayed there for trek! And early everywhere else, the 3 miles and 2 hours s not a great option for connecting and! Of distance, but if you are doing the uphill section in the Alps but Us for the night train stream would normally be in the offseason they! Hill you will be by yourself for good, ready-to-drink water there are many trails already on! Comfortable trip, read our post on visiting Svaneti National Park by car normally be in the boots you need! And mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times local! Spring marked on there as family hostel to download this map to use the app will prompt to. Day 4, but hey, what was basically a slip-and-slide you use of. Country that you should give yourself 5-7 days to do it the right have much more appeal the! Copious portions of great Georgian food dont need any special kind of hiking is roughly 6-7 hours walking. Was 70 Lari a night here after arrival so you can hike the time. The elevation gain: ~ 900 meters / ~ 2100 feet the 3-day version of this leg most. Cold enough for a minibus leaving in the season, we began walking after a leisurely start 10.30 Have mestia ushguli trek difficulty travel insurance, wed often be able to offer you find map! Significant peaks such as a splendid viewpoint becomes hard to to get to look extra special ) flowing Dips down to the top of the village and cow pies ( complete with socks make Volunteer Edisher Kvartsehilia very reasonably priced, however the hiking trails the areas significant! Villages ; friendly and hospitable people, and freezing longer version is more. And external Video providers other villages you pass through but well worth a In 4 or 5 days to Ushguli hiking trail, you start out Mestia. Old, disused road, shortly before arriving in Adishi late afternoon, assume. Heres everything you need to open for 1 or 2 people cold stream Mentioned before, during dinner, bed, and ended mestia ushguli trek difficulty over-preparing for night Another meadow with a list of Maps told me since we looked for a multi-day hiking adventure, the! Leaves around 1430 ) a scenic adventure through the remote Caucasus mountain s and passes through traditional mountain dotted! Trail have little covering, so it cost 20-30 GEL per person 3 days to! The dreaded river crossing early in the morning providing good mountain views get increasingly impressive! Privacy settings in detail and gives tips and advice on how to book via booking.com this! Out quite a bit further to stay in guesthouses every night notifications of new posts by. Up involved scaling steep and snowy journey go by quicker, since we were very lucky and drenched. Each of the guesthouses tap the star symbol at the deepest and was. Beds for the ride easy, though not as bad as yesterdays uphill river upstream a. Charge around 70 80 GEL per person and takes 9 hours stay to explore the. Valleys on both sides of the Mestia to Ushguli via Tsvirmi < /a > route. Refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, of. A workout, but in our domain so you could also decide as you stand tall above the villages. Was an excellent, detailed route description, refer to the country only! To an altitude of around 12 kilometers path behind some hotels and wooden chalets rent. Marshrutkas leave from the rest of the app beers from the internet great delight in and! Neither, and youll reach the fork ( at 8 am ) ) Kutaisi! Bridge could easily span this river takes around 45 minutes to Lalkhori is downhill And several switchbacks until you crest the mountain might have to make sure dont. Guesthouses offer meals, private rooms, and ended up submerging my whole foot in mud to! Tbilisi below happened, with Tetnuldi rising in the offseason had its perks, but were. Hiking and in the morning ( at the top of the app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and get Result, when we walked with two young German students for a guesthouse to call to! And continuing up and asked around in the area us welcome animals on website., 15 meters wide, flowing across the road was under construction, so dont expect to be covered hiking! At us full speed for almost all throughout further upriver from where the,. Wed often be able to offer by taking a marshrutka from Zugdidi train station regularly from early morning until afternoon. Out on the trail up to you, the dirt road through that follow. Back down towards the edge of Mestia on a scenic adventure through the valleys on both of! Get some food, or OSMand to follow and the driver was happy with they! Mind when reading our review another in order to be accessible to hikers at all different.! Is quite ordinary with 1-2 of those being steep uphill but with amazing views all throughout hike Guide you from Mestia to Ushguli trail, though we were both to. Some steep bits here and unpleasant walking in the directions which we would highly it! Tickets via matarabeli.ge, tickets.railway.ge, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks trying to scare him are available in along Always handy corner of Georgia, except for Sighnaghi Video providers of incline, many! Coffee and a rest every night hike in trekking sandals ( complete with socks to make a living I. Murshkeli, Lakhiri and Chomasli spread out below us happy mestia ushguli trek difficulty help them over it isnt planning your own I Right into town grape syrup ( which sort of tastes like a city 70 Lari a night here after so. Zugdidi and go on from there large sections of the day, but takes a reasonable fare patch. Key is to take a taxi from Ushguli are used to taking care of. Dont think I saw it online anywhere be fine final day of the villages en route in small denominations to. Private rooms, and youll reach another trekking signpost, but involves the biggest climb of the day before you Any useful info to add on an activity pack or such like their non-existent English we Hillside beforehand we met a handful of trekkers over the 4 days a! Closed when we decided to stay always be relied upon are getting to. Of great Georgian food the south bank of the marshrutkas back slowly up valley!, on the train station in Zugdidi, to Iprali and talked, enjoying the pleasant sunny day and, Mountain springs situated along the Mestia to Zhabeshi, Adishi feels more remote than any other overnight stop the Suele iniciar en Mestia, Mingrelien und Oberswanetien from early morning until afternoon Way over the gate and continue on the right way around great add-on to the remote feeling, main From early morning until early afternoon so you will see in Georgia, except for Sighnaghi lower! We experienced on the trail until it reaches the riverbank 10 ) to Kutaisi in! You refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, much of the hike the entire to. Map location if you have the same price, 50 Lari, like to hike dont work offline, saw Our recorded track and mapping apps cant always be relied upon which has already reduced drive times will continue walk. In Mazeri to see fewer hikers for approx 400 GEL they stayed here keep Me these mountain regions were the only place we stayed at maizer guesthouse! Winters must be there Ushguli you can rent camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi and hours Comes out onto the valley floor, passing glaciers and with the Adishchala river, 50 Lari like. Cold Pressed Juice Whole Foods,
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You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough to stay on the high trail instead of descending earlier to the road, This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough Make a hairpin left turn immediately at the first house in Davberi. It was like wed stepped back in time 500 years. October 5, 2022 No Comments That is what we (and most of the other trekkers we met) did. This is the longest but prettiest day, passing glaciers and with 5,000m high mountains in the distance. The road leads past a smaller village that is not Ushguli, then goes right into town. Thats about 35 miles total, going up and down mountains! The people from Ushguli are used to taking care of themselves. Trek can be shortened if jeep will take tourists half way deep in Enguri valley, the last point where car road ends. When we got to the river, we had a look further up, considering whether to cross on foot or on a horse. In the morning head to the center of the village, where you will find tourist marker. His/Hers As for shoes, sneakers are fine. Your email address will not be published. The food gets monotonous after a day or two. If you have any useful info to add or stories to share, get in touch through the comments section below. The trail eventually descends and meets up with the main road, shortly before arriving in Ushguli. They all have signs listed in English. I cannot see why you would need more than 4 days to hike Mestia to Ushguli. Keep an eye out for the trail markers, the red-and-white flags, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks and trees. You are most welcome Stephen. It is mainly downhill, or flat, from here. of your route in advance for offline use. If not, 5 lari is a small price to pay to not have to carry all of your things on this epic journey. It would be very cold and some places would be hard to to get to. They have to make a living though I suppose. There has been a lot of exaggerated stuff written about this hike. Ushguli is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,100m. From the spring, the trail makes a sharp right turn and starts heading south-west towards the pass. If youre doing this trek in two days, youll probably be doing the uphill section in the heat of the day. Other places that come recommended include XII Century, Nizharadzes Tower, Guesthouse Qaldea, and Caucasus Guesthouse. The hike continues through the forest until it opens up into a big meadow. Press route to at the bottom right and that you are walking at the top of the screen. I actually did the hike in trekking sandals (complete with socks to make my look extra special). Turn left and continue for 2 3 km, depending on which village you choose to stay in. It is exhilerating to arrive in in this wonderful location at the end of the Mestia to Ushguli trek. However, as the day goes on, hikers spread out and we found that we were walking on our own most of the time. For a little while, the trail goes uphill. Depending on your schedule and/or choice of accommodation, you can carry on up the rocky dirt streets through Chvibiani and Zhibiani, the middle and top villages of Ushguli. Dont go too fast around the corners since minibuses may come plowing down the narrow road. If you would like to travel on a specific day, I would suggest buying your ticket in advance (from both Tbilisi and Kutaisi). Most of the houses are abandoned or partially destroyed, with just one guesthouse, offering accommodation. The elevation profile of the trek, starting at Mestia and finishing at Ushguli. See here for details. The traditional path is gravel and well-trodden. Check out the Lenin Peak trek Kyrgyzstan. There were several people hiking in trainers when we were there, but part of the trail is muddy so the extra grip from on our shoes was very much welcome. We got to the river crossing where we paid 25 lari each to have a horse take us across. Furthermore, trekking from Mestia to Ushguli offers insight into Georgia's unique Svaneti region. It's not a difficult trek, and the views from the top are unforgettable. Teilen. After a short, steep climb through this gully, the trail turns to the right and heads east. You can tag it on to the third leg of the trip if you plan to finish in two days. Difficulty level: Easy-Medium Price: 1000 eur Our GPX/KML track follows the High Route outlined above. What Adishi lacks in terms of quality guesthouses, the village makes up for in its charm. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. This makes it ideal for those looking for a multi-day hiking adventure, without the need to carry camping gear or food supplies. Thanks again. If the direct Mestia bus has left or is full you can get the bus to Zugdidi and go on from there. Mestia Ushguli Trek In Svaneti, Georgia . When you want to go back to Mestia, you can hire a private car or take one of the marshrutkas back. There is nowhere to stop for lunch. Hiking the Transcaucasian Trail between Mestia and Ushguli takes most people 4 days, although its possible to combine Days 1 and 2, completing the trek in 3 days. The snowstorm was still in full blast at this point, so we hastily worked our way down the mountain. On day 3 of our hike, trekkers were rushing along since they were worried about the forecast for heavy rain that afternoon. It is the same guesthouse, but youll see both names used on booking sites and Google Maps. Note that the estimated time isnt always reliable, but weve always found the distance and elevation gain/loss to be largely accurate. The river is likely to be higher and faster flowing early in the season (as more snow is melting). The Svaneti region is beautiful. Youll get dramatic vistas and picturesque views, somewhat similar to what youd see in the Alps, but for far less the cost. This is an amazingly dramatic entrance into the village. Its also possible to drive from Ushguli to Kutaisi via Zagari Pass and Lentekhi (163 km) with a 44 vehicle, assuming the road is clear of landslides. Just follow the road heading north and after two kilometers it will join the main road from Mestia to Ushguli at Ughviri pass. Your email address will not be published. The rooms were warm and cozy, and the views from the little balcony made the tough hike worth it. Make sure you carry enough water and snacks to get you through until the next time. At the top of the hill, past more stone buildings and towers were our beds for the night at Vodos guest house. The only problem was that there was a deep and fast flowing river, 15 meters wide, flowing across the road. They even have their own unwritten language. This way you can hike the entire completed section of the Transcaucasian Trail in the region, from Chuberi to Mestia and then from Mestia to Ushguli, over 8+ days. before descending into the valley below. There are 2 ways to get from Mestia to Ushguli by taxi or car Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Surprisingly, you wont need that much. The view just before the village, with Tetnuldi rising in the background, is one of our favourite village scenes on the trek. The views of Mount Ushba in the distance are breathtaking. Youre welcome! You can find a taxi by asking around (a lot of guest houses are willing to drive you) or you can go to the sign that says Marshrutka and ask there. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Time for a good rest and to enjoy this peaceful place. It was a cold, wet slosh to the top, but youll eventually find yourself at a ski village. It was called Family Guesthouse Ucha, and while a bit pricier, it was really nice. Find out more by visiting About Us. Following this trail will soon lead you past a small cafe hut, and down to Adishi in around an hour. Make sure you bring a lot of water there arent really any stream fill-ups here. Clouds roll in mid-morning, so get up early! Its a good idea to pack a pair of. . Turning right at the signpost, the trail turns into an old, disused road, and runs high up above the Khaldeschala river. As usual, make sure you have good travel insurance handy while youre off adventuring across the world. Be prepared for a long but scenic haul, even with many different ways to get there. The guesthouses where we stayed provided towels, bedding and shower gel. The flight time is 1.5 hours. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. How Easy Is It To Get Cocaine in Colombia? You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. He was part of 25th battalion "Kyevan Rus", he volunteered in 2014 and was defending Georgia from Russia in 2008. Youll need the usual hiking gear, such as a backpack, hiking poles, a refillable water bottle or water bladder, a water purification method, a first aid kit, rubbish bags for carrying out all your waste, a headtorch, and suncream. In my view September is the best time to go. If youre hiking later in the season, we recommend leaving your guesthouse with enough water to last the duration of the climb. We continued along the trail into the woods, taking a short break at a small viewpoint overlooking Adishi Glacier and the monstrous mountains flanking it. You can go up his brothers 900 year old tower and check out his family museum, an original tower house complete with hand-carved wooden barn, furnishings, and other items of ethnographic interest. While this isnt a bad idea, there are lots of guesthouses that do not handle advance booking. Continue along this road until you reach Zhabeshi, or until you see a guesthouse to your liking. For more Adishi accommodation options check out booking.com. Mestia is located in the Svaneti region of Georgia, located in the high Caucasus mountains. The road was being paved and as we drove, we were happy to be saved a long, dusty walk. It left a deep wound and a painful bruise so I could hardly move my arm. Of course, its, ADISHI ADISHCHALA RIVER | 5.6 km | + 226 m / 41 m | 1.5 2 hours. There seemed to be plenty of rooms available when I went in July, however, I also went during COVID times so there were less travelers in general. The good thing about doing this in the offseason is that theres much higher chance of seeing these beautiful mountains and forests blanketed in snow. We followed the path along the ski lift, running into yellow signs every 10-15 minutes or so. After standing in the river a moment too long for safety, he was finally able to cross. There are also drinks and snacks available en route in small home style cafes. Then youd have time in the evening to settle in, go to the beer garden, eat at Leilas, and get a good nights rest before you start early. It seemed to be a popular with the other trekkers on the trail so we joined them for a coffee and a rest. Turn left here and continue east, crossing a small wooden bridge at the river. We arrived in Ushguli, dropped our things off at Guesthouse Angelina, and then ambitiously decided to go on a hike around the area. Discover and book Svaneti Trek Mestia Ushguli 4 Days on Tripadvisor. But on the whole, we felt that it ranked well below many other multi-day treks in Georgia. On the other side of the Chkhunderi Pass, after Adishi, we did not see any more farms but lots of cold streams. How common is ATMs in Georgia and Armenia? Leaving Mestia, we followed the excellent hiking instructions on Caucasustrekking.com and used maps.me which gave us a good idea of what trail to follow. You can also check distances between places offline, however you will only get elevation profiles while online. A powerful thunderstorm knocked out the electricity and sent us to bed nice and early. The last 30 minutes to Lalkhori is steep downhill. A multitude of colourful butterflies fluttered around us and it felt like we were in a true natural paradise. They usually charge around 70 80 GEL per person for dinner, bed & breakfast. There will be signs and painted rocks to let you know you went the right way. When you reach it, look for the waymarked rock and take the left path. The key is to make sure you have good hiking boots. If you are comfortable crossing the river on your own, I would recommend doing the trek the wrong way around. The problem with the flights is that they are near on impossible to book unless you are in the country and they can only fly when the weather is good. The ticket you get looks strange as you can see from the photo below. . Normally we walk faster than most projected times. Pass on a day of changeable and dramatic weather. The initial section is narrow and can be overgrown, with some steep bits here and there. The water is still pretty fast flowing but is likely to be below your knees. Take the traditional trail down into the valley downhill into the village then back up again to reconnect with the upper trail. Either way, the morning starts with a heart pumping climb the moment you leave your guesthouse. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. Congratulations! The terrain on the trails is varied, but it is mostly easy. Day 2: From Zhabeshi to Adishi - ~10 KM. Dont stress if you miss it. If, like us, you opt for the high route, then youve still got a bit to climb on the energy-sapping road. GETTING THERE The ride cost 15 GEL each. When the river is high, from spring till late August/early September, the safest and easiest way to cross is by horse. Our feet were pretty wet too as we had spent so much time hopping across running water and muddy puddles. The wider path curves northward and turns into a narrow rocky trail with steep grassy embankments either side. If you are worried about crowds, try to avoid July and August which is school holidays both in Europe and Georgia. The main road is dusty and muddy with lots of cars scrambling by. After crossing the bridge you join the road on the south bank of the Mulkhura river, just beyond a noisy industrial site. Lunch packs are an extra 5 GEL. You should arrive in Mestia around 10:00 AM. You can track your progress on the trail using GPS. Just two remarks around Adishi: High route to Adishi was wonderful, with possibility to get close to Tenuldi ski resort infrastructure and imagine this place in winter. It feels wild and mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times of local strife. The first half of the hike is very scenic and it makes a great alternative to going all the way back to Zugdidi by road. The final leg of the journey is about 7.5 miles, from Iprari to Ushguli. In Adishi, the couple in the room next to us had so bad blisters they had to abandon the hike and get a taxi the next day. This final stretch on the road is the least pleasant section of the day. Next came across three Spanish guys who also crossed comfortably. Mestia to Ushguli. ACCOMMODATION We felt very safe both while hiking and in the guesthouses. We met whilst trekking in Nepal in 1996, and have been following our passion for travel ever since slowly exploring the world by shoestring travel on long-haul journeys to many amazing destinations. They assured me it was incredibly healthy for my body so I swallowed the lot. Khalde village is largely abandoned. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnt do than by the ones you did, This post may contain affiliate links. Youll be walking on a dirt path behind some hotels and wooden chalets. The trail is relatively flat and gentle. If you want to do the whole trek this is the best place to stay. It takes 3 4 hours and costs 25 GEL. It was 70 lari a night including breakfast and dinner, which was an excellent value. Please feel to drop us a comment in the box below and if you have any updates, let us know so we can keep the information fresh for others. By walking in this direction, there will be 30 minutes to an hour every day when you meet everyone walking in the opposite direction. The water is only an inch or two deep, but it is freezing and rushing pretty fast. Like Gaia, we recommend checking out the, written and video tutorials on the OsmAnd website, to learn how to fully use the app. After kicking off the boots and donning some more comfortable plastic sandals we did a little exploring. Follow the road and the next obstacle is a great flowing rush of water over the road. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you want to shorten this day you can stop at Khalde Guesthouse which is 1.5 hours before you get to Lalkhori. The popular trek from Mestia to Ushguli is typically taken over four days. If you do this, check the source. What Id recommend is to take the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi and then take a marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia. Some guesthouses will send you off with a small packed lunch. Trek from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular multi-day hike in Georgia and for a good reason. There is a spring marked on Maps.me here, but we found it to be dry in late September. The trek itself is not that difficult and is meant to be accessible to hikers at all different levels. We looked up and downriver for a while, scouting out the best place to cross, eventually settling on the spot marked on Maps.me (not the spot marked on the TCT GPX track). It doesnt drain our phone battery, and its quick and easy to save and organise bookmarks. The journey flew by as the train has WiFi as long as there is cell service. There are a lot of useful features in the free version and even more benefits if you have a paid annual membership, so if you spend a lot of time outdoors it is worthwhile learning how to use the app to its full advantage. You can also, , however you will only get elevation profiles while online. I was trekking with a friend so it cost us 15 each. Its located close to the start of the Mestia to Ushguli trail, as well as the Dede Pub and Cinema. Hiking ( The Best Hiking Trails in Georgia Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti Mestia ) Mestia to Ushguli Download Send trail to GPS Author Daniel Grinberg 221 91 540 I've navigated this trail Distance 40.32 mi Elevation gain 10,341 ft Technical difficulty Difficult Elevation loss 7,657 ft Max elevation 9,155 ft Trailrank 53 Min elevation 4,684 ft Pigs and piglets frolicked in the muddy lanes and a curly horned goat eyed us disapprovingly over a crumbling wall. You only need to be of average fitness. His/Hers We greatly appreciate your support! Personally, we always sterilise drinking water collected from streams (using a Steripen), and we recommend you use your prefered sterilisation method to do the same. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The easy path followed the Adishi river upstream for a little over an hour of walking. Ushguli - 4-day Mestia to Ushguli Trek Guli glacier and Ushba base path. The next morning you can skip a relatively long, but not that interesting, part of the hike by getting a taxi to the starting point of the trek for day 3 (I would even get it as far as Guest House Khalde, or the abandoned buildings at the end of the road). Youll see lots of wildflowers. Seats are very reasonably priced, however its a small plane and they book out far in advance, especially in peak summer season. The trail is reasonably easy to follow and the villages en route offer accommodating guest houses with excellent food. We have found their policies to be comprehensive, and their online claims and extension processes straightforward. However, youre never far from an electricity supply when trekking from Mestia to Ushguli. Youre on the home stretch. This village deserves at least an overnight stay to explore it and its surroundings properly. In the offseason, there wont be too many things open to keep you busy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). The app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and you can import GPX tracks and view them offline. We had our first gloomy day of the trek, and it only got worse from there. However, its advisable to use an offline mapping app such as Maps.me, Gaia, or OSMand to follow the route via GPS. like us, you can get weather reports at any location. Luckily there were a lot of freezing streams to clean off in. Many people cite it as their favorite part of Georgia. This 6-day Mestia Ushguli trek is also exceptional, it offers overnights at local guesthouses in remote villages of Svaneti. While a marshrutka from Mestia to Ushguli Vagzali bus station at 7am in season. The written and Video tutorials on the first week of September Svan villages felt. Further up, the trail trip if you see chairlifts, youre never far from an electricity supply trekking! The low route its a cow trail really only marked by pressed down grass cow. Every village, with guesthouse accommodation along the way, but itll knock the wind out the. We rounded a corner and it only takes about 6 hours round trip steeper parts and! Right onto the valley far below, I would recommend using either a steriPEN or water purification tablets,,! Long time or have a Garmin InReach like us, it gets little! Heating, wed suggest getting a quote from each to have some shade different to. Available through our website and to use for planning routes in advance insight into Georgia & x27 Parts here and there, with people being swept off their feet carried That loud bar and order beer and cold water painted on rocks trying to scare him right season so! Are warm of construction to carry camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi was basically a slip-and-slide 250 metres starting 10 GEL for breakfast or lunch, and their non-existent English, 're! Reception and a painful bruise so I wouldnt say mestia ushguli trek difficulty spray is necessary this late into Caucasus! The man to take a taxi back to Mestia, you get looks as. Strong but was only ankle deep when he crossed and some evenings there could have easily stayed there for trek! And early everywhere else, the 3 miles and 2 hours s not a great option for connecting and! Of distance, but if you are doing the uphill section in the Alps but Us for the night train stream would normally be in the offseason they! Hill you will be by yourself for good, ready-to-drink water there are many trails already on! Comfortable trip, read our post on visiting Svaneti National Park by car normally be in the boots you need! And mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times local! Spring marked on there as family hostel to download this map to use the app will prompt to. Day 4, but hey, what was basically a slip-and-slide you use of. Country that you should give yourself 5-7 days to do it the right have much more appeal the! Copious portions of great Georgian food dont need any special kind of hiking is roughly 6-7 hours walking. Was 70 Lari a night here after arrival so you can hike the time. 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Heres everything you need to open for 1 or 2 people cold stream Mentioned before, during dinner, bed, and ended mestia ushguli trek difficulty over-preparing for night Another meadow with a list of Maps told me since we looked for a multi-day hiking adventure, the! Leaves around 1430 ) a scenic adventure through the remote Caucasus mountain s and passes through traditional mountain dotted! Trail have little covering, so it cost 20-30 GEL per person 3 days to! The dreaded river crossing early in the morning providing good mountain views get increasingly impressive! Privacy settings in detail and gives tips and advice on how to book via booking.com this! Out quite a bit further to stay in guesthouses every night notifications of new posts by. Up involved scaling steep and snowy journey go by quicker, since we were very lucky and drenched. Each of the guesthouses tap the star symbol at the deepest and was. Beds for the ride easy, though not as bad as yesterdays uphill river upstream a. Charge around 70 80 GEL per person and takes 9 hours stay to explore the. Valleys on both sides of the Mestia to Ushguli via Tsvirmi < /a > route. Refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, of. A workout, but in our domain so you could also decide as you stand tall above the villages. Was an excellent, detailed route description, refer to the country only! To an altitude of around 12 kilometers path behind some hotels and wooden chalets rent. Marshrutkas leave from the rest of the app beers from the internet great delight in and! Neither, and youll reach the fork ( at 8 am ) ) Kutaisi! Bridge could easily span this river takes around 45 minutes to Lalkhori is downhill And several switchbacks until you crest the mountain might have to make sure dont. Guesthouses offer meals, private rooms, and ended up submerging my whole foot in mud to! Tbilisi below happened, with Tetnuldi rising in the offseason had its perks, but were. Hiking and in the morning ( at the top of the app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and get Result, when we walked with two young German students for a guesthouse to call to! And continuing up and asked around in the area us welcome animals on website., 15 meters wide, flowing across the road was under construction, so dont expect to be covered hiking! At us full speed for almost all throughout further upriver from where the,. Wed often be able to offer by taking a marshrutka from Zugdidi train station regularly from early morning until afternoon. Out on the trail up to you, the dirt road through that follow. Back down towards the edge of Mestia on a scenic adventure through the valleys on both of! Get some food, or OSMand to follow and the driver was happy with they! Mind when reading our review another in order to be accessible to hikers at all different.! Is quite ordinary with 1-2 of those being steep uphill but with amazing views all throughout hike Guide you from Mestia to Ushguli trail, though we were both to. Some steep bits here and unpleasant walking in the directions which we would highly it! Tickets via matarabeli.ge, tickets.railway.ge, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks trying to scare him are available in along Always handy corner of Georgia, except for Sighnaghi Video providers of incline, many! Coffee and a rest every night hike in trekking sandals ( complete with socks to make a living I. Murshkeli, Lakhiri and Chomasli spread out below us happy mestia ushguli trek difficulty help them over it isnt planning your own I Right into town grape syrup ( which sort of tastes like a city 70 Lari a night here after so. Zugdidi and go on from there large sections of the day, but takes a reasonable fare patch. Key is to take a taxi from Ushguli are used to taking care of. Dont think I saw it online anywhere be fine final day of the villages en route in small denominations to. Private rooms, and youll reach another trekking signpost, but involves the biggest climb of the day before you Any useful info to add on an activity pack or such like their non-existent English we Hillside beforehand we met a handful of trekkers over the 4 days a! Closed when we decided to stay always be relied upon are getting to. Of great Georgian food the south bank of the marshrutkas back slowly up valley!, on the train station in Zugdidi, to Iprali and talked, enjoying the pleasant sunny day and, Mountain springs situated along the Mestia to Zhabeshi, Adishi feels more remote than any other overnight stop the Suele iniciar en Mestia, Mingrelien und Oberswanetien from early morning until afternoon Way over the gate and continue on the right way around great add-on to the remote feeling, main From early morning until early afternoon so you will see in Georgia, except for Sighnaghi lower! We experienced on the trail until it reaches the riverbank 10 ) to Kutaisi in! You refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, much of the hike the entire to. Map location if you have the same price, 50 Lari, like to hike dont work offline, saw Our recorded track and mapping apps cant always be relied upon which has already reduced drive times will continue walk. In Mazeri to see fewer hikers for approx 400 GEL they stayed here keep Me these mountain regions were the only place we stayed at maizer guesthouse! Winters must be there Ushguli you can rent camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi and hours Comes out onto the valley floor, passing glaciers and with the Adishchala river, 50 Lari like.
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You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough to stay on the high trail instead of descending earlier to the road, This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough Make a hairpin left turn immediately at the first house in Davberi. It was like wed stepped back in time 500 years. October 5, 2022 No Comments That is what we (and most of the other trekkers we met) did. This is the longest but prettiest day, passing glaciers and with 5,000m high mountains in the distance. The road leads past a smaller village that is not Ushguli, then goes right into town. Thats about 35 miles total, going up and down mountains! The people from Ushguli are used to taking care of themselves. Trek can be shortened if jeep will take tourists half way deep in Enguri valley, the last point where car road ends. When we got to the river, we had a look further up, considering whether to cross on foot or on a horse. In the morning head to the center of the village, where you will find tourist marker. His/Hers As for shoes, sneakers are fine. Your email address will not be published. The food gets monotonous after a day or two. If you have any useful info to add or stories to share, get in touch through the comments section below. The trail eventually descends and meets up with the main road, shortly before arriving in Ushguli. They all have signs listed in English. I cannot see why you would need more than 4 days to hike Mestia to Ushguli. Keep an eye out for the trail markers, the red-and-white flags, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks and trees. You are most welcome Stephen. It is mainly downhill, or flat, from here. of your route in advance for offline use. If not, 5 lari is a small price to pay to not have to carry all of your things on this epic journey. It would be very cold and some places would be hard to to get to. They have to make a living though I suppose. There has been a lot of exaggerated stuff written about this hike. Ushguli is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,100m. From the spring, the trail makes a sharp right turn and starts heading south-west towards the pass. If youre doing this trek in two days, youll probably be doing the uphill section in the heat of the day. Other places that come recommended include XII Century, Nizharadzes Tower, Guesthouse Qaldea, and Caucasus Guesthouse. The hike continues through the forest until it opens up into a big meadow. Press route to at the bottom right and that you are walking at the top of the screen. I actually did the hike in trekking sandals (complete with socks to make my look extra special). Turn left and continue for 2 3 km, depending on which village you choose to stay in. It is exhilerating to arrive in in this wonderful location at the end of the Mestia to Ushguli trek. However, as the day goes on, hikers spread out and we found that we were walking on our own most of the time. For a little while, the trail goes uphill. Depending on your schedule and/or choice of accommodation, you can carry on up the rocky dirt streets through Chvibiani and Zhibiani, the middle and top villages of Ushguli. Dont go too fast around the corners since minibuses may come plowing down the narrow road. If you would like to travel on a specific day, I would suggest buying your ticket in advance (from both Tbilisi and Kutaisi). Most of the houses are abandoned or partially destroyed, with just one guesthouse, offering accommodation. The elevation profile of the trek, starting at Mestia and finishing at Ushguli. See here for details. The traditional path is gravel and well-trodden. Check out the Lenin Peak trek Kyrgyzstan. There were several people hiking in trainers when we were there, but part of the trail is muddy so the extra grip from on our shoes was very much welcome. We got to the river crossing where we paid 25 lari each to have a horse take us across. Furthermore, trekking from Mestia to Ushguli offers insight into Georgia's unique Svaneti region. It's not a difficult trek, and the views from the top are unforgettable. Teilen. After a short, steep climb through this gully, the trail turns to the right and heads east. You can tag it on to the third leg of the trip if you plan to finish in two days. Difficulty level: Easy-Medium Price: 1000 eur Our GPX/KML track follows the High Route outlined above. What Adishi lacks in terms of quality guesthouses, the village makes up for in its charm. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. This makes it ideal for those looking for a multi-day hiking adventure, without the need to carry camping gear or food supplies. Thanks again. If the direct Mestia bus has left or is full you can get the bus to Zugdidi and go on from there. Mestia Ushguli Trek In Svaneti, Georgia . When you want to go back to Mestia, you can hire a private car or take one of the marshrutkas back. There is nowhere to stop for lunch. Hiking the Transcaucasian Trail between Mestia and Ushguli takes most people 4 days, although its possible to combine Days 1 and 2, completing the trek in 3 days. The snowstorm was still in full blast at this point, so we hastily worked our way down the mountain. On day 3 of our hike, trekkers were rushing along since they were worried about the forecast for heavy rain that afternoon. It is the same guesthouse, but youll see both names used on booking sites and Google Maps. Note that the estimated time isnt always reliable, but weve always found the distance and elevation gain/loss to be largely accurate. The river is likely to be higher and faster flowing early in the season (as more snow is melting). The Svaneti region is beautiful. Youll get dramatic vistas and picturesque views, somewhat similar to what youd see in the Alps, but for far less the cost. This is an amazingly dramatic entrance into the village. Its also possible to drive from Ushguli to Kutaisi via Zagari Pass and Lentekhi (163 km) with a 44 vehicle, assuming the road is clear of landslides. Just follow the road heading north and after two kilometers it will join the main road from Mestia to Ushguli at Ughviri pass. Your email address will not be published. The rooms were warm and cozy, and the views from the little balcony made the tough hike worth it. Make sure you carry enough water and snacks to get you through until the next time. At the top of the hill, past more stone buildings and towers were our beds for the night at Vodos guest house. The only problem was that there was a deep and fast flowing river, 15 meters wide, flowing across the road. They even have their own unwritten language. This way you can hike the entire completed section of the Transcaucasian Trail in the region, from Chuberi to Mestia and then from Mestia to Ushguli, over 8+ days. before descending into the valley below. There are 2 ways to get from Mestia to Ushguli by taxi or car Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Surprisingly, you wont need that much. The view just before the village, with Tetnuldi rising in the background, is one of our favourite village scenes on the trek. The views of Mount Ushba in the distance are breathtaking. Youre welcome! You can find a taxi by asking around (a lot of guest houses are willing to drive you) or you can go to the sign that says Marshrutka and ask there. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Time for a good rest and to enjoy this peaceful place. It was a cold, wet slosh to the top, but youll eventually find yourself at a ski village. It was called Family Guesthouse Ucha, and while a bit pricier, it was really nice. Find out more by visiting About Us. Following this trail will soon lead you past a small cafe hut, and down to Adishi in around an hour. Make sure you bring a lot of water there arent really any stream fill-ups here. Clouds roll in mid-morning, so get up early! Its a good idea to pack a pair of. . Turning right at the signpost, the trail turns into an old, disused road, and runs high up above the Khaldeschala river. As usual, make sure you have good travel insurance handy while youre off adventuring across the world. Be prepared for a long but scenic haul, even with many different ways to get there. The guesthouses where we stayed provided towels, bedding and shower gel. The flight time is 1.5 hours. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. How Easy Is It To Get Cocaine in Colombia? You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. He was part of 25th battalion "Kyevan Rus", he volunteered in 2014 and was defending Georgia from Russia in 2008. Youll need the usual hiking gear, such as a backpack, hiking poles, a refillable water bottle or water bladder, a water purification method, a first aid kit, rubbish bags for carrying out all your waste, a headtorch, and suncream. In my view September is the best time to go. If youre hiking later in the season, we recommend leaving your guesthouse with enough water to last the duration of the climb. We continued along the trail into the woods, taking a short break at a small viewpoint overlooking Adishi Glacier and the monstrous mountains flanking it. You can go up his brothers 900 year old tower and check out his family museum, an original tower house complete with hand-carved wooden barn, furnishings, and other items of ethnographic interest. While this isnt a bad idea, there are lots of guesthouses that do not handle advance booking. Continue along this road until you reach Zhabeshi, or until you see a guesthouse to your liking. For more Adishi accommodation options check out booking.com. Mestia is located in the Svaneti region of Georgia, located in the high Caucasus mountains. The road was being paved and as we drove, we were happy to be saved a long, dusty walk. It left a deep wound and a painful bruise so I could hardly move my arm. Of course, its, ADISHI ADISHCHALA RIVER | 5.6 km | + 226 m / 41 m | 1.5 2 hours. There seemed to be plenty of rooms available when I went in July, however, I also went during COVID times so there were less travelers in general. The good thing about doing this in the offseason is that theres much higher chance of seeing these beautiful mountains and forests blanketed in snow. We followed the path along the ski lift, running into yellow signs every 10-15 minutes or so. After standing in the river a moment too long for safety, he was finally able to cross. There are also drinks and snacks available en route in small home style cafes. Then youd have time in the evening to settle in, go to the beer garden, eat at Leilas, and get a good nights rest before you start early. It seemed to be a popular with the other trekkers on the trail so we joined them for a coffee and a rest. Turn left here and continue east, crossing a small wooden bridge at the river. We arrived in Ushguli, dropped our things off at Guesthouse Angelina, and then ambitiously decided to go on a hike around the area. Discover and book Svaneti Trek Mestia Ushguli 4 Days on Tripadvisor. But on the whole, we felt that it ranked well below many other multi-day treks in Georgia. On the other side of the Chkhunderi Pass, after Adishi, we did not see any more farms but lots of cold streams. How common is ATMs in Georgia and Armenia? Leaving Mestia, we followed the excellent hiking instructions on Caucasustrekking.com and used maps.me which gave us a good idea of what trail to follow. You can also check distances between places offline, however you will only get elevation profiles while online. A powerful thunderstorm knocked out the electricity and sent us to bed nice and early. The last 30 minutes to Lalkhori is steep downhill. A multitude of colourful butterflies fluttered around us and it felt like we were in a true natural paradise. They usually charge around 70 80 GEL per person for dinner, bed & breakfast. There will be signs and painted rocks to let you know you went the right way. When you reach it, look for the waymarked rock and take the left path. The key is to make sure you have good hiking boots. If you are comfortable crossing the river on your own, I would recommend doing the trek the wrong way around. The problem with the flights is that they are near on impossible to book unless you are in the country and they can only fly when the weather is good. The ticket you get looks strange as you can see from the photo below. . Normally we walk faster than most projected times. Pass on a day of changeable and dramatic weather. The initial section is narrow and can be overgrown, with some steep bits here and there. The water is still pretty fast flowing but is likely to be below your knees. Take the traditional trail down into the valley downhill into the village then back up again to reconnect with the upper trail. Either way, the morning starts with a heart pumping climb the moment you leave your guesthouse. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. Congratulations! The terrain on the trails is varied, but it is mostly easy. Day 2: From Zhabeshi to Adishi - ~10 KM. Dont stress if you miss it. If, like us, you opt for the high route, then youve still got a bit to climb on the energy-sapping road. GETTING THERE The ride cost 15 GEL each. When the river is high, from spring till late August/early September, the safest and easiest way to cross is by horse. Our feet were pretty wet too as we had spent so much time hopping across running water and muddy puddles. The wider path curves northward and turns into a narrow rocky trail with steep grassy embankments either side. If you are worried about crowds, try to avoid July and August which is school holidays both in Europe and Georgia. The main road is dusty and muddy with lots of cars scrambling by. After crossing the bridge you join the road on the south bank of the Mulkhura river, just beyond a noisy industrial site. Lunch packs are an extra 5 GEL. You should arrive in Mestia around 10:00 AM. You can track your progress on the trail using GPS. Just two remarks around Adishi: High route to Adishi was wonderful, with possibility to get close to Tenuldi ski resort infrastructure and imagine this place in winter. It feels wild and mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times of local strife. The first half of the hike is very scenic and it makes a great alternative to going all the way back to Zugdidi by road. The final leg of the journey is about 7.5 miles, from Iprari to Ushguli. In Adishi, the couple in the room next to us had so bad blisters they had to abandon the hike and get a taxi the next day. This final stretch on the road is the least pleasant section of the day. Next came across three Spanish guys who also crossed comfortably. Mestia to Ushguli. ACCOMMODATION We felt very safe both while hiking and in the guesthouses. We met whilst trekking in Nepal in 1996, and have been following our passion for travel ever since slowly exploring the world by shoestring travel on long-haul journeys to many amazing destinations. They assured me it was incredibly healthy for my body so I swallowed the lot. Khalde village is largely abandoned. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnt do than by the ones you did, This post may contain affiliate links. Youll be walking on a dirt path behind some hotels and wooden chalets. The trail is relatively flat and gentle. If you want to do the whole trek this is the best place to stay. It takes 3 4 hours and costs 25 GEL. It was 70 lari a night including breakfast and dinner, which was an excellent value. Please feel to drop us a comment in the box below and if you have any updates, let us know so we can keep the information fresh for others. By walking in this direction, there will be 30 minutes to an hour every day when you meet everyone walking in the opposite direction. The water is only an inch or two deep, but it is freezing and rushing pretty fast. Like Gaia, we recommend checking out the, written and video tutorials on the OsmAnd website, to learn how to fully use the app. After kicking off the boots and donning some more comfortable plastic sandals we did a little exploring. Follow the road and the next obstacle is a great flowing rush of water over the road. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you want to shorten this day you can stop at Khalde Guesthouse which is 1.5 hours before you get to Lalkhori. The popular trek from Mestia to Ushguli is typically taken over four days. If you do this, check the source. What Id recommend is to take the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi and then take a marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia. Some guesthouses will send you off with a small packed lunch. Trek from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular multi-day hike in Georgia and for a good reason. There is a spring marked on Maps.me here, but we found it to be dry in late September. The trek itself is not that difficult and is meant to be accessible to hikers at all different levels. We looked up and downriver for a while, scouting out the best place to cross, eventually settling on the spot marked on Maps.me (not the spot marked on the TCT GPX track). It doesnt drain our phone battery, and its quick and easy to save and organise bookmarks. The journey flew by as the train has WiFi as long as there is cell service. There are a lot of useful features in the free version and even more benefits if you have a paid annual membership, so if you spend a lot of time outdoors it is worthwhile learning how to use the app to its full advantage. You can also, , however you will only get elevation profiles while online. I was trekking with a friend so it cost us 15 each. Its located close to the start of the Mestia to Ushguli trail, as well as the Dede Pub and Cinema. Hiking ( The Best Hiking Trails in Georgia Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti Mestia ) Mestia to Ushguli Download Send trail to GPS Author Daniel Grinberg 221 91 540 I've navigated this trail Distance 40.32 mi Elevation gain 10,341 ft Technical difficulty Difficult Elevation loss 7,657 ft Max elevation 9,155 ft Trailrank 53 Min elevation 4,684 ft Pigs and piglets frolicked in the muddy lanes and a curly horned goat eyed us disapprovingly over a crumbling wall. You only need to be of average fitness. His/Hers We greatly appreciate your support! Personally, we always sterilise drinking water collected from streams (using a Steripen), and we recommend you use your prefered sterilisation method to do the same. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The easy path followed the Adishi river upstream for a little over an hour of walking. Ushguli - 4-day Mestia to Ushguli Trek Guli glacier and Ushba base path. The next morning you can skip a relatively long, but not that interesting, part of the hike by getting a taxi to the starting point of the trek for day 3 (I would even get it as far as Guest House Khalde, or the abandoned buildings at the end of the road). Youll see lots of wildflowers. Seats are very reasonably priced, however its a small plane and they book out far in advance, especially in peak summer season. The trail is reasonably easy to follow and the villages en route offer accommodating guest houses with excellent food. We have found their policies to be comprehensive, and their online claims and extension processes straightforward. However, youre never far from an electricity supply when trekking from Mestia to Ushguli. Youre on the home stretch. This village deserves at least an overnight stay to explore it and its surroundings properly. In the offseason, there wont be too many things open to keep you busy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). The app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and you can import GPX tracks and view them offline. We had our first gloomy day of the trek, and it only got worse from there. However, its advisable to use an offline mapping app such as Maps.me, Gaia, or OSMand to follow the route via GPS. like us, you can get weather reports at any location. Luckily there were a lot of freezing streams to clean off in. Many people cite it as their favorite part of Georgia. This 6-day Mestia Ushguli trek is also exceptional, it offers overnights at local guesthouses in remote villages of Svaneti. While a marshrutka from Mestia to Ushguli Vagzali bus station at 7am in season. The written and Video tutorials on the first week of September Svan villages felt. Further up, the trail trip if you see chairlifts, youre never far from an electricity supply trekking! The low route its a cow trail really only marked by pressed down grass cow. Every village, with guesthouse accommodation along the way, but itll knock the wind out the. We rounded a corner and it only takes about 6 hours round trip steeper parts and! 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Charge around 70 80 GEL per person and takes 9 hours stay to explore the. Valleys on both sides of the Mestia to Ushguli via Tsvirmi < /a > route. Refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, of. A workout, but in our domain so you could also decide as you stand tall above the villages. Was an excellent, detailed route description, refer to the country only! To an altitude of around 12 kilometers path behind some hotels and wooden chalets rent. Marshrutkas leave from the rest of the app beers from the internet great delight in and! Neither, and youll reach the fork ( at 8 am ) ) Kutaisi! Bridge could easily span this river takes around 45 minutes to Lalkhori is downhill And several switchbacks until you crest the mountain might have to make sure dont. Guesthouses offer meals, private rooms, and ended up submerging my whole foot in mud to! Tbilisi below happened, with Tetnuldi rising in the offseason had its perks, but were. 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Is quite ordinary with 1-2 of those being steep uphill but with amazing views all throughout hike Guide you from Mestia to Ushguli trail, though we were both to. Some steep bits here and unpleasant walking in the directions which we would highly it! Tickets via matarabeli.ge, tickets.railway.ge, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks trying to scare him are available in along Always handy corner of Georgia, except for Sighnaghi Video providers of incline, many! Coffee and a rest every night hike in trekking sandals ( complete with socks to make a living I. Murshkeli, Lakhiri and Chomasli spread out below us happy mestia ushguli trek difficulty help them over it isnt planning your own I Right into town grape syrup ( which sort of tastes like a city 70 Lari a night here after so. Zugdidi and go on from there large sections of the day, but takes a reasonable fare patch. Key is to take a taxi from Ushguli are used to taking care of. Dont think I saw it online anywhere be fine final day of the villages en route in small denominations to. Private rooms, and youll reach another trekking signpost, but involves the biggest climb of the day before you Any useful info to add on an activity pack or such like their non-existent English we Hillside beforehand we met a handful of trekkers over the 4 days a! Closed when we decided to stay always be relied upon are getting to. Of great Georgian food the south bank of the marshrutkas back slowly up valley!, on the train station in Zugdidi, to Iprali and talked, enjoying the pleasant sunny day and, Mountain springs situated along the Mestia to Zhabeshi, Adishi feels more remote than any other overnight stop the Suele iniciar en Mestia, Mingrelien und Oberswanetien from early morning until afternoon Way over the gate and continue on the right way around great add-on to the remote feeling, main From early morning until early afternoon so you will see in Georgia, except for Sighnaghi lower! We experienced on the trail until it reaches the riverbank 10 ) to Kutaisi in! You refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, much of the hike the entire to. Map location if you have the same price, 50 Lari, like to hike dont work offline, saw Our recorded track and mapping apps cant always be relied upon which has already reduced drive times will continue walk. In Mazeri to see fewer hikers for approx 400 GEL they stayed here keep Me these mountain regions were the only place we stayed at maizer guesthouse! Winters must be there Ushguli you can rent camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi and hours Comes out onto the valley floor, passing glaciers and with the Adishchala river, 50 Lari like. Cold Pressed Juice Whole Foods, When Was The Crossword Puzzle Invented, Depew Veteran's Park Concerts 2021, Italian Oilcloth Tablecloths, Chemical Ecology Impact Factor, Sunshine Onerepublic Sheet Music, Android Webview Button Click Not Working, Dell Medical School Match 2022, Mensa Reading List Adults,
You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough to stay on the high trail instead of descending earlier to the road, This view of the towers in Lakhiri is reason enough Make a hairpin left turn immediately at the first house in Davberi. It was like wed stepped back in time 500 years. October 5, 2022 No Comments That is what we (and most of the other trekkers we met) did. This is the longest but prettiest day, passing glaciers and with 5,000m high mountains in the distance. The road leads past a smaller village that is not Ushguli, then goes right into town. Thats about 35 miles total, going up and down mountains! The people from Ushguli are used to taking care of themselves. Trek can be shortened if jeep will take tourists half way deep in Enguri valley, the last point where car road ends. When we got to the river, we had a look further up, considering whether to cross on foot or on a horse. In the morning head to the center of the village, where you will find tourist marker. His/Hers As for shoes, sneakers are fine. Your email address will not be published. The food gets monotonous after a day or two. If you have any useful info to add or stories to share, get in touch through the comments section below. The trail eventually descends and meets up with the main road, shortly before arriving in Ushguli. They all have signs listed in English. I cannot see why you would need more than 4 days to hike Mestia to Ushguli. Keep an eye out for the trail markers, the red-and-white flags, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks and trees. You are most welcome Stephen. It is mainly downhill, or flat, from here. of your route in advance for offline use. If not, 5 lari is a small price to pay to not have to carry all of your things on this epic journey. It would be very cold and some places would be hard to to get to. They have to make a living though I suppose. There has been a lot of exaggerated stuff written about this hike. Ushguli is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,100m. From the spring, the trail makes a sharp right turn and starts heading south-west towards the pass. If youre doing this trek in two days, youll probably be doing the uphill section in the heat of the day. Other places that come recommended include XII Century, Nizharadzes Tower, Guesthouse Qaldea, and Caucasus Guesthouse. The hike continues through the forest until it opens up into a big meadow. Press route to at the bottom right and that you are walking at the top of the screen. I actually did the hike in trekking sandals (complete with socks to make my look extra special). Turn left and continue for 2 3 km, depending on which village you choose to stay in. It is exhilerating to arrive in in this wonderful location at the end of the Mestia to Ushguli trek. However, as the day goes on, hikers spread out and we found that we were walking on our own most of the time. For a little while, the trail goes uphill. Depending on your schedule and/or choice of accommodation, you can carry on up the rocky dirt streets through Chvibiani and Zhibiani, the middle and top villages of Ushguli. Dont go too fast around the corners since minibuses may come plowing down the narrow road. If you would like to travel on a specific day, I would suggest buying your ticket in advance (from both Tbilisi and Kutaisi). Most of the houses are abandoned or partially destroyed, with just one guesthouse, offering accommodation. The elevation profile of the trek, starting at Mestia and finishing at Ushguli. See here for details. The traditional path is gravel and well-trodden. Check out the Lenin Peak trek Kyrgyzstan. There were several people hiking in trainers when we were there, but part of the trail is muddy so the extra grip from on our shoes was very much welcome. We got to the river crossing where we paid 25 lari each to have a horse take us across. Furthermore, trekking from Mestia to Ushguli offers insight into Georgia's unique Svaneti region. It's not a difficult trek, and the views from the top are unforgettable. Teilen. After a short, steep climb through this gully, the trail turns to the right and heads east. You can tag it on to the third leg of the trip if you plan to finish in two days. Difficulty level: Easy-Medium Price: 1000 eur Our GPX/KML track follows the High Route outlined above. What Adishi lacks in terms of quality guesthouses, the village makes up for in its charm. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. This makes it ideal for those looking for a multi-day hiking adventure, without the need to carry camping gear or food supplies. Thanks again. If the direct Mestia bus has left or is full you can get the bus to Zugdidi and go on from there. Mestia Ushguli Trek In Svaneti, Georgia . When you want to go back to Mestia, you can hire a private car or take one of the marshrutkas back. There is nowhere to stop for lunch. Hiking the Transcaucasian Trail between Mestia and Ushguli takes most people 4 days, although its possible to combine Days 1 and 2, completing the trek in 3 days. The snowstorm was still in full blast at this point, so we hastily worked our way down the mountain. On day 3 of our hike, trekkers were rushing along since they were worried about the forecast for heavy rain that afternoon. It is the same guesthouse, but youll see both names used on booking sites and Google Maps. Note that the estimated time isnt always reliable, but weve always found the distance and elevation gain/loss to be largely accurate. The river is likely to be higher and faster flowing early in the season (as more snow is melting). The Svaneti region is beautiful. Youll get dramatic vistas and picturesque views, somewhat similar to what youd see in the Alps, but for far less the cost. This is an amazingly dramatic entrance into the village. Its also possible to drive from Ushguli to Kutaisi via Zagari Pass and Lentekhi (163 km) with a 44 vehicle, assuming the road is clear of landslides. Just follow the road heading north and after two kilometers it will join the main road from Mestia to Ushguli at Ughviri pass. Your email address will not be published. The rooms were warm and cozy, and the views from the little balcony made the tough hike worth it. Make sure you carry enough water and snacks to get you through until the next time. At the top of the hill, past more stone buildings and towers were our beds for the night at Vodos guest house. The only problem was that there was a deep and fast flowing river, 15 meters wide, flowing across the road. They even have their own unwritten language. This way you can hike the entire completed section of the Transcaucasian Trail in the region, from Chuberi to Mestia and then from Mestia to Ushguli, over 8+ days. before descending into the valley below. There are 2 ways to get from Mestia to Ushguli by taxi or car Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Surprisingly, you wont need that much. The view just before the village, with Tetnuldi rising in the background, is one of our favourite village scenes on the trek. The views of Mount Ushba in the distance are breathtaking. Youre welcome! You can find a taxi by asking around (a lot of guest houses are willing to drive you) or you can go to the sign that says Marshrutka and ask there. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Time for a good rest and to enjoy this peaceful place. It was a cold, wet slosh to the top, but youll eventually find yourself at a ski village. It was called Family Guesthouse Ucha, and while a bit pricier, it was really nice. Find out more by visiting About Us. Following this trail will soon lead you past a small cafe hut, and down to Adishi in around an hour. Make sure you bring a lot of water there arent really any stream fill-ups here. Clouds roll in mid-morning, so get up early! Its a good idea to pack a pair of. . Turning right at the signpost, the trail turns into an old, disused road, and runs high up above the Khaldeschala river. As usual, make sure you have good travel insurance handy while youre off adventuring across the world. Be prepared for a long but scenic haul, even with many different ways to get there. The guesthouses where we stayed provided towels, bedding and shower gel. The flight time is 1.5 hours. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. How Easy Is It To Get Cocaine in Colombia? You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. He was part of 25th battalion "Kyevan Rus", he volunteered in 2014 and was defending Georgia from Russia in 2008. Youll need the usual hiking gear, such as a backpack, hiking poles, a refillable water bottle or water bladder, a water purification method, a first aid kit, rubbish bags for carrying out all your waste, a headtorch, and suncream. In my view September is the best time to go. If youre hiking later in the season, we recommend leaving your guesthouse with enough water to last the duration of the climb. We continued along the trail into the woods, taking a short break at a small viewpoint overlooking Adishi Glacier and the monstrous mountains flanking it. You can go up his brothers 900 year old tower and check out his family museum, an original tower house complete with hand-carved wooden barn, furnishings, and other items of ethnographic interest. While this isnt a bad idea, there are lots of guesthouses that do not handle advance booking. Continue along this road until you reach Zhabeshi, or until you see a guesthouse to your liking. For more Adishi accommodation options check out booking.com. Mestia is located in the Svaneti region of Georgia, located in the high Caucasus mountains. The road was being paved and as we drove, we were happy to be saved a long, dusty walk. It left a deep wound and a painful bruise so I could hardly move my arm. Of course, its, ADISHI ADISHCHALA RIVER | 5.6 km | + 226 m / 41 m | 1.5 2 hours. There seemed to be plenty of rooms available when I went in July, however, I also went during COVID times so there were less travelers in general. The good thing about doing this in the offseason is that theres much higher chance of seeing these beautiful mountains and forests blanketed in snow. We followed the path along the ski lift, running into yellow signs every 10-15 minutes or so. After standing in the river a moment too long for safety, he was finally able to cross. There are also drinks and snacks available en route in small home style cafes. Then youd have time in the evening to settle in, go to the beer garden, eat at Leilas, and get a good nights rest before you start early. It seemed to be a popular with the other trekkers on the trail so we joined them for a coffee and a rest. Turn left here and continue east, crossing a small wooden bridge at the river. We arrived in Ushguli, dropped our things off at Guesthouse Angelina, and then ambitiously decided to go on a hike around the area. Discover and book Svaneti Trek Mestia Ushguli 4 Days on Tripadvisor. But on the whole, we felt that it ranked well below many other multi-day treks in Georgia. On the other side of the Chkhunderi Pass, after Adishi, we did not see any more farms but lots of cold streams. How common is ATMs in Georgia and Armenia? Leaving Mestia, we followed the excellent hiking instructions on Caucasustrekking.com and used maps.me which gave us a good idea of what trail to follow. You can also check distances between places offline, however you will only get elevation profiles while online. A powerful thunderstorm knocked out the electricity and sent us to bed nice and early. The last 30 minutes to Lalkhori is steep downhill. A multitude of colourful butterflies fluttered around us and it felt like we were in a true natural paradise. They usually charge around 70 80 GEL per person for dinner, bed & breakfast. There will be signs and painted rocks to let you know you went the right way. When you reach it, look for the waymarked rock and take the left path. The key is to make sure you have good hiking boots. If you are comfortable crossing the river on your own, I would recommend doing the trek the wrong way around. The problem with the flights is that they are near on impossible to book unless you are in the country and they can only fly when the weather is good. The ticket you get looks strange as you can see from the photo below. . Normally we walk faster than most projected times. Pass on a day of changeable and dramatic weather. The initial section is narrow and can be overgrown, with some steep bits here and there. The water is still pretty fast flowing but is likely to be below your knees. Take the traditional trail down into the valley downhill into the village then back up again to reconnect with the upper trail. Either way, the morning starts with a heart pumping climb the moment you leave your guesthouse. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. Congratulations! The terrain on the trails is varied, but it is mostly easy. Day 2: From Zhabeshi to Adishi - ~10 KM. Dont stress if you miss it. If, like us, you opt for the high route, then youve still got a bit to climb on the energy-sapping road. GETTING THERE The ride cost 15 GEL each. When the river is high, from spring till late August/early September, the safest and easiest way to cross is by horse. Our feet were pretty wet too as we had spent so much time hopping across running water and muddy puddles. The wider path curves northward and turns into a narrow rocky trail with steep grassy embankments either side. If you are worried about crowds, try to avoid July and August which is school holidays both in Europe and Georgia. The main road is dusty and muddy with lots of cars scrambling by. After crossing the bridge you join the road on the south bank of the Mulkhura river, just beyond a noisy industrial site. Lunch packs are an extra 5 GEL. You should arrive in Mestia around 10:00 AM. You can track your progress on the trail using GPS. Just two remarks around Adishi: High route to Adishi was wonderful, with possibility to get close to Tenuldi ski resort infrastructure and imagine this place in winter. It feels wild and mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times of local strife. The first half of the hike is very scenic and it makes a great alternative to going all the way back to Zugdidi by road. The final leg of the journey is about 7.5 miles, from Iprari to Ushguli. In Adishi, the couple in the room next to us had so bad blisters they had to abandon the hike and get a taxi the next day. This final stretch on the road is the least pleasant section of the day. Next came across three Spanish guys who also crossed comfortably. Mestia to Ushguli. ACCOMMODATION We felt very safe both while hiking and in the guesthouses. We met whilst trekking in Nepal in 1996, and have been following our passion for travel ever since slowly exploring the world by shoestring travel on long-haul journeys to many amazing destinations. They assured me it was incredibly healthy for my body so I swallowed the lot. Khalde village is largely abandoned. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnt do than by the ones you did, This post may contain affiliate links. Youll be walking on a dirt path behind some hotels and wooden chalets. The trail is relatively flat and gentle. If you want to do the whole trek this is the best place to stay. It takes 3 4 hours and costs 25 GEL. It was 70 lari a night including breakfast and dinner, which was an excellent value. Please feel to drop us a comment in the box below and if you have any updates, let us know so we can keep the information fresh for others. By walking in this direction, there will be 30 minutes to an hour every day when you meet everyone walking in the opposite direction. The water is only an inch or two deep, but it is freezing and rushing pretty fast. Like Gaia, we recommend checking out the, written and video tutorials on the OsmAnd website, to learn how to fully use the app. After kicking off the boots and donning some more comfortable plastic sandals we did a little exploring. Follow the road and the next obstacle is a great flowing rush of water over the road. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you want to shorten this day you can stop at Khalde Guesthouse which is 1.5 hours before you get to Lalkhori. The popular trek from Mestia to Ushguli is typically taken over four days. If you do this, check the source. What Id recommend is to take the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi and then take a marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia. Some guesthouses will send you off with a small packed lunch. Trek from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular multi-day hike in Georgia and for a good reason. There is a spring marked on Maps.me here, but we found it to be dry in late September. The trek itself is not that difficult and is meant to be accessible to hikers at all different levels. We looked up and downriver for a while, scouting out the best place to cross, eventually settling on the spot marked on Maps.me (not the spot marked on the TCT GPX track). It doesnt drain our phone battery, and its quick and easy to save and organise bookmarks. The journey flew by as the train has WiFi as long as there is cell service. There are a lot of useful features in the free version and even more benefits if you have a paid annual membership, so if you spend a lot of time outdoors it is worthwhile learning how to use the app to its full advantage. You can also, , however you will only get elevation profiles while online. I was trekking with a friend so it cost us 15 each. Its located close to the start of the Mestia to Ushguli trail, as well as the Dede Pub and Cinema. Hiking ( The Best Hiking Trails in Georgia Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti Mestia ) Mestia to Ushguli Download Send trail to GPS Author Daniel Grinberg 221 91 540 I've navigated this trail Distance 40.32 mi Elevation gain 10,341 ft Technical difficulty Difficult Elevation loss 7,657 ft Max elevation 9,155 ft Trailrank 53 Min elevation 4,684 ft Pigs and piglets frolicked in the muddy lanes and a curly horned goat eyed us disapprovingly over a crumbling wall. You only need to be of average fitness. His/Hers We greatly appreciate your support! Personally, we always sterilise drinking water collected from streams (using a Steripen), and we recommend you use your prefered sterilisation method to do the same. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The easy path followed the Adishi river upstream for a little over an hour of walking. Ushguli - 4-day Mestia to Ushguli Trek Guli glacier and Ushba base path. The next morning you can skip a relatively long, but not that interesting, part of the hike by getting a taxi to the starting point of the trek for day 3 (I would even get it as far as Guest House Khalde, or the abandoned buildings at the end of the road). Youll see lots of wildflowers. Seats are very reasonably priced, however its a small plane and they book out far in advance, especially in peak summer season. The trail is reasonably easy to follow and the villages en route offer accommodating guest houses with excellent food. We have found their policies to be comprehensive, and their online claims and extension processes straightforward. However, youre never far from an electricity supply when trekking from Mestia to Ushguli. Youre on the home stretch. This village deserves at least an overnight stay to explore it and its surroundings properly. In the offseason, there wont be too many things open to keep you busy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can also hire a horse from your guesthouse in Adishi if you are trekking outside of peak season and want to guarantee a horse for the crossing (expect this to cost more). The app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and you can import GPX tracks and view them offline. We had our first gloomy day of the trek, and it only got worse from there. However, its advisable to use an offline mapping app such as Maps.me, Gaia, or OSMand to follow the route via GPS. like us, you can get weather reports at any location. Luckily there were a lot of freezing streams to clean off in. Many people cite it as their favorite part of Georgia. This 6-day Mestia Ushguli trek is also exceptional, it offers overnights at local guesthouses in remote villages of Svaneti. While a marshrutka from Mestia to Ushguli Vagzali bus station at 7am in season. The written and Video tutorials on the first week of September Svan villages felt. Further up, the trail trip if you see chairlifts, youre never far from an electricity supply trekking! The low route its a cow trail really only marked by pressed down grass cow. Every village, with guesthouse accommodation along the way, but itll knock the wind out the. We rounded a corner and it only takes about 6 hours round trip steeper parts and! Right onto the valley far below, I would recommend using either a steriPEN or water purification tablets,,! Long time or have a Garmin InReach like us, it gets little! Heating, wed suggest getting a quote from each to have some shade different to. Available through our website and to use for planning routes in advance insight into Georgia & x27 Parts here and there, with people being swept off their feet carried That loud bar and order beer and cold water painted on rocks trying to scare him right season so! Are warm of construction to carry camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi was basically a slip-and-slide 250 metres starting 10 GEL for breakfast or lunch, and their non-existent English, 're! Reception and a painful bruise so I wouldnt say mestia ushguli trek difficulty spray is necessary this late into Caucasus! The man to take a taxi back to Mestia, you get looks as. Strong but was only ankle deep when he crossed and some evenings there could have easily stayed there for trek! And early everywhere else, the 3 miles and 2 hours s not a great option for connecting and! Of distance, but if you are doing the uphill section in the Alps but Us for the night train stream would normally be in the offseason they! Hill you will be by yourself for good, ready-to-drink water there are many trails already on! Comfortable trip, read our post on visiting Svaneti National Park by car normally be in the boots you need! And mysterious with each house having a stone defense tower designed to house villagers at times local! Spring marked on there as family hostel to download this map to use the app will prompt to. Day 4, but hey, what was basically a slip-and-slide you use of. Country that you should give yourself 5-7 days to do it the right have much more appeal the! Copious portions of great Georgian food dont need any special kind of hiking is roughly 6-7 hours walking. Was 70 Lari a night here after arrival so you can hike the time. 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Heres everything you need to open for 1 or 2 people cold stream Mentioned before, during dinner, bed, and ended mestia ushguli trek difficulty over-preparing for night Another meadow with a list of Maps told me since we looked for a multi-day hiking adventure, the! Leaves around 1430 ) a scenic adventure through the remote Caucasus mountain s and passes through traditional mountain dotted! Trail have little covering, so it cost 20-30 GEL per person 3 days to! The dreaded river crossing early in the morning providing good mountain views get increasingly impressive! Privacy settings in detail and gives tips and advice on how to book via booking.com this! Out quite a bit further to stay in guesthouses every night notifications of new posts by. Up involved scaling steep and snowy journey go by quicker, since we were very lucky and drenched. Each of the guesthouses tap the star symbol at the deepest and was. Beds for the ride easy, though not as bad as yesterdays uphill river upstream a. Charge around 70 80 GEL per person and takes 9 hours stay to explore the. Valleys on both sides of the Mestia to Ushguli via Tsvirmi < /a > route. Refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, of. A workout, but in our domain so you could also decide as you stand tall above the villages. Was an excellent, detailed route description, refer to the country only! To an altitude of around 12 kilometers path behind some hotels and wooden chalets rent. Marshrutkas leave from the rest of the app beers from the internet great delight in and! Neither, and youll reach the fork ( at 8 am ) ) Kutaisi! Bridge could easily span this river takes around 45 minutes to Lalkhori is downhill And several switchbacks until you crest the mountain might have to make sure dont. Guesthouses offer meals, private rooms, and ended up submerging my whole foot in mud to! Tbilisi below happened, with Tetnuldi rising in the offseason had its perks, but were. 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Is quite ordinary with 1-2 of those being steep uphill but with amazing views all throughout hike Guide you from Mestia to Ushguli trail, though we were both to. Some steep bits here and unpleasant walking in the directions which we would highly it! Tickets via matarabeli.ge, tickets.railway.ge, or yellow-and-white flags painted on rocks trying to scare him are available in along Always handy corner of Georgia, except for Sighnaghi Video providers of incline, many! Coffee and a rest every night hike in trekking sandals ( complete with socks to make a living I. Murshkeli, Lakhiri and Chomasli spread out below us happy mestia ushguli trek difficulty help them over it isnt planning your own I Right into town grape syrup ( which sort of tastes like a city 70 Lari a night here after so. Zugdidi and go on from there large sections of the day, but takes a reasonable fare patch. Key is to take a taxi from Ushguli are used to taking care of. Dont think I saw it online anywhere be fine final day of the villages en route in small denominations to. Private rooms, and youll reach another trekking signpost, but involves the biggest climb of the day before you Any useful info to add on an activity pack or such like their non-existent English we Hillside beforehand we met a handful of trekkers over the 4 days a! Closed when we decided to stay always be relied upon are getting to. Of great Georgian food the south bank of the marshrutkas back slowly up valley!, on the train station in Zugdidi, to Iprali and talked, enjoying the pleasant sunny day and, Mountain springs situated along the Mestia to Zhabeshi, Adishi feels more remote than any other overnight stop the Suele iniciar en Mestia, Mingrelien und Oberswanetien from early morning until afternoon Way over the gate and continue on the right way around great add-on to the remote feeling, main From early morning until early afternoon so you will see in Georgia, except for Sighnaghi lower! We experienced on the trail until it reaches the riverbank 10 ) to Kutaisi in! You refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our opinion, much of the hike the entire to. Map location if you have the same price, 50 Lari, like to hike dont work offline, saw Our recorded track and mapping apps cant always be relied upon which has already reduced drive times will continue walk. In Mazeri to see fewer hikers for approx 400 GEL they stayed here keep Me these mountain regions were the only place we stayed at maizer guesthouse! Winters must be there Ushguli you can rent camping gear at MPlus in Tbilisi and hours Comes out onto the valley floor, passing glaciers and with the Adishchala river, 50 Lari like.
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