Agnete, Mathias, Doris and Knud, Lisbeth and I went on a one week trip to Eastern Georgia.
The main and most challenging part of the trip was a three days hike from Dartlo in Tusheti over Atsunda Pass (3400 meter) to Ardoti in Khevsureti.
The first day was dedicated to a visit Davit Gareja. Situated on the border with Azerbaijan, Davit Gareja comprises about 15 old monasteries spread over a large, remote area, its uniqueness is heightened by a lunar, semi desert landscape. We visited two of the key monasteries, Lavra (the only inhabited one today), and, just on the other side of the mountain ridge above it, Udabno, which has beautiful frescoes. Some Griffon Vultures were passed close by us when we were on the top of the mountain ridge.
From Davit Gareja we drove to Sighnaghi, where we stayed overnight. At the elevation of about 790 m above seal level, the town overlooks the Alazani Valley and faces the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The town has a well preserved defensive wall around a big area. The wall was build of the settlements in the valley, so people could seek shelter when invaders came.
Davit Gareja
The bird of the day,Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus), passed over our heads at the mountain ridge in David Gareda.
The Last Supper
Sighnaghi
On the second day we went for a hike to the waterfalls in Lagodekhi Protected Areas. Lagodekhi Protected Areas cover is situated along the border with Russia and Azerbaijan. From a historical perspective, this was the first nature reserve in Georgia, founded in 1912. The trail followed the Shoma River and enters the gorge as a foot-path and finishes at the waterfall. There were 5 kilometre to the waterfall, and it was a very nice walk in the untouched forest.
From Lagodekhi we went to Telavi the main city in the eastern region of Georgia: Kakheti. On the way we visited Gremi.
Gremi is a 16th-century architectural monument – the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels. Gremi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Telavi - King Irakli II.
On day 3, we drove the very small and lousy way from Telavi to Omalo, the main village in Tusheti, in two 4WDs. It is a very breathtaking drive with beautiful views and very steep gorges on the side of the road nearly the whole way.
On day 4 the program specified visits to villages of Diklo, Shenako but due to heavy rain during the night, the dirt road had became to slippery for the drive, and we made a hike to the Dartlo where we stayed overnight.
On day 5 we should start the really serious part of our hiking by leaving Dartlo and walk to the foot of Atsunda Pass (3400 meter), and have the first of two overnights in tents. But it was raining very heavily this morning, and our guide said that the rain was probably to continue for next days – so it was time to make a plan B.
We decided to drive back to the lowlands, and go to a very interesting and hot nature reserve in Georgia: Vashlovani Protected Areas in the very Eastern part of Georgia surrounded by Azerbaijan. We spend the night in The Visitors' Centre of Vashlovani Protected Areas situated in the sleepy city of Dedoplistskaro 80 kilometres from Vashlovani.
Heavy rain in Dartlo and we decided to cancel our three days hike, and go to Vashlovani Protected Areas instead.
View from out hotel in the morning.
On our way back we got a flat tire and but it did not take many minutes to shift the tire. Few centimetres from the car it went several hundred meters down (as far as you could see in foggy weather).
The fire station in the sleepy town of Dedoplistskaro 80 kilometres from Vashlovani, where we stayed overnight.
On day 6 we drove to the Vashlovani Protected Areas. Vashlovani is famous for its bird and animal life, including bears and the famous leopard Noah (a young male caught on camera). On the way to reserve we observed a lot of interesting birds, including Imperial Eagle. We first visited the “Alesilebi” of Datvis Khevi (Brown bear gorge), with its famous fossilized shoulder blade of the Southern elephant. On our way back through the Brown bear gorge we observed a fresh footprint of a bear in the soft mud in the Gorge.
In the evening we took a short walk to enjoy the landscape on the impressive bird life including Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Hoopoe and blue-and-green Rollers.
The reserve had formerly been on the bottom of the sea.
Walking through the Bear Gorge
The fossilized shoulder blade of the Southern elephant
On the way back we observed a fresh footprint of bear on some soft soil in the Bear Gorge
The bird of the day: Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
On day 7 we started with a hike to a viewing point in the Protected Areas, and after that drove back to Tbilisi.
The bird of the day: Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
The turtle of the day
Part of the view from the viewing point.
It was a very hot day, and even the birds were resting.
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