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Tour Experience - 2022-04-19

Historic equestrian trails in Georgia

The purpose of our arrival in Georgia is to take a route that was used by shepherds 50 years ago and today trails have disappeared in some places. We met an equestrian guide in Tbilisi, who is the only one who has passed this road and is well acquainted with the trails. Our guide prepared us for all the upcoming adventures and told us that great beauty awaits us ahead. The next day we left for Kakheti and in 2 hours we reached the beginning of the trail, where horses were waiting for us, who had traveled 60 kilometers the day before to meet us. Based on our experience with horseback riding and horseback riding tours, our guide has selected the right horses for us. Soon we packed up, packed one horse with bags and food, and started traveling. The trail follows a forested ridge and rises 1300 meters above the starting point. Some sections of the trail were covered with thornbushes, making it difficult for horses to cross, so we had to clean them by hand. We were informed that we would not have enough drinking water before the camp so we booked in advance, fortunately, it was cloudy weather and we had enough water before the camp. It took us 4 hours before we climbed the main ridge. The last section was so steep we got off the horses and walked. Half an hour later we arrived at the old shepherds' stable, where we watered the horses and continued on our way. Another hour and we climbed up the forest massif. Soon we reached the campsite, from where there is a beautiful view of the Alazani Valley. Our guide brought drinking water. We made soup suitable for the field conditions, we also had khachapuri brought from Tbilisi. We talked a bit after dinner each other and went to the tents to sleep. The next day, we woke up at sunrise, had breakfast, set up tents, set up horses, and started the journey at 9 p.m. The trail follows a rocky slope and climbs a mountain ridge. We have to ride this ridge to the pass. Today, we will not see water until the evening, so we took a sufficient amount of water in the morning and watered the horses as well. About an hour after the start of the journey, we met a shepherd and saw a wolf killed by his dogs, and nearby there were bear footprints on a trail that he had to walk that night after the rain. At noon we climbed the main ridge, from where the two peaks of Tusheti, Komito, and Diklo, appeared, and on the opposite slope, Abano pass which connects Tusheti to the Kakheti region. After 40 minutes we climbed to the pass (3145), which is located 1580 meters above the camp and 4 kilometers away. Since the weather is good and not cold, we decided to have lunch on the pass. Half an hour later we started down the sandy trail. We noticed a small puddle in the sand, but the access road to it was not safe for horses, so we continued on our way and arrived in Didgverdi, where there is enough grass for the horses. At 16:00 we arrived at the campsite, next to a small stream of water flows. The campsite on the east is bounded by rocky mountains and on the west by alpine meadows in the direction of the Pankisi Valley. All day thirsty horses drank, we saddled off and ran out for graze. The third day was foggy. When we got out of the tent the whole camp was shrouded in fog, we saw only one horse that was closest to the tent. It was 08:00 when we had breakfast and started preparing to leave. At 09:00 we got on horses and started climbing Samtsorno Pass. Soon the trail was gone and on a steep sandy slope, we could only hope for an experienced guide. It was such a fog that nothing could be seen beyond 20 meters. For half an hour we could not guess where we were going, or what was ahead of us, but soon the picture changed radically, the fog disappeared and the sun shone. At 10:15 we climbed the pass (3020 m), from where the beautiful mountains and deep valleys of Tusheti and Kakheti appeared. It was so beautiful that we decided to stop for a few minutes, and then we went to Tusheti on a sandy slope, where the trail looks faint. An hour later we reached the beautiful blue lake of Samkirne. Rested for 15 minutes and walk down the valley covered by ravines. Gradually the ravines merged and turned into a river, then we went to the other side of the river and entered Ortskali, from where another ascent started, and then we probably reached the most difficult section of this route. The trail is cut in the rocks. Our horses are so experienced in walking on such roads that they walk well on rocky slopes. This trail is used only by shepherds and rarely by tourists. Soon shepherds appeared, shearing sheep. When they saw us called and offered food, tea, and coffee. We tightened horses on the fence and went inside. Before the water boiled, we filmed the sheep shaving process and bought “guda cheese”. We said goodbye to the shepherds and continued on our way. An hour later, the first villages of Tusheti, Sachigholo, Vestmo, and Vestomta, appeared. We arrived in Westmo and camped beside the river. The fourth day was cloudy. The forecast showed that it was raining from 14:00, so we hurried to get to Kekhi Pass before it started to rain. It was 11:00, the shepherds in Sabue invited us for lunch, made a traditional Tush dish made of cottage cheese made from them, brought fresh herbs and lettuce from the vegetable garden, drank hot tea and coffee, and at 13:00 we climbed Kekhi Pass (2600). When we were going to the village of Zhvelurta, raindrops fell, we immediately put on our raincoats and continued on our way. The trail first followed the mountain slope, then we reached the gorge and rode along the river to the village of Omalo. It rained during this time, but the waterproof clothing and beautiful nature help us to overcome a difficult day. It was 17:00 when we arrived at a pre-booked family hotel in the village of Shenako. We removed the wet saddles from the horses and said goodbye, then took a hot shower, tasted the delicious Tush dishes, and went up to the comfortable bedrooms. It rained all night, in the morning the rain stopped and the fog fell in the village, and then the sun came out. At 09:00 the driver came. We had breakfast, said goodbye to the host family, took memorable photos, and returned to Tbilisi.

Tour Experience - 2022-04-19

Two mountainous region connection trail

The purpose of our trip to Georgia is to explore 2 distinct mountainous regions: Khevsureti and Tusheti with their pristine nature, national parks, and unique culture. At 9 a.m., we left Tbilisi in the direction of Shatili. At 3:30, we arrived in Shatili where we met our guide and the horses with whom we had to travel for the next 4 days. The guide introduced us to the route and expected issues, selected the horses according to our capabilities and experience, and we went to see the unique architecture and towers of the village. We had dinner at 7 pm and stopped at a guesthouse in the ancient tower. The next morning, at 8 o'clock, we had breakfast, harnessed the horses, said goodbye to our host family, and set off for the village Mutso. On the way, we stopped at Anatori and got acquainted with its tragic history, which was destroyed by the Black Plague in the XVIII century. The road from Anatori leads to the river bank, and on the way, we came across small settlements where people are no longer living, and only a few people met us. Shortly we arrived at Mutso, which is a unique cultural heritage site. We left the horses and walked up 200 meters to see the village. After Mutso, we passed another village Khonischala and started hiking up the mountain along a narrow path along the forest slope. Another 2 hours and we rode to Khidotani where we set up tents and camped. On the third day, at 8 a.m., we had breakfast, prepared ourselves, and rode up the mountain ridge. We went to a large field half an hour later, which is located on a mountain ridge and overlooks the narrow valleys on both sides, from where there is always a cold breeze. We rode horses on the field and competed with each other. Then the trail followed the mountain slope, and we reached the bottom of the pass, where we rested, drank water, and grazed the horses. After 40 minutes, we climbed Atsunta Pass (3500 m), which connects the 2 mountainous regions: Khevsureti and Tusheti. The beautiful views from the pass unfolded on both sides. After taking memorable photos, we started the descent, and 3 hours after we arrived at the campsite. On the fourth day, we had breakfast again at 8 o'clock, got ready, and started the journey. The trail mostly follows the mountain slope and goes to the villages of Tusheti in a narrow gorge. On the way, we also met shepherds who had sheep grazing on summer pastures and made Tushetian Guda cheese. Two hours later, we passed the ancient village Tchontio and arrived in the village Girevi, where we stopped to check the pass with the border police. From the Girevi we rode by road to the village Chesho, where we stopped at a guesthouse. On the fifth day, at 8 o'clock, we had breakfast, prepared, and went to the village Dartlo, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and where the oldest court is located dating back to the XII century. Dartlo is also distinguished by petroglyphs engraved on the walls of the houses. We continued on the road from Dartlo to the village of Chigo. From Chigo we crossed the Sanare pass (2500 m) to Diklo and at 5 p.m., we arrived in the village Shenako, where we stopped at a guesthouse. On the sixth day, we had breakfast at 8 o'clock, said goodbye to the horses, and left for Tbilisi by car.

Tour Experience - 2022-04-19

Tusheti Adventure Horseback Riding Tour

After arriving in Tbilisi, it was time to visit Tusheti, where an equestrian tour was waiting for us. At nine o'clock in the morning, a comfortable minivan came to the hotel, we packed our bags, sat down, and went in the direction of Tusheti. After a 2-hour drive, the road enters the Stori gorge, from where the 70-kilometer Tusheti road begins, which is slightly tiring but a road of scenic beauty. After another two hours of driving, we went to the Abano Pass (2960 m). Despite the tiring road, we could no longer feel weariness because beautiful views unfolded in front of us. The road goes down a deep valley and follows the river from the Abano pass. After a 6-hour drive, we arrived in the village of Shenako, which is distinguished by its houses with balconies and the traditional way of life that has survived till today. We had dinner at 7 p.m. and went up to the bonfire lit in the center of the village. The night sky of Tusheti deserves to be mentioned especially. The galaxy of the milky way was as clear as if we were observing celestial bodies with a telescope. We had breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning and started packing horses. We were ready to leave at 9 p.m. Firstly, we visited the village Diklo, where we had a chance to attend the process of making local Guda cheese with the shepherds, tasted Tushetian beer Aludi, and then rode the Sanare pass (2500 m), where beautiful panoramic views unfolded in front of our eyes. Predatory birds were flying above us. The bridge leading to the village of Chigo was damaged, so we took the horses out into the water and crossed the bridge. There is a sacred place in the middle of the village; according to the local's faith it’s a holy place, that is surrounded by small white stones, where entry is forbidden. There is a road from Chigo to Dartlo. We only encountered two cars for the next two hours, which was very comfortable for us and horses. As we approached the river we stopped at a small meadow where we had lunch and grazed horses. After one hour's break, we visited the village Dartlo, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Dartlo there is a court dating back to the 12th century and petroglyphs engraved on the walls of the house, which creates a separate mystical mood. From Dartlo we went to the village Chesho, where we had dinner and the comfortable family hotel. In the evening, young people from the village lit a fire and gathered around it to share Tusheti stories and adventures. The next day we had breakfast again at 8 o'clock and at 9 we went in the direction of the village Pharsma, where the Nakaicho Pass trail starts. The weather was perfect. Before heading down the pass, we came across wild blueberries on the way, which tasted delicious. We met the cold springs of the mountain on the trail, filled bottles with water, and continued on our way. At 13:00 we were already on the pass, at 3000 meters above sea level, from where beautiful views spread over the two valleys of Tusheti: Pirikiti and Gometsari. The path from the pass leads to the ridge. When you gallop a horse on a mountain ridge and look at the whole Tusheti from above, you become a part of pristine nature, where you want to return many more times. At 17:00, we arrived in Mirgvela, where we had pre-booked rooms and hot water in a small family hotel. On the third day, before leaving for the Kakheti direction, we visited Omalo Castle Towers and the Ethnographic Museum. We were in Tbilisi at 4 p.m.

Tour Experience - 2022-04-15

Horse riding tour experience in Caucasus

Our journey continues from Tbilisi to Tusheti. At 9 a.m., the driver came, we packed our bags in the car and left for Kakheti. Two hours later the road connects Tusheti, which follows the narrow gorge of Stori and slowly goes up the pass (2960 m). We continued the road from the pass to the villages of Tusheti. Another 2 hours and we arrived in Omalo, where we visited the Keselo towers and the ethnographic museum and then we moved to the village Shenako, which is distinguished by its balcony houses and sacred places. We met the horses in Shenako, they will be our companions for the next 3 days, and then they will return to Shenako again. We stayed at a guesthouse in Shenako. At 7 p.m., we tasted delicious Tushetian dishes and joined the youth of the village, who lit a bonfire every evening and unite with local music and songs. The next day at 8 o'clock we had breakfast, packed the horses, and got ready to leave. After saying goodbye to the host family we rode to Sanare pass (2500 m). The trail follows the slope of a mountain covered with beautiful pine trees and goes up to the pass, from where marvelous views overlook the 3 valleys of Tusheti. We descended the pass and went to Chigho, from where we rode to the village Dartlo, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dartlo is also distinguished by the petroglyphs engraved on the walls of the houses and the ancient court, which dates back to the XII century. From Dartlo we went to the village Tchesho, where we stopped at a guesthouse. On the third day, we had breakfast again at 8 o'clock and got ready to leave. The weather was wonderful, making the trip even more enjoyable. At 10 o'clock we arrived in the village Pharma. The guide told us its history and interesting legends related to it and we continued our way to the village of Girevi, where we got a pass with the border police and followed the narrow path of the mountain slope. The trail goes deep into the valley and periodically crosses the river, although it is very easy to cross the river on horseback. It was 5 p.m. when we arrived at the campsite, which is located at 2800 meters above sea level. From the pass, we quickly started to descend. Meanwhile, the sun came out and beautiful mountains appeared in the fog. We reached the village of Mutso along the mountain paths, which are built in a beautiful place and create a spectacular view. We left Mutso for the village of Shatili and stopped at a pre-booked guesthouse at 5 pm. On the fifth day, we said goodbye to the horses that had to cross this road back and went to Shenako, and we returned to Tbilisi by car from Shatili.