Following are two hikes described the book Walking the Caucasus; if you are planning a trip here we highly recommend you purchase this guide.

Hiking The KHADA GORGE

Start - Bedoni village (turn off at Kvesheti and cross river)

Finish - Bedoni village (Walk 9).Gudauri Sport Hotel (Walk 10)

Type - One way return (Walk 9). Single direction (Walk 10)

Date - May - November (Walk 9). May - October (Walk 10)

Upward climb - 300 meters and 900 meters

Max elevation - 1800 meters and 2400

Grade - East (Walk 9). Moderate (Walk 10)

Mobile signal - Surprisingly good except at valley end.

History

Once while staying in Gudauri I heard someone remark about a fellow worker; "Oh he's from Khada, he's OK." On further questioning it seemed that people from this valley had a reputation - for being calmer, more self-contained, less prone to the excesses of the Mokhebi (those from Kazbegi region). Was it, I wonder, due to the antiquity of this valley: its reported beauty? Containing a rumoured 60 stone towers and several villages, its communities had developed alongside the main route through the Greater Caucasus before the Russians built the Georgia Military Highway up the steep Mleta cliffs in the early 19th century. Here the huge mountain barrier is at its narrowest - a mere 60 kms (unlike the 120 kms around Svaneti). With the new road, this valley had suddenly found itself retired from the bustle of armies, Silk Road travelers, diplomats etc and had settled back into more agrarian ways.

Summery

This walks up through a historic mountain gorge that then opens into a spacious, tower-dotted valley with a remote, high-alpine atmosphere - yet only one and a half hours drive from Tbilisi. The reported 60 towers are permanently inhabited. To reach them the road follows the Khadistskali river gorge with villages perching like eagle's nests on top of vertical cliffs. The gorge is long (10 kilometres just on the road - which requires a jeep save at the start) but because of its dramatic beginnings, worth making the effort to walk most of it. The longer walk (Walk 10) ends with a sleep 600 metre climb up to the ridge above the Gudauri Sport Hotel. From there it's a pleasant one hour down - straight to the hotel bar. However that final two hour climb gives the tale a fairy sharp sting. For those with shorter time (and breath) it's also possible just to walk the gorge up to the higher village and back (walk 9). This will still take a good four hours and is an excellent walk. NOTE: For those relying on marshrutkas (mini-buses) - you can start and end the walk at Kvesheti village on the main Tbilisi road, but add an hour.

Route

The official beginning of the gorge is Bedoni village. It stands beside the White Aragvi river at the gorge entrance about three kilometres down toward Tbilisi from Mleta. Turn off at Kvesheti village (about 15 minutes by car from the Gudauri Sport Hotel). Cross the Aragvi and drive the jeep track under the gas pipe and through the first village - Bedoni (this could easily be walked but lengthens the walk). Once on the other side (away from all potential dog trouble) this is a good place to be dropped. Ahead, giant cliffs rise up like a Hollywood set, and built-into one of the first is a small prison - originally fro North Caucasian invaders. The walk just takes the jeep track all the way up to the top village (Skere) (about 7 more kms) - so its neigh-on impossible to get lost. The road climbs slowly and steadily and soon gives views of Zakatkara and Korogo villages perched like eeries above massive cliffs. Hard not to imagine elves up there. Now begins a long-running mystery as the way up. At this the road follows the right hand side of the valley, while the village is high up on the left. The mystery was only solved up at Bekot Kari village - by an old woman who pointed back down the valley saying, by "khidi" (bridge). This obviously raised the possibility of a second walk up the Khada gorge - on the left hand side (not yet tired). Locals later also alluded to this - hiting at a shorter route back to Gudauri Sport Hotel. But this misses out the delightful higher pastures and villages, as well as the picturesque Church of St George and bell tower at Bekot Kari. Inside the churchyard we spotted a new gravestone carved with two faces, one with dates, one without. Here Wakl 9 ends (although in truth it can be continued up the valley as far as you want).

Walk 10

After the church keep going along the road towards the final village - Skere. Cross the bridge but before Skere turn left to Mugure, the next village back on the left side of the valley. The climb up to the ridge starts directly above this village. Shortly after the first dwelling appear look for a path leading up the hill to the right - but larger than one for a specific house. This will be the main path that leads eventually up over the pass. You should find yourself tracking back up the valley but above the village climbing along the side of a small valley shoulder. Soon you gain its ridge which must be followed until just short of the moment it meets with the main valley flanks. Here the path mysteriously divides - with a small track leading downward slightly to the left. The main path continues straight along the ridge then appears to bank left along the valley flank. Do not follow it. Instead taking the smaller left hand track. If you follow the main (and former path) you will eventually be halted by a large new landside - and have to back track a good ten minutes. The smaller path takes you down slightly into the crook of a small valley, across the dividing stream then up the steep final flanks up to 2400m so prepare for a good puff. The top is marked by a shepherd's hut and a view of the Gudauri Sport Hotel nestling down below at the base of a long shallow valley. Directly above is the head station of the seconed cable car and "Kosta's hut and restaurant" - manned "sometimes" during summer months. Ahead are two paths - upper and lower - following the general direction of the Gudauri Sport Hotel (left and down). The upper seems tempting - as it seems to offer a regain of the ridge at a higher elevation (hence longer views) - but it soon vanishes, as the cows (its obvious creators) fanned out to pasture. The lower path is the genuine route and picks up the ridge at a lower level (with views down into the Khada Valley). It also divides later on offering a quick way home (right hand route) by avoiding the ridge altogether and following the valley down to its apex, where all three routes down must converge (GPS N 42 27.968: ED44 29.487 Altitude 2060 meters). Here a narrow path runs along the right side side of a gully to a small plateau dominate by a former lake. Follow the rim round the left hand side of the lake then pick up the jeep track to the left hand side of the lake then pick up the jeep track to the hotel at the base of the chair lift (GPS N 42 27.760: ED44 29.096 Altitude 2005 meters).

Reprinted with the permission from the Author