Part of The, *Some of the links in this post are affiliate links if you purchase a product or service via these links, we may earn a small commission, . Thanks a lot for this page! It was a highlight of 3 months of slow travel around the Caucasus for me. It is possible to visit in May or early June but there might be snow on the high passes and tracks can be muddy and wet from the melting snow. They even have their own unwritten language. So if you want to take the cable car, its better to take an alternative route up from Chvabiani/Zhabeshi which will take you right to the station. ADD-ON TREKS/HIKES, *Some of the links in this post are affiliate links if you purchase a product or service via these links, we may earn a small commissionat no extra cost to you. Learn how your comment data is processed. Whether youre crossing the Adishchala river on foot or by horse, aim to get there in the morning before glacier meltwater swells it further. Hi Stephen. (possibly mid-June mid-October), River Crossings There is also the option of taking a regular fast train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi during daylight hours, but this still takes about 5 hours and will not save you all that much more time. This route is marked on Maps.me, leaving the main route approx. Its also possible to ask your guesthouse to call ahead and book your next guesthouse for you. . This is the tricky part. Bring enough cash (in small denominations) to pay for meals and guesthouses. Continue down the path and into the villages. Unfortunately, we cannot give you any advice on how to book flights since we looked and could not find a good option. Did you know that the Caucasus is the highest mountain range in Europe and Shkhara the third highest peak at 5,193m? Approaching the end of the road section and the start of the high route to Adishi, Approaching the end of the road section Thanks again. Before the sun set I wandered the enigmatic village, photographing the many huge stone towers which were glowing in the golden hues of the late evening. Youll meander some under open mountain skies. The rooms were ok, although if you book on booking.com make sure you get the room you booked. Duration: 2-4 days . In water this cold, hypothermia will kick in very quickly, so dont take any unnecessary risks. Hiking from Mestia to Ushguli in the offseason will reward you with autumn colors, snow-capped peaks, and wide open natural spaces without any crowds. You can tap anywhere and save it as a bookmark by tapping the star symbol at the bottom. Dont make the same mistake download the app. It is not too long, takes only three to four days to finish. When you see the trail fork, go left. From the spring, the trail makes a sharp right turn and starts heading south-west towards the pass. Returning to the guesthouse, 4 old village ladies in traditional black dress, sitting on a wooden bench called me over. Some springs run dry later in the season, so be aware that those marked on mapping apps cant always be relied upon. You can also change some of your preferences. We passed through frozen waterfalls and an endless forest of fiery golds, yellows, oranges, and reds. I found mine whilst staying at Svanland hostel in Mestia. A marshrutka is a large van or minibus that can fit a lot of passengers in. Rain is often localised. They dont work offline, but are very useful for checking the weather in advance. About Mestia - Ushguli Best time to visit: Summer, September The route is one of the most well-known trails in Svaneti. Regardless of the reviews you see online or on facebook, guesthouses in Adishi have the lowest standard. Pay the horsemen 20 Lari to be carried the dozen or so steps across the river or take our boots off, roll up our shorts and wade through ourselves. Make sure you pack clothing for all weather eventualities. We paid 25 Lari each for a minibus for 3 people. There are people whose jobs seem to be helping the drivers fill their vans up. It looked easy enough to clamber up the embankment on the other side, where we assumed (correctly) that wed pick up the trail. Its about a two hour ride. It undulates around the hillside for about 3.5 km, before leading you straight through the fields to Lakhiri. From the main square, walk towards the cinema where they screen the Georgian movie Dede, which was filmed in Ushguli. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Itll just be more comfortable than the marshrutka and more scenic than the night train. Next came across three Spanish guys who also crossed comfortably. ACCOMMODATION It took about 3 seconds, as it was winter and the river was very narrow by now. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. So on we drove all the way to our guesthouse. If youve heard of any hiking trails in Georgia, chances are its the Mestia to Ushguli trek in mountainous Svaneti. It was a little difficult finding the route as some signs out of Mestia are missing but there are plenty of the red and white trail markers to lead the way. I am travelling solo but guess I can team up with someone from hostels for a short trek. Mestia to Ushguli Trek (a complete guide) | Trek, Scenic, Nice view Its only 10.8 kilometers according to the yellow signpost, but it is a doozy. This section of the route alternates between open fields, grassy hillsides, and dense forest, with a couple of short but steep parts after the second stream. Unfortunately, there is a taxi mafia that controls the transport prices between Ushguli and Mestia. And it's easy to see why. (Lightweight, similar to above), Warm Socks for night x 1 Guesthouse Robinzon is friendly but located by the Mestia Ushguli road, so you feel like you are getting back to civilisation. The first thing we did upon entering the village was find that loud bar and order beer and cold water. Hover over the region or country that you want to visit and the app will prompt you to download this map. Youll see why later. You are most welcome Stephen. Guest House Gogia was the best place we stayed with friendly hosts and tasty fresh food. It brushes up against the side of the cliff, with tall grasses in between. Day 4, the final section on the Mestia to Ushguli trek, can be a very different experience depending on the route you choose to take. Villages are full of dirt, dust, and animal dander, so be sure to bring the appropriate allergy medications if you think youll need them. One major drawback, unless you wake up very early and only do one leg per day, is that you will be crossing the river later in the day (which means it will be higher and faster). Youll get dropped back off in Mestia where you can kick back and relax for a couple of days or continuing working your way through the rest of Georgias incredible wonders. Shkhara glacier trek from Ushguli - Trekking in Svaneti Georgia The quickest and easiest way to get to Mestia is by taking a flight from Tbilisi. The fewer items you bring with you, the easier your trek. Trek can be shortened if jeep will take tourists half way deep in Enguri valley, the last point where car road ends. You do not have to be in the best shape of your life for this trek. They depart in the morning from the main square in Mestia and cost 20 GEL per person. Tip Use TBC bank in Georgia as there are no access charges! Jun 11, 2021 - How to hike from Mestia to Ushguli - a complete, annually updated trekking guide for hikers who would like to tackle this most popular Georgian trek on their own. The horses dont cross here, they actually cross where its a little scarier. Booked in advance on booking.com. Approaching Lakhiri was the highlight. Entdecke diese 34,7-Meilen lange Strecke in der Nhe von Mestia, Mingrelien und Oberswanetien. The wider path curves northward and turns into a narrow rocky trail with steep grassy embankments either side. The disadvantages are it can be a little harder to follow (this is where AllTrails comes in handy) and it takes you through farmers backyards (the farmers were out there working and looked at us but didnt seem to mind that we were passing through). It only shows very basic contour lines. For example, as mentioned down below, I stayed in the village of Lalkhori instead of Iprali. From Chvelpi village a marshrutka goes directly to Kutaisi. The trail is reasonably easy to follow and the villages en route offer accommodating guest houses with excellent food. I cannot see why you would need more than 4 days to hike Mestia to Ushguli. If you do decide to cross on your own, go a little downstream and it gets a little gentler. They removed their pants (since they would need to dry quickly on the other side to avoid hypothermia) and used trekking poles to precariously cross. Day 3 - Mestia, Ushguli | Seven Days in Georgia | Travel On The Dollar From Iprari, you take the road down hill and meander towards the left to another smaller town, off the main road. It takes 3 4 hours and costs 25 GEL. We arranged a ride back to Mestia with the owners of Guesthouse Robinzon in Lalkhori. Its possible to book via booking.com for guesthouses in each of the villages, and if youre hiking in July or August its a good idea to book accommodation in advance. See the expandable box below for tips on using these apps. Search and book tickets via matarabeli.ge, tickets.railway.ge, or tkt.ge. If you prefer less crowded trails, go in September. Mestia to Ushguli Trek (a complete guide) | Europe travel, Europe If you do not see any village in half a day. Whether you are currently in your home country or are already travelling, two travel insurance policy providers that can cover for hiking above 3000 m are World Nomads (for residents of 140+ countries) and True Traveller (for UK and EEA residents only). Not to be perturbed, we began walking after a leisurely start at 10.30 am from Mestia. We ran into a couple of other hikers, two fellow Filipinas and their local Georgian guide. Khalde village is largely abandoned. If you enjoy trekking I recommend hiking from Mestia to Ushguli over 4 days. And in Svaneti itself, the two days before Mestia, from Etseri to Mazeri and Mazeri to Mestia, have much more appeal than the majority of the Mestia to Ushguli trek. The Svaneti region in the north of Georgia near the Russian border is set along a spectacular mountain range. The food is good and the family are very friendly. When you arrive at the village there is a small wooden cafe/hut on the right and a junction in the trail. 2022 Frugal Travellers. It is the same guesthouse, but youll see both names used on booking sites and Google Maps. Congratulations! It doesnt drain our phone battery, and its quick and easy to save and organise bookmarks. Itll make you feel like youre at your grandmas house, especially with how they feed you. It is 283 miles (approximately 456 kilometers) away from Tbilisi. The rest of day 4 was spent soaking up the atmosphere of the fascinating and incredibly photogenic village. We did our best to beat the heat by departing for the trails each morning just as the sun rose. In our opinion, its not as intuitive as Maps.me, and it has so many features that it can be a bit overwhelming at first. If you have a Garmin InReach like us, you can get weather reports at any location. This was the day I struggled with the most, and if it werent for the existing footsteps in the snow to guide us, we could have easily gotten lost. Drucken/PDF-Karte. If not, 5 lari is a small price to pay to not have to carry all of your things on this epic journey. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Walking the bank we looked for a better place but could not find one. The Transcaucasian Trail website also has a. we know of. The last 1 3 km of the climb (depending on whether you take the Low or High route) is on gravel road and is definitely the lowlight of the day (see cable car info box below on how to skip this). MESTIA TO USHGULI TREK QUICK FACTS Distance 55 - 60 km Duration 3 - 4 days Start/End Mestia/Ushguli (or vice versa) Min Elevation 1400 m (Mestia) Max Elevation 2719 m (Chukhunderi Pass) Total Ascent approx. So, what to bring in your pack? View thepartyingtravelers profile on Facebook, View thepartyingtravelers profile on Instagram, We're Going To Pakistan! It is usually around 10 GEL for breakfast or lunch, and 15 20 GEL for dinner. This one climbs onto Zuruldi massif, descends to Tsvirmi village and then follows a new road leading to Tetnuldi ski resort, where it joins the classic trail to Ushguli. Walk on as you reach the highest point of this leg of the trek. If youre in the right season, youll be surrounded by alpine flowers. So negotiations begun and shortly after we started driving with a black kitten sitting next to the driver! Make sure you bring a lot of water there arent really any stream fill-ups here.