Cod fishing on Oeresund 25 August

My daughter Karen and I agreed to go fishing on the Sea just outside Copenhagen, where fishing trips by boat are arranged.

It was a nice and sunny day, and we caught several nice and big cods, which are now processed and stored in our freezers.

Aeroe, 18 to 20 August

As the weather forecast was good my wife and decided to take a trip to the small island of Aeroe south of Denmark’s second biggest island Fynen.

Aeroe is only accessible by ferry, so it is a very quit and nice place. A main income is from tourist, but traditionally it has been an important centre for wafts and shipping.

We had brought our cycles with us and had som nice and sunny days cycling on the island. Everything on Aeroe were very neat and organised – quite a contrast to our experiences from Georgia.

Intro to hiking in Caucasus, July - August 2009

My son and my daughter had decided to come to Georgia for hiking together with their girlfriend and boyfriend and two of my son’s friends.

Due to wedding and an important symposium they were not able to arrive at exately the same time, but we managed to set a program for the hiking where we all could join for the most important part: Hiking in famous upper Svaneti area.

First arrived my son and we went up the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi, the last town before the road crosses the border to Russia.

As soon as my daughter arrived we took the long travel to Svaneti, for the 6 days hiking in the area.

After my son had left my daughter, her boyfriend and I again went up the Georgian Military Highway this time to Gudauri the Georgian ski resort in the Caucasus.

The map shows our trekking route in Svaneti: Mestia → Zhabeshi → Adishi → Iprali → Ushguli → Shkhara Glacier.

Lomisa church, 1 August 2009

The small Lomisa Church sits atop the Lomisa ridge, and is visible from nearly everywhere is this Part of the Aragvi Valley.

The church is one of the oldest in Georgia; build in the 9th century on a famous pagan site (like so many of Georgia’s churches).

There are stunning views over the Aragvi valley and the road to Gudauri all the way up, and when we arrived to the church also to South Ossetia on the other site of the ridge

Aragvi Gorge, 31 July 2009

From viewing platform built in 1983 to celebrate 200 years of the Soviet-Georgian “Friendship” we went down the very step slope on a rather hidden path, which existence we had learned from our hiking guide (Walking in the Caucasus: Georgia By Peter Nasmyth), to the Aragvi River.

Fire Cross Tower, 30 July 2009

After my son had left I went with my daughter and her boyfriend up the Georgian Military Highway to the ski resort Gudauri. After we arrived we went to the Fire Cross Tower. The Fire Cross Tower is one of the rarer rounded towers of the Caucasus (most are square).

Tbilisi marked

We drove back to Tbilisi and the last day of my sons visit we went to the marked.

Mestia, 27 July 2009

From Ushguli we drove back to Mestia. We spend out last day in Svaneti with a hike in the mountains around Mestia.

To Shkhara Glacier, 26 July 2009

This was a fairly easy hike, and all the way with good views of Mount Shkhara (5,150 m). Closer to Mount Shkhara and we had nice views of the Shkhara glacier. The lower part of the glacier is covered in detritus. The Inguri River gushes out from the bottom of the glacier.

Iprali → Ushguli, 25 July 2009

During the hike from Iprali to Ushguli we followed the automobile road along the Inguri River.
The Ushguli villages contain buildings that are part of the UNESCO Heritage site of Upper Svaneti. The community of Ushguli brings together four villages (Murqmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibini and Zhibiani). Ushguli was the place where we meet most tourists, both Georgian and foreign.
Altitude claims for Ushguli villages vary from 2086 to 2200 meter and it is sometimes referred to as the highest village in Europe.
It is located at the feet of Shkhara one of the higher Caucasian summits. About 70 families (about 200 people) live in the area and there is a small school. For 6 months of the year snow covers the whole area and often the road to Mestia is closed.

Adishi → Iprali, 24 July 2009

A day with many fantastic views, the crossing of a river on horseback, but ending in heavy rain. After about one hour from the start, we reached the Lardaadi glacier, which locals also refer to as the Adishi glacier. This glacier takes shape on the south slopes of the Tetnuldi-Adishi mountain range. It is the source of the Adishischala River which we crossed. The path took us towards the Chkhutnieri pass (2,720 m).

When crossing the pass it started raining, and it became worse and worse until we were soaked. We found abandoned hut with a wood-burning heater and cook stove and some firewood, so could get a little drier before we continued. But we were very relieved when we reached our host family in Iprali.