I began this report with the words “Too lazy to write. There can be no words here, only fading from frames ”and thought to share with you only photographs.
But no ... this writing itself was dragged on. Here you understand ... you can always talk about travel and places visited.
And even more so about one of the most dangerous roads in the world (included in the top 5).
According to some publishing houses, this is the road to the Tusheti region of Georgia, where the mountain settlements of Omalo, Shenako, Dartlo, Diklo ... are located.
Road to O-oo-blah-Ka-a!
65 km from the main route of Kakheti in the Chievo-Alvani region represent an endless ascent into the heavens and long descents along the most beautiful serpentines along dangerous kilometer-long cliffs.
There is no question of any fences, God forbid, to successfully disperse with the oncoming Kamaz.
From Mitsubishi Delica we drove off without problems and overtook them endlessly.
Traffic in these places during the tourist season is decent, and the season itself is short, since the road to these valleys is open only from June to October.
The rest of the time, the route is covered with snow or destroyed by floods, as evidenced by the washed-out banks of many rivers and the constantly encountered road equipment that is on duty in the most killed places.
Autobahn ribbon ...
One can only keep quiet about the beauty of nature ...
People no longer live in the mountains all year round, everyone spends their winter season downstairs in Chievo-Alvani. In the summer they work for tourists and I must say they work great. We really enjoyed the warm welcome in the cozy guesthouse in Verkhny Omalo. It tears the tower from being there, high mountains, coolness, a warm oven, unreal sweets for dinner and breakfast from the owners.
Guesthouses in Dartlo
Good morning, when with such a view and a wonderful breakfast from the owners on a cozy frosty balcony.
Of course, there are shepherds among the residents who are busy with their livestock in the summer season.
One of the Best chicks in my life. Diklo. Tusheti.
There is no power grid to the villages since Soviet times, everything is heated with wood, and electricity is used from solar energy. Dislike their solar panels and batteries.
I must say right away that it is worth visiting all the villages of the region and laying at least 3 days for it. We hastily and did not see everything in a couple of days, but other tourists generally limit themselves to Omalo. But what about the steep descent and ascent to Shenako (the native village of Mimino), and what about the delightful mountainous Dartlo with wonderful stone roofs and towers, located in a very beautiful valley ... !?
View of Dartlo Towers
Dartlo from the road
Upper Omalo and family towers.
Slate stone on the roofs of all houses!
View of Omalo from Dartlo
Former auls and towers
A functioning church in Tusheti. Ladies are not allowed.
As for the road, the fears before the trip were very strong, and indeed - it was scary to drive! Scary Beautiful !!!
As such, we did not feel the danger, they are dying here, but 95 percent. The dead were drunk drivers, the remaining 5 percent. As I understand it, it is due to equipment failure or inattention on the road (it is impossible to see enough of the beauty of those passes).
Two days later, my timing belt in Kobuleti (Batumi) breaks at a speed of 20 km / h. The car stalls on the move with a loss of control (GR was knocked out), and I imagined…. what if he broke in one of the pins while descending from the pass ...
There are angels above us! Thank you for your life and opportunities!
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It just so happened that I got to Tusheti for the first time recently, when I was already over 50. I began to tear up a pity that I had not been here in my youth, when the heavy backpack and the burden of current affairs were lighter. However, the unreal beauty of these pristine mountains and canyons, medieval towers of idoms, coniferous forests and emerald fields did not go anywhere. In general, if there is at least a small chance, this amazing island between the mountains is one of the places that you should definitely visit. However, in order.
Islands among the mountains
There is no centralized power supply in Tusheti. There is a small hydroelectric power plant supplying several villages, there are solar panels in homes, and in some hotels, gasoline generators. There are several points where cellular communication works, including in the administrative center of Omalo. The road has gotten better lately. It goes through the Abano pass, the height of which is 2936 meters. A passenger car, will not pass, on a crossover, probably, it is possible, if it is not at all bad. A good SUV, given good weather, will easily cover these 70 km from Alvani in 4–5 hours. In general, this road, which itself makes an indelible impression, should be passed, even if it were nothing. The road is open for about 100 warm days a year, all hiking trails from Khevsureti, Dagestan and Chechnya, which pass over 3200 meters of passes, are passable for 100 days. The rest of the time, the only mode of transport, in which case, is a helicopter. Considering that Valiko from the film "Mimino", was a carcass and flew on this flight, I do not exclude that the helicopter is the same that we will remember from the film.
Tusheti is surrounded by mountains from all sides. The only outflowing river is the Andian Koisu, however, there is no path from Dagestan to Tusheti with a slump of the river, since the river enters an impassable canyon, which serves as a natural border with Dagestan. This is typical for these mountains. In Tusheti, often, in order to get to a neighboring village, you need to climb up the ridge, gaining a kilometer higher, and then descend to the neighboring village, because these three kilometers along the river are impassable in principle. At the same time, on the most mountains there are quite large, relatively flat areas, on which the pastures and fields are located. These emerald islands between sheer canyons make the landscapes of Tusheti special, unlike other regions of the Caucasus.
The ridge separating from Chechnya The buildings in Tusheti were built from the local slate, which was mined here, next to the building under construction. Moreover, not only walls, but also the roofs of houses and towers were made of slate slabs. Therefore, looking at the villages from these houses and towers, there is a feeling that they were not built, but they grew out of these rocks. Often, even on close inspection, it is difficult to understand where the rock ends and the walls begin. Surprisingly, these towers are stacked without any binding material, simply due to the precise selection of the slabs and their own weight. It is even more surprising that the height of these elegant structures reaches the height of an 8-storey building, and they last for many hundreds of years in a sufficiently earthquake-prone zone. There are towers that house family hotels. Up the stairs suspended from the wall and into your hotel room. The large signboard "HOTEL" will not confuse such a tower simply with a tower.
I wanted, however! The traditional cuisine of Tushin is simple and unattractive, in the highlands, the diet used to be very poor. However, local cheese, traditional cakes with cheese (here they are called not "khachapuri", but "kotori"), khinkali, usual for mountainous regions, are all very tasty. There is one local product that is considered a delicacy in Georgia. This is one of the most expensive products in any Georgian market. It is a common guda cheese, which is ripening in a special vessel made of ram skin. In view of its specific, to put it mildly, smell, not everyone dares to try it, but if you are a fan of culinary exoticism, then do not miss this opportunity.
Tusheti cheese guda Several photos of Tusheti
Herd in the Gometsari gorge
Tushiny
It would seem difficult to hear something new about Georgia. The land of the gentle sun, high mountains and intoxicating wine has long been known to tourists and travelers. It seems that she is ridden up and down. Ancient monasteries on mountain peaks and cave complexes are the hallmark of Georgia, along with a hospitable population and rich cuisine. But there is one place in Georgia where you will not see a single familiar monastery, where there will be no winery around every corner, where a mustachioed Georgian in a cap is not standing at the restaurant, inviting you to taste khinkali. It is difficult and dangerous to get here. The road here is closed nine months a year. People living here are practically deprived of the benefits of civilization, and they still build their houses of stone ...
Tusheti (or Tusheti in Georgian) is the most remote region of Georgia. It is located almost on the border with Dagestan and Chechnya. Getting here is extremely difficult, but possible. And the difficulties experienced during the journey are more than compensated by the delights seen.
The nearest settlement on the road to Tusheti is the village of Pshaveli. It is here that you can rent a jeep or book an excursion with a driver. The cost of such a pleasure will be different, as agreed. We've heard that the price goes up to $ 100 per car per day, plus the cost of gas. You can get there and back in two days, because a one-way trip takes about six hours, although the total distance is only 70 km. The thing is that this road is a winding serpentine without bumpers. Only the first 15 kilometers are traces of asphalt visible, and even those are constantly eroded by mountain rivers. Further - a primer with frequent sharp turns. Driving on this road is quite dangerous, so it is best to hire a local driver.
All 70 kilometers to Omalo, the main village in the Tusheti region, you will see amazing pictures. Here, the human hand practically did not touch what nature has created. Huge waterfalls here flow directly onto the road on which you are driving. Rockfalls often occur, so you have a great opportunity to get out of the car and clear the road so that you can move on. On endless passes, you can often see snow - and nothing that it is August! The stormy streams of mountain rivers, even at the end of summer, erode everything around. That is why it is impossible to build a normal road here. That is why the path here is cut off from October to June.
That is why this area is so beautiful - there is practically no one here nine months of the year!
Yes, for 70 km you will see a maximum of two border points with Russia, at the very beginning, and a booth with a guard of the national park, already at the entrance to Omalo. People don't live here. The mountainous terrain and wild weather conditions did their job.
But what can you see in Tusheti itself? Why is it so long and so dangerous to go here? The first is the feeling that you are far from civilization... It is difficult to name ten houses with barns as a settlement. There are about fifteen villages in the district here, and all of them are practically the same in their composition and appearance. The second is pristine nature, simply striking in its grandeur. In Tusheti, one can see mountains of four-thousanders with snow tops, endless rocky passes, powerful waterfalls and rapid cold blue rivers. It is full of entertainment for tourists: horseback riding, ATV excursions, trekking tours along unexplored mountain paths. And the third is wonders of human hard work and ingenuitythat you will see in the local architecture. Back in the Middle Ages, they began to build Tusheti towers here - structures that still amaze with their grandeur, scrupulousness of execution and extraordinary stability.
The Tusheti tower looks like a tall building with a tapering roof. It reaches a height of 10-15 meters. But the most important thing about it is that it is completely made of stone. Blue shale, which is found in large quantities in local rocks, has replaced bricks, concrete, and mortars for the inhabitants of Tusheti. Georgian craftsmen skillfully selected each pebble and grinded it, if necessary, in order to make a perfect “brick” out of each. Then they fitted them to each other like a mosaic, so that the wall of the house would hold without mortar. Can you imagine how delicate, almost jewelry work it is - to build such a house, practically from nothing!
The purpose of the Tushetian towers is similar to the Svan towers. In Svaneti, such structures were also made of stone, but not so scrupulously. The first function of both those and other structures is to notify the population about the approaching enemy. If the watchman of the highest tower saw the enemy troops, then he lit fire, the light from which was noticed by the watchmen of other towers. Thus, without the usual means of communication for us, like mobile phones, people in a matter of minutes transmitted distress signals to each other.
Now in Tusheti, some towers are open to the public, you can climb inside and see with your own eyes how the Tushins used to live. The living area inside the towers is not very large, literally three by three meters on each floor. The first floor was usually reserved for a stable - sheep and cows were kept here. The second and third floors were residential. To be honest, it seems incredible. We, civilized people, accustomed to spacious rooms, solid walls and decorative items, do not at all understand how people lived on these pitiful square meters, in walls of bare stone ...
Perhaps that is why we decided to try the Tushetian way of life on ourselves and decided to spend the night right in the tower.
After waiting for darkness, we threw our backpacks into the second floor window and put up a tent inside. The sensations, of course, are indescribable. The tower that we have chosen is located at an altitude of more than 2400 meters above sea level, around only mountains and small villages, "diluted" with expensive, but rather poor hotels for European tourists. What a divine sunset can be seen sitting near the tower, or watching the sun from the window of such a house. How distant and detached you feel being in a small room in a stone building. The main thing is not to turn on the flashlight in the tower at night, otherwise they will think that the war has begun. Of course, downstairs there are hotels stylized as Tusheti towers, where all the amenities are available. The cost of one night in them ranges from $ 20 to $ 50. The most daring will find a tent camp near the village of Zemo Omalo. But even spending the night in a tent cannot be compared to the moment when you crawl out the second floor window at three o'clock in the morning because you want to go to the toilet.
We did not observe grocery stores here, but in each village there are several restaurants with national Georgian cuisine. They say that khinkali here are one of the best in the country. The national cuisine of this region is limited mainly to vegetables and lamb. Sheep are bred everywhere in large numbers, they can be seen in almost every meadow.
It is striking that with the development of technology, Tushetians decided to take advantage of the wonders of progress in the form of solar panels. However, there is no electricity, there is no electricity, and it is too expensive to use generators. In this case, a solar battery is a very rational solution, despite its initial high cost. Also, do not expect to find the Internet in these places, although in some places you can catch weak mobile Internet from Georgian operators. By the way, mobile communication is very unstable here, due to weather conditions and poor technical support.
But isn't it wonderful to be away from civilization and feel far, far away, to leave the notorious comfort zone! Feel yourself in the past and appreciate what you have in the present: when you live in a modern house, with strong walls, water, electricity. Here, observing the peculiarities of almost medieval life, you begin to really appreciate what you have. Isn't this the main thing in life?
Text: Irina Shapoval
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Continuing our acquaintance with beautiful Georgia, following our popular track on Svaneti , the "Call of the Mountains" club offers to go to a less popular, but no less interesting hike from Khevsureti to Tusheti... Tusheti and Khevsureti are some of the most interesting and original places in Georgia! They have a special aura and attractiveness. And at the same time, there are few who have been, since these mountain regions are surrounded on all sides by high ridges and are very inaccessible, they were isolated from civilization for a long time. Even in our time, you can only get there by road from July to September.
Tusheti is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Numerous architectural monuments have survived on its territory - defensive towers, ancient temples. The medieval towers of Khevsureti and Tusheti look even more interesting than the Svan ones. The local population in those ancient times had to constantly fight with its neighbors, so the towers were built as real defensive fortresses.
During the hike, we will see the legendary Mount Kazbek, the unusual colors of the Truso travertine and the picturesque Abudelaur lakes of different colors, visit the wineries of Kakheti, where we will taste the best wines of the Alazani Valley.
It is worth going on a hike in Georgia "Khevsutretia - Tushetiya" to see:
- unique inaccessible mountain regions of Georgia - Khevsureti and Tusheti with their towers and temples that have survived to this day by pagan rites
- wonderful capital of Georgia - Tbilisi
- natural monument - travertines of unusual coloring in the Truso gorge
- the famous Gergeti Church of the Holy Trinity of the XIV century above the village of Stepantsminda, located at an altitude of 2170 m, and the majestic peak of Kazbek - the highest mountain in Georgia (5033 m)
- very picturesque colorful Abudelaur lakes
- mystical dead city of Mutso - Georgian Machu Picchu
- the highest mountain of the Eastern Caucasus - the most beautiful Tebulosmtu (4500 m)
- the village of Omalo, where the famous film by Georgy Danelia "Mimino" was filmed
- how the famous wines of Kakheti are made :)
Day 1. Tbilisi - Kazbegi - Juta
We meet in Tbilisi no later than 8 am. We are starting our excursion program. First, we will drive to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi). On the way, we will make a stop at the 17th century fortress Ananuri, we will drink mineral water from the spring on the Cross Pass. Next, we will examine colored travertines (calcium deposits near mineral springs) in the Truso gorge. In Stepantsminda we will go up to the Gergeti temple of the XIV century. The hill offers stunning views of the snow-capped Kazbek peak - the highest mountain in Georgia (5033 m). Transfer to the village of Sno, where we will visit an ancient fortress of the 16th century. We will stop for the night near the village of Juta at an altitude of 2200 m.
Day 2. Pass Chaukhi - Abudelaur lakes
We will rise to the Chaukhi pass. During the whole climb we will admire the Chaukhi ridge with seven peaked peaks. After resting on the pass, we will go down to the Abudelaur lakes. Of these, the most beautiful and remarkable three: Blue, Green and White, are named accordingly for the shades of color. We will set up a camp not far from them.
Distance 10 km, climb 1140 m, drop 740 m
Day 3. Gadani - Shatili
We pass to Gadani. From there we will move to Khevsureti. We will stop for the night near the ancient mountain village of Shatili. Many ancient buildings have been preserved here, there is also a fortress. If you wish, you can spend the night in comfort in the guest house. The inaccessibility of the region contributed to the preservation of the pre-Christian way of life here. The pagan culture was supplanted only after the construction of the road in 1930. However, echoes of pagan rituals in Khevsureti can still be found today.
Distance 7 km, drop 600 m
Day 4. Mutso - Khidotani ridge
To save time and effort, we will cover part of the way by transport. First, we will visit the stone crypts of the ancient burial place of Anatori (XVII-XIX centuries). Then we will go to the mysterious dead city of Mutso in the gorge of the Ardoti River. It is also called the Georgian Machu Picchu. The reasons why people left the city are still not known. The Mutso fortress is built on a mountain on a slope of 60 degrees, it is not easy to get there along a very steep path. Above there is a temple-sanctuary, where residents of nearby villages conduct pagan rituals. The entrance to the temple for uninitiated people is prohibited. There is also a tower where the elders negotiate. After leaving Mutso, we will gain about a kilometer in height. We will set up our tents on the Khidotani ridge, surrounded by alpine meadows.
Distance 8 km, climb 1000 m
Day 5. Pass Atsunta (3430 m)
We go up again - today we have to cross the Atsunta ridge, which separates Khevsureti and Tusheti. A few kilometers from us is the border with Russia, in that direction the highest mountain of the Eastern Caucasus - Tebulosmta (4500 m), covered with a white glacier cap, stands out. We spend the night near the border guard camp.
Distance: 15 km, climb 830 m, drop 1030 m
Day 6. Chesho
Today there will be a long, but not difficult, crossing along the rivers Kvakhidistskali and Pirikitskaya Alazani. We will pass several abandoned villages and stop in Chesho. There are several ancient towers in the village. In Chesho, you can, if you wish, spend the night comfortably in a guest house or, as usual, put up tents.
Distance: 17 km, altitude drop 450 m
Day 7. Dartlo
We go to Dartlo - one of the most picturesque villages in Tusheti. Until recently, the village was abandoned, and now there are about a dozen family hotels that receive tourists in the best traditions of Caucasian hospitality. In addition to castles, buildings and towers in the village, you can see the ruins of Christian churches, in which there are stone chairs of elders. In the middle of the village an ancient six-story tower rises majestically, built according to local traditions from flat stone without mortar. On the hills above Dartlo are the ruins of the Kvavlo fortress, where we will also go.
Distance 7 km, drop 150 m
Day 8. Omalo - Kakheti
On the eighth day of our hike in Georgia we will move to Omalo. The path gradually goes up to the Alazani ridge, eventually leading us to the ancient towers of Keselo. In the alpine village of Omalo, they shot footage of the famous film "Mimino". Pagan traditions have survived to this day, and electricity is received only from solar panels. After examining the surroundings, we will drive down to Kakheti through the Abano pass - the road is not for the faint of heart, it even got into the BBC film "The Most Dangerous Roads in the World". In the past, abandoned, located on the outskirts of civilization, Kakheti has been greatly transformed in our time. The tourism infrastructure is now very developed. We check into a hotel, rest and start tasting the famous Kakhetian wines.
Distance 10 km
Day 9. Excursion to the wineries of Kakheti - transfer to Tbilisi
Today we will visit several wineries, where we will see how wine is made by the Kakhetian method in clay vessels - kvevri. Qvevri can be found in a variety of sizes - from ordinary to huge, for several hundred liters. The local wines are stored in qvevri or in wooden barrels and are usually sold only on the bottle. The quality of Kakhetian wines is often compared with French ones. In Kakheti, our trip to Georgia ends. We will return to Tbilisi in the evening, from where we will fly home.
Peculiarities of the trip to Georgia "Khevsuretia and Tushetia"
In addition to the walking tour, the program will include an excursion part. In Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) we will see the Gergeti Church of the XIV century, against the background of which the highest peak of Georgia, the mountain (5033 m), flaunts. The colorful Abudelaur lakes (Blue, Green and White) in Khevsureti are very picturesque. Also, after the active part, we will take a tour of the wineries of the Alazani Valley in Kakheti. Overnight stays are mostly in tents, but several nights can be spent comfortably in guest houses. The route cannot be considered particularly difficult, but since we need to overcome two passes 3400 meters above sea level, good physical preparation will not hurt.
Additional information:
- This is a complete hiking trip. We carry tents, food and other equipment in our backpacks.
- Depending on the weather, the state of the group, the instructor can make changes to the route.
- Payment in cash (dollars) on the first day of the trip to the instructor. In case of early departure from the route without a valid reason (illness, injury), the money will not be returned!
- The group size is from 5 to 15 participants.
- Improvement of the camp (setting up tents, cooking) is carried out by all participants of the trip.
- For citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, a visa to Georgia is not required! Entry with a passport. The passport should not contain notes about visiting Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Tour participation cost:200 $
The tour price includes:
- three meals a day on the route,
- services of an instructor-guide,
- group first aid kit,
- campfire or gas equipment
The tour price does not include:
- personal equipment rental,
- moving along the route,
- accommodation in hostels and hotels,
- medical insurance,
- payment for excursions and visits to paid attractions and tastings
All additional costs will be approximately $ 180.
