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.

Svan life in the mountains is a dying lifestyle

The adventure of visiting Svaneti is a combination of the fantastic nature and mountains, the impressive original architecture with its defensive towers and the Svaneti lifestyle based of livestock production.

Walking in Svaneti, you get the impression that the Svan lifestyle is dying, and that the Svans ar moving to Tbilisi, to live an easier and les challenging life.

Many of the houses are abandoned, and crumbled, and only the solid defensive towers still are standing. This is especially true for small and remote settlements. In the rather big village Adishi, with no access road, there were only few families left.