From the ancient mountain top village of Ushguli we head north and further up the towering valley to the glacier head.
When we crossed the pass we had seen a few tracks leading off which were potential camp options though we thought we should check the glacier first. The road up the valley from the village criss-crosses through the river before opening onto wide open grazing plains along the valley floor. As we drive down the centre of the valley along the two tyre tracks we pass cows, horses, and returning friendly locals loaded with grass for the winter stockpiles.
The track deteriorated into mud and small scrub as the valley narrowed. We had heard that it was impassable though we thought we’d give it a go regardless. We find a lot of these reviews are made by people with less capable vehicles and experience. In this instance that proved correct again. Nevertheless that didn’t stop Jolie getting a bit overwhelmed and walking the last section which saw a steep backward climb up and onto a small plateau. The surface was loose and it had an off camber though the Troopy gobbled it up and we found ourselves on top of a beautiful meadow with one of the best campsite views to date. This was a view too good to pass up so we set up camp right there and got settled in. The glacier we planned to walk to is the Shkhara Glacier which falls from the 12km long ridge of the Bezengi massif. This massif and the range it is a part of also provides the border with Goergia’s northern neighbour Russia. Just like neighbours they see far from eye to eye and are not on talking terms. (They’re definitely not out to make friends at the moment!).The following morning after a very tranquil sleep we dig out the hiking gear and start off towards the glacier. From the camp spot it looked like a rather easy path through the long grass down to the head, not the case. While it didn’t get difficult, it wasn’t the dreamy stroll through the meadows we had thought as the path led steeply down to the river. We passed over large rocks fields, through long grass, over crystal clear streams, under branches of densely packed tress before we arrived at the glacier field. The vegetation stopped and we walked the last hundred metres over loose rock and what appeared to previously be the glacier. We have walked over glaciers while in Nepal, some of them several hundred meters wide, though due to our altitude there we never stood at the head of one. With the midday sun now belting down on the already sunburnt face of the glacier the noise and movement is quite daunting. Rocks continuously fall from high and small waterfalls form across the 20m high face. We have a break, a snack, take in the enormity of it all and then start our trek back to the Troopy.
Heading back down the valley we pass through Ushguli again, grab a souvenir from two lovely little local girls in a roadside stall, and hit the ‘main road’ towards Mestia. From Mestia the road down and out of the valley climbs and falls along each side of the valley, crisscrossing the river, in and out of hand cut tunnels for the entire afternoon. After dodging a nations worth of farm animals we make it to our camp spot for the night by another hot spring. Like the past one this is a dilapidated Soviet health spa though now very popular with the locals. The spring bubbles down off a small overgrown plateau into a sulphurous white waterfall than combines with a fast flowing deep emerald green river. After travelling through Muslim countries for so long it was a bit of a shock to see so many local girls swimming in bikinis with the men. As it was quite busy we decided to set up instead and jump in in morning before the crowds arrived. That’s it for this episode, join us in the next to see if we have more luck crossing into Turkey.Thanks for watching.
J&M
26 авг 2024
