18 Riding Days
1093km
24,016m⬆️
(2.7x up Everest)
NOTE: This blog post is a little different to previous SWR posts as it’s based on my daily diary. This is in a bid to help fellow bikepackers with logistics, prices, daily distances, elevation gain etc.
This trip was 4-weeks commencing August 16th 2025
At the time of my visit GBP£1 = GEL3.6
In the beginning
This route caught my eye the instant Cass Gilbert shared it on Bikepacking.com back in 2016. However, no direct flights to Georgia from the UK meant flying via France, Italy, Turkey or Cyprus. Add on the bike carriage fees and I was looking at £1000+ just to get to Tblisi.
That all changed last winter when EasyJet announced a direct route from London Luton. Add a return Edinburgh-Luton flight, 4x bike fees (yes, priced per flight NOT journey) and we were down to £550. Affordable (more on EasyJet later).
I had a chat with my boss about taking some unpaid holiday AND being away for 4-weeks. Being the decent bloke he is, it was an immediate yes and I booked my tickets before last Christmas.
Planning
I read and watched everything I could about the route. Emily Lush’s blog a bout Georgia Wander-Lush Travel Blog | Travels in Colour, Culture & Creativity was especially useful (I used the metro & bus A LOT in Tblisi).
I opened the .gpx file in Google MyMaps and went through it in detail. Adding all the re-supply points, many restaurants and GH’s. This gave me a clear picture of how much food I needed to carry at any given time.
All this information I then listed in Notes on my phone.
I also downloaded the route for offline use in Komoot, MapOut and OSMAnd Maps.
10 days before departure I downloaded the YR weather app and began watching the weather.
It was extremely hot at low altitude (38C) and still 20C+ in the mountains. This was part of the reason I chose to ride the Tblisi – Shatili – Atsunta Pass – Omalo section first. There is no bailout option on this section – once over the Atsunta pass you’re committed to getting to Girevi (where vehicular access resumes).
The other reason was time. Towards the end of the western section there’s the option of bailing out to Gori and taking the train back to Tblisi. There’s no such option on the eastern loop. Were I to arrive back in Tblisi (from the western section) with insufficient time to complete the eastern section, I would have to miss it out completely.
Departure Day…by the skin of my teeth
0530 was a little early for my taxi to Ferry Toll but Muhammad had an airport run at 0600. He has a VW Caddy into which my boxed bike will fit.
At Ferry Toll (Inverkeithing) I boarded the 747 Airport bus and had to buy the more expensive single ticket option as my trip was 29 days and a return ticket is only valid for 28 .
At Edinburgh airport I paid – yes PAID! – for a trolley and made my way to EasyJet bag drop (Yes, I know, but they were my only option). I was too early for my flight to be open but the staff opened it manually so I could use the self-service scales. Their baggage tags are designed to be attached around a handle and after much fumbling trying to peel the back off to stick it on the box, she reappeared and did it for me. There are several bar code stickers and there was a specific way she went about attaching it.
Off to the oversize baggage drop off, through security and then to find my gate number – FLIGHT DELAYED….oh ffs!!!!
EasyJet are a point-to-point airline, not an end-to-end airline (there phrase; not mine). This meant I couldn’t purchase a return ticket from Edinburgh to Tblisi. Instead I had a return ticket to Luton, and a return ticket from Luton to Tblisi (4x flights, 4x tickets, 4x bike baggage fees). It also meant that I had to self-transfer in Luton. ie collect my bike and take it to baggage drop-off, then oversize bag drop.
I was aware of all this at the time of booking but I had 2.5hrs to do so and so I wasn’t too bothered. HA! Not so fast! In the 8-months between booking my tickets and travelling, EasyJet moved my Luton flight back twice, and brought my Tblisi flight forward once. I now had 1.5hrs at Luton so the last thing I needed was a delayed flight.
As I stood in the queue to board so it looked like I’d have 35mins between landing and my Tblisi flight gate closing. Realising this was a long shot, I began looking at alternative destinations for my trip should I miss my flight.
At baggage reclaim I tapped my card for a trolley (£2), found the sign for ‘Oversize Baggage’ and began clock watching. When my bike arrived I loaded it onto the trolley stood up to make it as narrow as possible. I ran through the terminal, peering around the side of the box in a bid to avoid other passengers, and charged straight down the empty ‘Special Assistance’ lane to bag drop. One of the EasyJet staff opened her mouth to protest but I beat her to it, stating that my gate closed in 20mins.
Bike weighed, label attached I charged back down the Special Assistance lane and on to Oversize Bag Drop at the other end of the building. From there I ran to security where I couldn’t believe my luck – it was all but empty! I ran to the gate and arrived halfway through boarding. Feck! What a way to start a ‘holiday’.
We landed just after dark at 2030. My bike was waiting for me when I got to baggage reclaim and I loaded it onto one of the plentiful FREE trolleys. As the exit doors slid open so I spotted my name on a sheet of paper and was soon loading my bike into the boot of a car for my transfer to the hotel (U$20 – GEL55). My driver was the former Georgian No1 tennis player and had played in tournaments in Wrexham (Wales) and Manchester as well as following the European tour. He imparted plenty of useful local knowledge as we approached the hotel and within minutes I was in my room, looking out across The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tblisi.
I’d booked two nights at the start and two nights at the end of my trip at MariaLuis Hotel who were also going to store my bike box.
Following my initial contact via email, communication continued on What’s App. They quoted me in U$ for the room (45) so on arrival I paid GEL242 on my card for two nights.
I walked down to the ATM and tried to withdraw GEL1500. Declined* – over limit. It eventually gave me 500 and charged me GEL6 for the privilege.
At the restaurant outside the Cathedral entrance I enjoyed Lobio (beans in a clay pot) served with mchadi (a heavy corn bread shaped like a flattened doughnut) GEL27, and a Kayaki beer GEL11.
*ATM NOTE: The following day I found BasisBank which has a much higher withdrawal limit (I took GEL1000) and no fee.
Tblisi Pt.1
My tasks in the city involved picking up a few supplies and most importantly camping gas and a local SIM card. At the Alvabari Metro Station just down the hill, I purchased a MetroMoney travel card (GEL2) and added GEL8 of credit. It’s valid on both the Metro and the buses. One journey costs GEL1. Tap in, walk out. It couldn’t be easier.
From Rustavelli Metro station I walked south to the Magti office where (armed with my passport), and purchased a local SIM card – 30-days, unlimited data GEL45. I eventually tracked down camping gas at Hypermarket Extreme, a fair bus ride north.
My food supplies included oats, tortillas, salami, peanut butter, dates, walnuts and a few cereal bars. I also picked up a roll of parcel tape that I left in my bike box. I didn’t carry any food for evening meals as it was my intention to eat late at roadside eateries before finding a place to camp and buy evening meal supplies closer to when I’d need them.
Supplies purchased, I settled down at a Georgian restaurant called Shatre where I ordered Baked beef with mozzarella & vegetables, French fries & a coke.
Daily Spend
Metro card – 20
SIM card – 45
Camping gas (230g Coleman Extreme C300) – 29
Dinner – 47
Food supplies – 44
Total = GEL185
Riding Day 1
Tblisi to Wild ⛺️ nr Kalio
90km | 1680m⬆️
I’d read a lot of stories about how bad the standard of driving was in Georgia and how many bikepackers had arranged rides out of town in a bid to avoid the melee. I went on to read that nothing happens early in Georgia, with most businesses not opening until mid-morning and staying open late. The traffic issue became pretty clear to me then; all I had to do was get up early.
So that’s what I did. Alarm at 0530, overnight oats for breakfast and out the door just after 0600. My Garmin had other ideas though. I won’t bore you with the details but it seemed to have a meltdown over my location, then wouldn’t load my route. I lost an hour faffing about with it, but even then I made it almost to the city limits on empty roads.
There were some punchy (16%) climbs to get out of the city but the real ‘fun’ started a at the first off-road section (to Saguramo). It was hike-a-bike right from the moment I left tarmac.
Trying to get through a deep gulley, I toppled over into the brambles and got pinned under my bike. It took me a while to escape and even longer to pull all the thorns out. The route was like riding shark’s teeth. Straight up; straight down. I lost count of how many hills I pushed up and began questioning my ability to cross the Atsunta Pass with this rig.
I rolled into Baker Bros in Saguramo for lunch at 1230. From the outside you wouldn’t know there was a lovely covered seating/garden area at the rear. I ordered Adjaruli Khatchapuri (bread boat filled with cheese and an egg – available in three different sizes).
I sat in the garden until my phone had charged to 100% as tracking my ride in Komoot was draining the battery and I want to save my powerbank for the mountains.
The SH-26 road was smooth, empty and mostly a gentle incline. I rode on passing the various roadside eateries I’d marked on the map until I came to Pshauri Balada. The proprietors didn’t seem too keen on interacting with me but fortunately a regular customer spoke some English and food was ordered.
Barbecue (Pork) was obvious but my second dish got lost in translation and I ended up with penovani Khachapuri (1 portion = 6 slices). This type was akin to a fried cheese toastie. What I was expecting was Khinkali (momos/mini dumplings). As a result, I’d also ordered bread. This I washed down with ice cold grape juice. I did ask about alcohol free beer but they looked at me as though I was mad and said “Georgians like their beer”. They clearly like their drink driving too.
I camped by the river in a little clearing amongst the trees (right opposite the eatery) where locals clearly frequented to drink around a campfire. I left the fly sheet off and the stars were AMAZING!
Daily Spend
Lunch (Adjaruli Khatchapuri, cok, 1.5l water) – 21
Icecream & orange drink – 5
Dinner – 40
Total = GEL66
Riding Day 2
Wild ⛺️ nr Kalilo to Roshka
36.57km | 913m⬆️
Having turned my phone off to conserve the battery I set my watch alarm for 0600 but didn’t hear it; getting up around 0630 I think. Porridge, coffee and away for 0800.
The road remained quite and in the shade of the steep valley sides for quite some time as it climbed towards the dirt road turn-off for Roshka.
Turning onto the dust I whistled to a dog lying in the shade and he promptly trotted over for some affection. He went on to follow/lead me all the way to Roshka, 8km away up a series of steep switchbacks. Whenever I stopped to drink he waited patiently in the shade and when I was pushing and unable to match his pace he’d return to give me encouragement.
It took me 1h50 I think to reach Roshka, 337m above the turnoff at an altitude of 1963m.
At Mountain House I was immediately shown to my room by the eldest daughter who spoke English and asked if I wanted a shower. OH YES PLEASE! “The water will be ready in 15mins”. I asked about a simple lunch and was served potato salad, a cucumber & tomato salad (probably the best toms I’ve ever eaten!), bread and a coffee. Perfect!
I washed my riding kit in the shower, hung my tent up to dry (dew) and put both my phone & Garmin on to charge.
I set up the umbrella over the hammock, filtered a litre of water from the stream outside the gate and spent a few hours lazily reading. Prior to leaving Scotland I had thought about riding up to the Abudelauri Lakes but with the temperature still over 30C I decided to give it a miss.
Out of nowhere, my friend the dog appeared making a beeline for me, snuffled his shout under my arm and after some fussing, settled down to sleep under the hammock.
Later on I went for a walk around the hamlet when who should appear but the dog, once again making a beeline for me. Again, after some fussing he trotted off. Back at the GH he reappeared, ignored the owners and headed straight for me. I heard the youngest daughter (age 5 maybe) refer to him as Simba.
Daily spend
Accommodation (inc dinner) – 100
Lunch – 15
Daily total – GEL115
Riding Day 3
Roshka to Wild ⛺️ below Khidotani (2170m)
67.42km| 1962m⬆️
Knowing I had a long climb I asked for breakfast early and sure enough it was on the table at 0630. I walked outside to find Simba asleep next to my bike and felt guilty at leaving him behind on the descent: What took me 1h50 to ascend took me 15mins to descend.
The climb to Datvisjvari Pass at 2675m took me 3h30 inc photo & drink stops (12.8km/1000m). Cresting the summit was like peeking through a window into a different scene as the dirt road plunged into the Arun gorge, heading for Shatili.
The ride to Shatili was a blas – literally. How often do you find yourself on the brakes due to a tailwind!. I passed three heavily loaded bikepackers heading in the opposite direction but we were all flying downhill at the time and clearly nobody wanted to get stuck in the dip so it was big grins and thumbs up all round.
In Shatili I stopped in café Firefly for some lunch. It was the first time (but by no means the last) where my presence seemed inconvenient despite them being open. If Google Translate could read expressions it would have said “What do you mean you want to eat! What do you think this is, a f****** café”!
Following a lot of head shaking as I pointed at various things on the menu, I eventually got a nod when I reached Special Khachapuri. When it arrived it was enormous; resembling a large round garlic bread, but stuffed with meat, cheese & spinach. It was far too big for lunch so I took half of it with me when I left. Glad I did…
Rolling out of Shatili with a belly full of Khachapuri was slow going that became even slower as I turned south and into an unexpected headwind. It was still baking hot and so I stopped at the café in Musto for a Fanta. Once again I encountered a proprietor for whom my presence seemed a nuisance. I drank up and rode on.
Just around the corner was the border checkpoint. I was surprised to find it manned as I expected them to be further up the mountain. When the guard realised I didn’t speak Georgian, he shouted to his colleague before awaiting a response and waving me through. I gesticulated about a permit but he was insistent I go. I guess there must be another post higher up.
Almost immediately I was into hike-a-bike….several in fact. And three river crossings, all with newly built foot bridges. Through Khoniscala and around a bend in the river I spotted a hiking trail turning away steeply to my right. 50m or so later was a sign saying ‘Restricted Border Zone -Strictly no entry without a permit’. Mmmm…. my Garmin couldn’t decide where I was and there was no phone signal. Luckily I had the Komoot map save for offline use. Sure enough, the route went up the hiking trail.
Before setting off I ate one of my leftover lunch slices and drank some water. In hindsight I should have collected another litre from the river. It was now full on, Himalayan style hike-a-bike. Pivoting the bike round on the back wheel to get it around the switchbacks. It was relentless, knackering, and painfully slow.
After I don’t know how long (90mins perhaps?) I came across the only flat(ish) bit of ground I’d seen. I left my bike and walked up the trail for 10mins to see if I could make it onto the ridge. Not only did I not get that far but the trail was really steep & loose with eroded root steps.
Daily spend
Lunch (Khachapuri & coke ) – 35 + 6
Fanta – 3
Daily total – GEL44
Riding Day 4: Atsunta Pass -3510m
Wild ⛺️ below Khidotani (2170m) to Atsunta Pass wild ⛺️ (2900m)
11.44km | 1399m
I began my kit relay at 0630 and made it to within sight of the border checkpoint by 0830. Just before is a newly built (yet to be opened) lodge(?), beyond which I think was café Shete. I filtered water, made coffee & porridge and mixed SIS (re-hydration) before scaling the steps to the lodges veranda. The view looking back the way I’d come along with the range of mountains along the Russian border made for a crackin’ spot to eat breakfast and I probably lingered longer than I should have.
I registered at the checkpoint (2485m) where there was a very playful, very young puppy (Cocker spaniel I’d guess). I provided my passport and proof of medical insurance and 10-mins later was presented with a permit granting me 8-days to get to Omalo. Just as I was leaving so Czech couple Šimon & Klára walked in with their fully stocked backpacks. Little did we know how many times our paths would cross.
Lunch stop by where the mule trains stop for theirs at approx 1330 following plenty of photo stops. At 2948m this is where the steep ascent to the pass begins and where there should be a water supply. When I was there it was but a tiny trickle and I was glad I’d filled up back at the lodge. Compared to the heat of the valley, 14°C felt chilly and I found myself adding another layer as I tucked into tortillas with cheese and salami. Back home in Scotland, 14°C is well into T-shirt weather!
I began my second kit relay of the day at 1415. Pushing my bike up 250m of vertical ascent before walking back down, collecting my kit and walking to 250m above my bike. At bang on 1900 I finally arrived at the Atsunta Pass with my bike. Cloud had been racing up the mountain before dispersing for a few hours but now it had settled and I could only see a short distance. As I was reloading my bike so I could hear the whistles of an approaching mule train. It seemed to take a long time before they appeared through the cloud so I knew it was steep despite visibility being 50m or so.
Sunset had passed and the end of civil twilight was rapidly approaching as I finally found water, 600m below the pass. Just beyond was an area just about flat enough to camp on so I filtered water and pitched camp. If it stayed clear overnight it would be chilly (2927m), but my morning view would be pretty special!
Camp to camp was 11km and had taken me 13 hours (inc breakfast, picnic and photo stops) Relaying my kit had added another 600m of elevation gain to the days total recorded by my Garmin. It slid into 2nd place on my list of hardest days bikepacking.
Daily total – GEL0
Riding Day 5
Atsunta Pass wild ⛺️ to wild camp nr Chesho (1910m)
32.67km | 563m⬆️
My departure was delayed, firstly due to stunning spot and secondly due to flat front tyre. I traced to tiny hole in side of my front rim (bare with me). I first tried patching it with duct tape but when that failed I used puncture repair glue & patch with duct tape over the top. Pressure set to 24psi. Fingers crossed.
The magical singletrack descent continued to a river crossing where I removed my socks, shorts and insoles before putting my trainers back on. I unloaded my bike and had just begun my first crossing when a group of hikers appeared. One was German but with a Danish name. He was also a Bikepacker and keen to hear about my ride.
I gave him my camera and he took some pics of me crossing.
I squeezed the excess water out of my trainers, put on my waterproof socks, reloaded my bike and tucked my insoles into the Tailfin side pockets to dry.
As Kwahida meadows came into view so my attention was taken by another large, new lodge (again yet to be opened). As I passed it by so I noticed a makeshift camp like structure off to my right, with what appeared to be bottles of drink lined up. I was able to buy a cold bottle of coke for GEL5 and some mini Russian chocolate bars akin to a Twix. He was struggling for change and so I had 4 instead of 2 and gave him GEL10 total.
Given that some places in Tblisi charge GEL6 for a coke, this was very fair pricing given everything on offer had been carried for miles by mule train.
Following a stiff climb away from the meadows, the technical singletrack (re-dropper post!) continued for another 13km before easing up and continuing again. Along this singletrack I met a German bikepacker heading the other way. He warned me about a small herd of cows, guarded by a dog. He’d not seen the dog in the long grass and it bit him on the ankle, drawing blood. Cow radar activated! It turns out that whilst sheep have shepherds AND dogs, cows only have a dog! This means there is no shepherd to attract the attention of to warn off the dogs.
3km or so before Girevi I stopped to take some photos of the abandoned buildings when I heard a shepherd’s whistling getting closer. I pulled my bike off the trail and up the bank, then waited to wave and shout to the shepherd (regarding his dog). Spotting me on the hillside, the first shepherd warned off his dog but I wasn’t banking on the herd being so big.
It must’ve taken more than 10 mins for the herd to make its way past. At the rear were three more shepherds, two horses and 7 dogs! Again I shouted to the shepherds. They didn’t speak English but assured me in Spanish that the dogs were no problem! One did give me the eye but I turned away and waited until all were out of sight before moving on.
Soon after I came to the cows I’d been warned about. Most were on a trail above me but those at the front had made it onto my trail. I gingerly made my way past them until I could see the dog lying in the trail ahead of the first cow. As it spotted me so it leapt up barking and ran straight for me.. I used my bike as a shield and it didn’t get any closer than a metre. It then calmed down until I started moving and once again I used my bike as a shield. This happened a few times until one of the cows got her head down and butted him! I thought I was going to make it past but as I got to the final cow so the dog came back for more. Another repeat of the dog/bike standoff and eventually the dog backed off and I was on my way.
In Girevi I found a GH that was preparing the evening meal for their guests and were happy to serve me.
Veg & potato soup, pepper stuffed with rice, sliced courgette & beetroot, 2x khinkali & bread set me up nicely for heading out to find a place to camp.
Just outside the village I filtered water before finding a great camping spot on wide open grassland next to the road. It’s east facing(ish) so I’m hoping for some early sun. After today’s late start I’ve set the alarm for 0530.
Daily spend
Coke & chocolate – 10
Dinner – 40
Daily total – GEL50
Riding Day 6
Wild ⛺️ near Chesho to Verkhovani wild ⛺️ 1857m
35.51km | 1717m
With my front tyre holding pressure, I decided to ride the optional loop through Tusheti NP instead of heading straight into Omalo. The loop contains 750m+ of ascent meaning there was bound to be hike-a-bike; I was in need of a 2nd breakfast.
It was only 6km to Dartlo and despite being slowed by a short river crossing, I rolled into the village at 0800; it was dead. I was about to ride on when my 2nd(last) camera battery went flat and so I decided to see if I could get some breakfast and charge my phone, Garmin & camera battery.
GH Pirimze was just stirring into life and after negotiating the usual nonchalant attitude of the staff, I eventually got breakfast. Luckily the delay gave my gadgets a chance to charge. The bread was moldy so I sent it back and had it replaced with stale. The tomatoes were (as usual) off the scale good, as was the melon.
2x fried eggs, extraordinarily salty cheese, tomato, cucumber, melon,butter, jam and honey – GEL25. Overpriced given the delicious lunch my GH provided in Roshka for GEL15.
It was 1015 when I rode away, but with my phone now at 100%, Garmin at 51% and some charge in my camera battery it was worth the delay.
It also gave me a chance to observe the amount of vehicles coming and going, or rather the amount of dust they generated. I began wondering if I wanted to ride from Omalo, over the Abano Pass and on to Telavi.
It was a long climb up from Dartlo. The trackside foliage was grey rather than green; another indication of the volume of dust generated by the 4×4 traffic. Eventually I crested a rise where the the turn off for the Tusheti NP ridge loop turned right. In my mind it was a singletrack trail but in reality it was steep (up to 24%), dusty two track. Shortly into the push I had to wait for three 4×4’s to descend and two to ascend. Covered in dust I again questioned my choice.
I moved off the trail into the shade of a tree and looked at all my map apps. There appeared to be a viewpoint that I guessed everyone was going to but beyong that it looked as though there was no vehicular access..
I pushed on (literally!) all the way to the viewpoint, again having to leave the trail for the descending vehicles. I recognised a Landrover Discovery I’d seen ascending and decided my viewpoint theory was right; it was. Not only that but I arrived to find I had it all to myself.
After some photos I followed the trail to reach the singletrack obscured by the pole in the above photo. As rode on towards the next section of hike-a-bike I could see it was akin to open prairie with neither shade nor water.
(NOTE: the comment on the Ride with GPS .gpx track regarding water on the ridge is on the return leg and should be on the outbound).
Another long singletrack trail zig-zagged its way up the hillside and at 2700m the wind became really strong and I wondered if riding the ridge would be possible. The trail swung around the sheltered side before taking me onto the ridge. The wind was gusty but bearable and I rode on.
Another short push up through some rocks led to me to the north side of the ridge where the singletrack undulated (re: descend, hike-a-bike, repeat) through the rhododendrons before popping out in a wide open plain, totally different landscape.
Two rises to 2990m followed before the trail returned to two-track for the final climb to 3004m over the Nakle Khoi Pass
At one point on the descent there’s a new(?) hiking trail marker pointing left when the .gpx goes straight on. Judging by the trail conditions nobody had gone straight on for years so I followed the trail markers. I soon realised they were heading for a mixed heard of cows & horses and my first thought was ‘dog!’
I couldn’t see another trail marker where I felt there should be one and ‘freestyled’ it past the heard to rejoin the trail.
Shortly after that the singletrack descent began and there’s no mixing words here – it was shit. Never has so much effort in a climb led to such a shit descent. Steep, loose, narrow, deeply eroded (60-70cm) ruts(?) led down past some abandoned buildings.
Following the hillside around I had the sun directly in my eyes and all but rode off the hillside where a landslide had taken the trail away. Backtracking and riding over the top of it seemed the best alternative and I soon rejoined the trail for a sketchy descent to a slippery stream crossing. Now overgrown, the foliage hid many an obstacle ready to snag a passing bike. Two more similar stream crossings appeared as the trail descended through some woodland to a tower that I think (in hindsight) was the edge of Verkhovani.
From above I’d seen a horseman with two ponies coming up from the right and assumed (without checking my Garmin) that he was heading up from the main road that I wanted to get to. It turns out he was just leading them to grazing and I led myself into a dead-end caused by another landslide.
A mixture of riding and pushing saw me back at the tower from where I could see across the river to the food/camping establishment I was trying to get to before dark.
Now back en-route, I followed the two-track down the hill until turning off onto an off-camber hiking trail across a sketchy landslide .
I was soon in a pasture with horses and cows where I cruised down to the river below the GH? The crossing was quite wide and in the falling light it was hard to determine the best place to cross. I always have flashbacks to my 2014 Himalayan ‘incident’ in these situations and assess the situation perhaps with too much caution. Once bitten…
As I wandered up and down the river bank to two barking dogs appeared on the opposite bank. That immediately put an end to me staying at the GH as there was no way I was relaying my kit across the river to leave it to the mercy of the dogs. I retreated to the pasture, pitched camp and set my alarm for 0530.
There must be a better descent from the pass than this ?
Daily spend
2nd breakfast -25
Total GEL25
Riding Day 7
Verkhovani wild ⛺️ to Kvemo Alvani
25.74km | 875m⬆️ (to Omalo)
(Eastern Loop: Tblisi – Atsunta – Omalo: 296.31km | 9109m)
The temperature was in single digits when I awoke and I enjoyed my coffee & breakfast from the warmth of my sleeping bag. Once packed up I rolled down to the river at a different spot from last night and scouted out what looked to be the easiest crossing. The glacial water was over my knees and I found it easier to look up stream and side step in order to keep my balance. Three journeys and everything was across. A short push up a few switchbacks and I was on the road.
Soon afterwards I encountered last nights dogs guarding some cows but other than plenty of noise they gave me no bother.
I passed a camping area and stopped for water. There wasn’t any but a few of a big group of locals were up and gave me some along with fruit and chowella(check spelling) – a Georgian sweet made with walnuts on a string.
Just down the hill from there I came to a bridge that took me straight back to riding the Western BAM (by motorcycle) back in 2013 – albeit in a much smaller scale.
And then the climbing started….followed by psssshhhhh… from my front wheel as my rim repair finally failed; well, partially. Between there and Omalo it did the same thing several times with tyre sealant blowing bubbles before sealing once again.
Just outside Omalo I stopped on a patch of grass well away from the dusty track and pitched my tent. Sodden from last nights dew I wanted to dry it out and pack it properly.
One final climb and I was in upper Omalo where I stopped for lunch. All kinds of food was being ferried to the terrace from the kitchen but there was no menu and I was served Khatchapuri. As nice as it was I think my arteries are going to need power flushing after this trip.
I rolled down the hill into Lower Omalo but there was still no sign of a Border Patrol office to return my permit; nor was there any sign of any minivan drivers.
I made my way to the small shop (inside GH Tishe) and as I turned into the courtyard who should be sitting at a table but the Šimon and Klára, the Czech couple! They had arranged a taxi at 1600 through another GH (Dora maybe?) and they called the English speaking daughter to see if I could join them. I could, and at 1600 a Mitsubishi Delica arrived, a cardboard box was flattened and laid out on the roof rack and my bike tied on.
The journey over the Abano pass was stunning. The gorge road of the northern approach giving way to sweeping vistas of lush green hills with a ribbon of gravel winding its way downwards for thousands of metres.
The driver was quick but safe and seemed to know every bump in the road. Once the tarmac started he picked up the pace and we arrived GH Alvani before sunset.
Dinner seemed expensive at GEL50 but it was excellent. Soup, a beef dish, a rolled cabbage leaf dish, salad, FRESH bread, flat bread & endless, silky smooth golden wine. It could easily have fed two and looking back at the end of my trip, it was probably the best meal I ate. It certainly had the most variety.
Daily Spend
Lunch – 30 (overpriced)
Coke & Bounty bar – 9
4×4 Taxi (my share) – 100
Tip – 10
GH Telavi – GEL100
Dinner – 50
Daily total – GEL299
Alvani to Tblisi (Taxi)
Rose House GH
A rather tired Mercedes estate arrived to collect us just after 0900 and my bike was tied to the roof rack.
It transpired that the price quoted was to the bus stand but we wanted to go to the railway station . The driver wanted an extra GEL20 for this but the landlady gave him a piece of her mind and it was reduced to GEL10. A little over 2hrs later we were in Tblisi.
Tblisi Pt.2
As we drove past the metro station close to where I’d stayed on arrival, so Šimon asked what GH I’d booked. He’d booked the same one 🙄 so we diverted the taxi right to the door. My front tyre was no longer holding any air so this was a bonus; as was our rooms being ready.
My first stop was around the corner at Anxious & Tired Coffee where I had an America and carrot cake. A little overpriced perhaps, but excellent. With a plan in place, I set off on the Metro to buy supplies.
After dropping my supplies off in my room I walked the 12 mins to the train station to buy a ticket to Zugdidi tomorrow (Tuesday). I wasn’t expecting to find it fully booked, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to find the next available seat wasn’t until Thursday – and there were only 4 seats left on that train! Luckily my room at Rose House GH was available and I booked another two nights.
I ate dinner in a Turkish restaurant down the road. The beef shish was perfectly cooked and the aubergine salad fresh.
Daily Spend
Taxi to Tblisi – 70 (my share + a bit extra for my bike)
Gas cylinder – GEL29
Train Ticket to Zugdidi – 15
Coffee & cake – 21
Food supplies – 91
Dinner – 35
Accommodation – 46
Daily total – GEL307
Following an excellent breakfast of chicken, tomato & feta quiche in Shavi coffee roasters, I set about investigating the hole in my front rim. After picking out the glue and congealed sealant I noticed the hole was too uniform in shape to have been caused by damage. And the the penny dropped…it’s a weep hole.
The only way sealant could be leaking from this hole was if the rim tape had failed and so I Googled bike shops. As luck would have it, there was one a 10min walk away. They didn’t do tubeless repairs but the owner couldn’t have been more helpful. He got straight on the phone and started calling other bike shops. Eventually he set me up with Veloplus and even gave me a price. A Metro and a bus ride later I was there.
Dima did and excellent job of replacing the rim tape, taking the time to ensure the rim was immaculately clean and that he’d selected the correct width tape from his sizeable collection. He also recommended replacing the valve which I was happy to go with. I’d never been 100% happy with the one that was fitted.
I ate dinner in an underground (literally) restaurant called Ghebi. The food was excellent and I could have a couple of draft beers (many if the restaurants near my accommodation were Turkish or Middle Eastern and didn’t serve alcohol).
I had a tomato salad, a starter made with spinach & walnuts, Ostri (calf stew), bread and 2x beers.
Daily Spend
Breakfast (Quiche & coffee) – 14 + 7
Front wheel repair – 140
Lunch – 20
Dinner – 51
Accommodation – 46
Daily Total – 278
Riding Day 8
Tblisi to Enduri Dam bivvy
45km | 764m⬆️
Finally Thursday arrived. My alarm went off at 0600, I ate overnight oats for breakfast and was at the railway station for 0700.
*More info regarding the train to Zugdidi in ‘Route Notes’ at the bottom of the page.
I was glad I was there early as there is no dedicated space for it to go. After paying the guard GEL5, I was told to park my bike in a doorway. A family were stacking bags in the opposite one so I guess this was the norm. Putting my bike in front first and strapping the handlebars to the handrail was the least obtrusive method. A woman arrive with bags and began gesticulating in Georgian that she wanted to put her bags where my bike was. I pointed her to the guard. Like I said…glad I was there early.
With no food service on the train I arrived prepared. Lunch and snacks were a falafel shawarma from Yufico in Tblisi, and a 580g bag of medjool dates that was far too big and heavy to carry on the bike and so needed lightening. The 6-hour journey went by surprisingly quickly despite arriving 40-mins late, but I was still glad to stretch my legs.
Soon after leaving the station stopped to check the map. I was immediately approached by a local guy who gave me a bunch of grapes before wandering off on his way. All the kids were shouting “Hello” and waving, and the adults waved back too when I waved at the kids. What a friendly way to set off!
My route wound its way through a series of gravel back alleys as I left Zugdidi. A very punchy climb on a kind of concrete/hardcore surface arrived far too soon for my legs to be ready for and I crawled over the summit before returning to gravel. There was no roadside water so asked at a car wash in the old industrial town of Jvari and filled up for camp.
A long, steady road climb up towards Enguri Dam ensued, and with the sky looking moody and the cloud sitting low on the hills, I started looking out for an empty building to camp in.
I approached the turn-off for Enguri Dam around sunset so headed for the dam. I knew there was as café there and wondered if there was a covered seating area where I could camp.
At the security gate the guard opened the vehicle barrier and waved me through to the viewing platform. It is (or was) the world’s 7th highest at 303m and it currently supplies 46% of Georgias electricity 😮 . There I met a lad who was a waiter at the café adjacent to the security gate. He was keen for me to eat there and I said only if I can camp there.. When we arrived I spotted three outdoor booths available for private hire parties. The cloud had rolled in and it had started to drizzle.
His boss said ok, they removed the table to make space for me and my bike and 10mins later I was eating excellent Chashushuli with & tomato & cucumber salad, bread & a coke (GEL34 – less than I’d pay in Tblisi).
Daily Spend
Dinner – 34
Daily Total – GEL34
Riding Day 9
Enguri Dam to Mestia
105.21km | 2079m⬆️
I awoke to find I’d been joined by a dog. He looked just like Simba but was a little more chilled. He stayed with me until I left.
The outdoors toilet block was clearly not used and was comparable to any Indian toilet I’ve ever been in. It was probably fortunate that the light fittings were broken (as well as the taps) as it hadn’t been cleaned in living memory. Fortunately it was a squatter, meaning there was no need to touch anything. Aim well and there was nothing to flush away either.
The cloud has lifted and the mist burnt off as I made breakfast, then it was 1km downhill to the main road and straight into a 4km/230m climb – my legs weren’t happy about that!
The road was really quiet until about 1000 when a line of minibuses coming from Mestia went steaming by in the opposite direction – glad I wasn’t onboard any of them 🤢. There were several tunnels along the route and I was glad of my ‘be seen’ led lights, but the road remained quiet in my direction for some time.
In Khaishi I stopped at the Daily mini-mart and picked up a tomato, cucumber, tin of tuna and a 150ml can of coke and pedalled on.
At an S-bend in the road that crossed the river I stopped at restaurant ‘Host of Enguri’ for an acceptable Americano and a chocolate spread filled wafer tube whilst I sat at a bench in the shade catching up with my diary.
The climb started on the opposite side of the river and continued climbing for 40km with just the odd short descent. My Garmin had indicated 49C in direct sunlight and those descents, far from cooling, were like having a hairdryer stuck in your face.
Not realising that Mestia is a hub, rather than a destination in its own right, I had a scroll through Booking and reserved a room at Girgola GH on the outskirts of town.
Following a shower and a change of clothes, I headed into town to eat. The centre was all but gridlocked with Marshrutka’s (minibuses) offloading hoards of tourists – mainly hikers. It resembled an Alpine ski village in summer but what struck me most was that the restaurants were either full or empty. There was no in between. Weird.
I passed a restaurant called Lile just as a couple were leaving and grabbed their street side table. Beetroot & walnut salad, pork Ojakhuri, bread & a coke. Really good food.
Daily Spend
Daily mini-mart – 6
Coffee & choc wafer – 10
Dinner – 31
Accommodation – 60
Daily Total – GEL107
Riding Day 10
Mestia to Ushguli
75km | 2752m⬆️
Up at 0600 but wake long before. Another poor nights sleep due to itchy insect bites – wish I’d packed some repellent!
I was the only one in the communal kitchen and made a breakfast of porridge with peanut butter, dates & walnuts, washed down with fresh coffee.
Now concreted, in the shade of the forest, virtually traffic free and never exceeding 14%, the 615m⬆️ climb out of Mestia was an easier start to the day than I was expecting. Great views SSW to the glaciers of the Svaneti range. It’s all but silent. The only sound I can hear is the roar of the river far below the now dirt road.
Askarti saw the first hike-a-bike of the day and it was a stiff one Stiff up a narrow trekking trail out of the village.
My day went wrong in Tsvirmi when my Garmin apparently decided to re-route me . Following a track SW instead of NE, it looped around to the SE before a steep singletrack into the woods and John the Baptist church. The trail eventually came to an end at a stream where a pump was delivering water to a local property. Looking at OSMAnd Maps I could see a trail heading to Ipari but it looked to go straight through somebody’s house (with a big dog). I heard voices, spotted some kids and they directed me through their garden and onto the trail.
It was an easy, two-track descent into Ipari where I found my way to Market Nino. Not exactly a shop but a room in a house where a lady sold a few supplies.
With a coke & Twix in hand she guided me to a table in the shade in her garden. I ate a couple of wraps with salami and had a look at the map.
Effectively, my Garmin had taken me on a shortcut and I could now ride directly to Ushguli. But what of the planned loop through Adishi? What views of Katintayu 4979m and its glaciers would I miss?
I couldn’t let it go and set off up the 395m road climb to the turn-off to the ski station. Not 300m later did ClimbPro tell me I had a 600m climb over the next 5.8km. The time was now 1500.
Several hike-a-bikes later I made it to the base station. Desperate for water I found a couple of young men (security) who opened the roller shutters door on a maintenance building to let me fill up with water. There had been none since Ipari and I’d been rationing it. My Garmin displayed 45°C.
Finally at the top, the singletrack began and carried me through the woods and across a few streams en-route to Adishi.
It was still a long way to Ushguli but I made good time on the long descent to Bogreshi but managed to loose one of my Nalgene bottles along the way. Lost one of my Nalgene bottles on the trail. I felt it fly off, stopped and walked back up and down the track for ages but never found it. I guess it went over the edge ☹️.
Rejoining the concrete road in Bogreshi, I saw a villager sitting outside his house and asked him about water. He showed me to the tap in his garden and after a brief conversation in ‘chrades’ I was on my way. It was now 1905 and the light was fading fast. It wasn’t long before I turned on my lights. By the time I reached the landslide damaged gorge it was dark and I dug out my headtorch to penetrate the dust and avoid the usual dirt road obstacles.
Finally I reached Ushguli. The sting in the tail was the 18% climb through the centre of the village to reach my GH. With 2752m of elevation gain in just 75km it was the last thing my legs needed! It was 2140 when I arrived but as everything happens late in Georgia it was no problem and I was able to order in the restaurant.
Ushguli
I awoke early and made coffee & porridge which I struggled to eat (but did). Struggling to eat is a sure sign I’m unwell and I returned to bed; pretty much stayed there all day, dozing and drinking as much water as I could consume whilst listening to Radio 2 on the Sounds App.
I think I was suffering with heat exhaustion. Having to ration my water through the hottest part of the yesterday, on two consecutive long steep climbs with no shade and my Garmin displaying 45°C
The following morning I awoke feeling much better and devoured my breakfast with my usual gusto. A day off the bike, taking it easy and wandering the village was in-order and so that’s what I did.
Daily Spend
I completely failed to record what I spent in Ushguli. It wasn’t a lot!
Riding Day 11
Ushguli to Tvishi
127km | 1505m⬆️
Keen to avoid the sun on the 468m⬆️ climb to the Zagari pass, I got up in the dark, skipped breakfast and rolled out at first light. 1h10 later I crested the summit and settled down behind a stack of rocks to make breakfast.
A long descent on concrete road ensued with virtually no traffic. I stopped for a photo just as a Russian lad driving the other way did the same. He was super excited about my journey and wanted to take my photo so I gave him my phone and got him to do the same for me.
*Don’t forget to look behind you on this road for a view of the glacier.
The villages along this road are full of (what were once) beautiful Georgian houses with lots of timber and glass. Now in various states of disrepair it was often hard to tell the difference between those still being lived in and those abandoned. The one thing they all had in common was their gardens being full of apple and pear trees, overloaded with fruit.
Along the way I spotted another bikepacker under the shade of the trees. Mikko Puputti (Finland – @altitudedudeadventures) was a year and seven months into a 2-year trip that started in Ushuaia.
I was really taken with his set-up, not only was it very compact and lightweight looking, but he’d made all his own bags! We rode on together, stopped in Lentekhi, bought food from the mini-markets and ate a picnic lunch on a bench in the shade of the boulevard.
At Tsageri our routes diverged and we said our goodbyes. I crossed the river and began a 4.7km/445m⬆️ tarmac climb up the switchbacks. The humidity down at this altitude had me soaked in minutes but my Garmin indicated 35C in the sun so it was far from chilly!
At the top of the pass I checked the distance to Kutaisi and realised I wouldn’t make it in daylight. Clouds were rolling in over the hills and a quick check of the weather forecast said 25mm+ of rain between midnight and 1000.
A quick look on Booking and I found the Oasis GH in Tvishi.
I arrived to be greeted by fellow guest Jan (German). He’d stayed here previously and knew the layout of everything. He told me Nick (the owner) wasn’t here and introduced me to his dad, Boris. He was a really friendly chap who, having shown me my room and the shared bathroom, presented us with a litre jug each of red & golden wine. he then told me to help myself to the abundant grapes on the vine before showing me to the washing machine and indicating that I wash what I was wearing. Did I look that grubby after just one day!?
Jan had spent 20-years working in the semi-conductor industry and had taken advantage of his companies English language program. As a result he was able to explain the whole manufacturing process in perfect English. He was good company and we chatted all nigh, his parting words being “I think I’ll make pancakes for breakfast. Do you like pancakes?”
Daily Spend
Picnic lunch – 8
Laundry – 3
Accommodation – 57
Daily Total – GEL 68
Riding Day 12
Tvishi to wild ⛺️ nr. Tskaltashua
89km | 838m⬆️
I walked into the kitchen to the wonderful smell of pancakes and found Jan standing at the hob with a stack of pancakes. What a way to start the day!
As forecast, it rained all morning and so more coffee was brewed; mor snacks devoured.Roll out at 1245 due to rain. Eventually, at 1245 I pedaled away. Before leaving I payed my bill. Boris wouldn’t take any money for the wine and only rounded my bill up from 57 to GEL60 when I mentioned using the washing machine.
I stopped to resupply in Kutaisi, grabbed a ‘fast food’ lunch and found a Basis Bank ATM. With the road south looking rather urban, I needed to get to the turn-off for Sairme to find a place to camp and so I pushed on.
With overnight rain forecast I was keen to find a sheltered spot to camp. As it happened, sheltered was the only option as from here on the road entered a steep sided valley that led to Sairme.
Daily Spend
SPAR food supplies – 36
Lunch snacks (chicken pastry, potato pastry & cake) – 9
Daily spend – GEL45
Riding Day 13
Tskaltashua wild ⛺️ to wild ⛺️ near Untsa
69.5km | 2072m⬆️
I rolled out of camp at 0800, straight into the climb up through the valley to Sairme, arriving at 0950, 14.6km and 684m⬆️ into the 35.4km/2064m climb. There’s a new looking bakery on the entrance to the resort and I stopped for 2nd breakfast, taking the opportunity to pick up a fresh baguette for lunch.
The tarmac came to an end 3.2km beyond the bakery but the climbing continued into the Borjom – Kharagauli National Park. I think I only saw two vehicles the rest of the morning and found an empty, covered picnic table for lunch at 28km/1429m⬆️. Time 1325.
Closing in on the pass I rounded a corner to find a shepherds hut. As I stopped to take a photo, so the dogs alerted my presence to the shepherds. One came staggering out of the hut, beckoning me in, flicking the side of his throat and attempting to slur ‘chaca’ (homemade wine). Had he been just a little bit drunk I’d have been tempted, but he was staggering about just trying to stay upright. I felt a little bad declining their hospitality but they’ll not remember in the morning.
I finally arrived at the pass at 1620. Climbing 2036m⬆️ over 39.2km, it was my biggest climb ever.
I hadn’t been on the pass long when the cloud suddenly swirled in, the temperature dropped and I could hear distant thunder.
As my descent got closer to Abastumani, so it became apparent that a major road widening scheme was (or had been) in place. It was unfinished however, and with no machinery in sight I wondered if the project had run out of money.
Up on the pass I’d met some local guys in a jeep who said the next town of Abastumani was very beautiful and I should spend 1-2 days there. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder as I’d have struggled to spend 1-2hrs there! It was a ‘sulphur bath’ town and had a very ‘artificial’ feel about it. There were some beautiful old properties in the usual varying states of repair, amongst which modern monstrosities were being built. Hotel Iveria looks like something from a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film on Google satellite! I filled up my water bottles for camp, bought some fruit, veg and a coke and was on my way.
South of the town on a road that had been stripped of its surface for no apparent reason and was now riddled with pot holes. My route turned due east onto a dirt road where I immediately noticed the tyres of the parked vehicles were packed with clay. Recalling my experience in Albania last year (where it took me 2hours to cover 2km), I immediately consulted OSMAnd Maps.
There was an easy tarmac route-around and so I backtracked to the main road. A few km south and I found a great camping spot. Initially it looked like a weekend party spot but riding a few hundred metres took me to some open ground overlooking Untsa. Perfect.
Daily Spend
Americano, croissant, and a cherry jam filled bun – 9
2nd Americano & baguette – 6
Abastumani supplies – 15
Daily Spend – GEL40
Riding Day 14
Wild ⛺️ nr. Untsa to Akhaltsikhe
18km | 81m⬆️
So short it almost doesn’t count as a riding day. I had a lazy start knowing I wouldn’t be able to check-in to my GH too early. Golden Gate Guesthouse sits right beneath the castle in a perfect location and is surrounded by several restaurants. Katarina (the landlady) served me coffee and a snack whilst I was waiting to check-in, and even hung my laundry up in the garden once the washing machine finished.
Akahaltsike is home to Rabati Castle and despite some referring to it as a bit ‘Disney’, I wanted to take a look for myself. Having done so I can understand the comparison but I’m glad I went. I waited until late afternoon and the sun to drop before walking up to visit.
Riding Day 15
Akhaltsikhe to Vardzia wild ⛺️
90km | 2165m⬆️
The lovely landlady Kat served me breakfast at 0630, and I pedaled out of town at 0730. I’ve loved riding out of towns early in the morning since I first started two-wheeled travel. Empty roads, cool air, watching the locals going about their business bringing the town to life. It’s a special part of the day.
It was an easy, rolling ride on paved surfaces to Aspindza where I detoured across the river in search of coffee. There was none, but there was a ‘hole in the wall’ bakery where I picked up hot bread fresh from the clay oven.
In an adjacent shop I bought a 400g pot of Matsoni (Georgian Kurd) before re-crossing the river and finding a track that led to some riverside shade. I dusted off half that loaf and all the Matsoni on one sitting.
The dirt road climb to the ridge began a few hundred metres down the road. It was often steep, loose and with no shade was the first time I’d ever consumed 3l of water on one climb.
A transit pick-up stopped to ask of if I wanted a lift but I politely declined. Had the weather been bad or I had a mechanical I’d have jumped at the chance.
I stopped for a picnic lunch on the ridge, and as I did, I heard the rumbling of an approaching truck. It wasn’t long before one overloaded with hay trundled past, rocking and rolling from side to side, its three occupants all giving me a wave.
The truck wasn’t the only rumbling I heard. As I returned to my lunch there was there was thunder in the hills.
The ridge dipped and climbed again to reach its summit at which point my route turned left (SE) to cross the fields. It was grass cutting season and this didn’t make navigating easy as the trail was basically flattened grass. Once cut there was nothing to flatten and the trail disappeared.
Whilst trying to find my way out of one of these cut areas, so the rolling storm clouds got me. Having tucked my waterproof jacket into the side pocket of my Tailfin at lunchtime, I managed to get in on just in time. There was no proper shelter and I ran to the bushes, squatting down and ‘reversing’ myself in as far as I could get before the heaviest of the rain came down. Thunder rolled around the hills and the rain was near horizontal. It felt like I sat there for hours but it was probably 20-mins or so.
Eventually I ventured out again to resume my search for the trail and after a few false starts I managed to pick it up. I crossed the river and set off up the climb. Soon afterwards, the .gpx tracked turned off the main track and onto what turned out to be an unnecessary climb up and around a cowherds cabin.
Finally, the track became well defined and I could begin to see my route through the hills.
The descent began by passing by two farmsteads where I was harassed by two packs of angry dogs. There was a lot of snarling and showing of teeth as well as the usual barking so I was glad it was downhill!
There was no water on the descent either so I pushed on. Sunset came and went, as did civil twilight, and it was fully dark before I commenced the final descent through the switchbacks. It was a shame as I could make out the shapes of the valley side opposite and it looked great.
Headtorch on, I finally made it to tarmac and the road to Vardzia. There was still no sign of any water running from the hills to my left, and an Armco barrier lined the road to my right. There were plenty of dogs too. Many were fortunately behind fences but there were several that weren’t. Staring at them with my headtorch seemed to create enough confusion to keep them at bay.
Eventually I came to the end of the Armco barrier and a track led down to great camping spot by the river, resolving my water issue at the perfect time. It had been a long day.
Daily Spend
Water, Matsoni, Picnic bar – 6
Bread – 1.5
Daily Spend – GEL 7.5
Riding Day 16
Vardzia wild ⛺️ to Lake Paravani wild ⛺️ 2087m
73km | 1424m⬆️
I’d not long finished breakfast when I was joined by my latest four legged friend. It’s funny how they just seem to crave some company.
Crossing the river and heading for the start of the dirt road climb out of the valley, I noticed numerous wild camping locations in great spots, all with views of the cave monastery. Arrive here in daylight to wild camp and you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Much of the 500m dirt road climb out of Vardzia was in the shade which was a relief following yesterdays climb with none. Views of the monastery abound all the way up and you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favourite photo.
On the plateau I stopped at a junction and propped my bike up against a sign post to reinflate my rear tyre – AGAIN! It had been driving me demented for a few days but I couldn’t see a leak. Whilst stopped I cleaned and lubed my chainset and ate a cheese & cucumber wrap.
By the time I reached Akhalkalaki I was hungry again and so after spending far too much time searching for tinned fish in rectangular tins (easier to pack), I set about finding an eatery..
I settled on Tumsnyan’s Shawarma in a non-descript back street and it was EXCELLENT!!! The best shwarma I’ve ever eaten.
On the eastern outskirts of Kartikami (east of Akhalkalaki), there is a concrete road with a nice steady gradient that follows the river to Abuli. (This is an alternative route to the published .gpx). From there, a steep ancient stone cart road ascends to Abduli pass at 2320m. The trail becomes grassland and in the distance I could see two huge herds of sheep. My first thought was sheepdogs!
As it turned out there were none; just shepherds on horseback who waved me through. To the south the mountain tops were hidden in the cloud which was a shame. In the distance the sky was cloudy, giving a foreboding look to an already remove landscape.
Occasionally the sun would appear from behind me and being evening time it cast a beautiful golden light across everything it touched.
As the trail tilted downhill so my mind immediately returned to Mongolia. The resemblance was uncanny, with a couple of two-track trails snaking their way down the plateau whilst the power lines ran straight. The landscapes of this country vary so much between regions it’s extraordinary. The climbing wasn’t over though and a few short climbs wound there way up the rocky hillsides. Shepherds enclaves were dotted about and always sited on high ground against a rocky outcrop. As well as sheep, horses and even a small herd of donkeys were grazing.
Once the sun had dipped below the pass behind me, the mood of the landscape changed. Now looking and feeling decidedly moody, there was a chill easterly wind blowing and I had to dig out my cycling cap for the first time to stop my head from freezing. I’d been wearing my gilet since the wind first hit me at the top of the cart track.
The fading light, low cloud and distant dark skies made for a dim descent but Lake Paravani was plain to see in the distance. I rejoined tarmac as I rolled through the settlement of Vladimirovka, a really impoverished looking farming community where it was hard to differentiate between abandoned and occupied buildings.
My plan had been to camp lakeside but that wasn’t going to happen given how strong the wind was. Looking northwards (the direction of my route) there was no shelter and so I turned south. A few km’s down the road I found a coppice, behind which was a lovely flat sheltered field.
No sooner had I pitched my tent and began unloading kit did it start raining. I quickly got everything inside, zipped up and waited for it to pass over before cooking dinner. Just as I finished washing-up did it start again. Perfect timing.
Around midnight I got awoken by thunder and lightning. The lightening was amazing so I decided to try and film it with my phone. As I was switching it on, so the rain came in a wave through the head of my tent (through the vent and mesh inner I think). Such was the level of ingress that I fished out my waterproof jacket and laid it over my sleeping bag to protect it as best as possible. I’ve never experienced a storm like it. The rain, the loudest thunder, the never ending lightening. I wish I’d been somewhere I could have watched it.
Riding Day 17
Lake Paravani wild ⛺️ to Algeti wild ⛺️
79km | 597m⬆️
I t was cold in the night. The first time I’d been cold this trip.I unzipped my tent to a virtually cloudless sky and a pile of hail stones at my door. No wonder it was cold and loud!
With rain forecast for this afternoon I hung around to get my tent as dry as possible, not departing until 1030.
As I inflated my rear tyre so I could finally hear air escaping. Scraping off the mud with my penknife I finally found a hole and plugged it. That’s my 3rd plug in the rear tyre this trip.
Given the stickiness of the mud as I rolled out of camp, I decided to skip the dirt road around the north side of the lake and instead rolled into Poka where I picked up some oats, fresh bread, fruit & water.
Riding out of the village at 1130 the first thing I noticed were the waterlogged roadside verges and occasionl pile of remaining hail stones. Any questions in my head regarding not riding around the north side of the lake were immediately put to bed!
The road gently ascended into the cloud at around 2100m, topping out on a plateau at 2200m. My intended route through Algeti NP would have taken me above 2300m but that didn’t prevent me from constantly glancing northwards and wondering what might have been.
I’m not sure whether it was rain or cloud vapour in the air but my waterproof jacket went on…and stayed on.
The sky ahead was black and I stopped in a bus shelter to let the rain pass over. No sooner had I stopped than three Canadian bikepackers arrived in full waterproofs. They’d ridden parts of my route and were now heading for Armenia and Turkey. After swapping a few stories we rode together as far as Tsalka where they stopped to look for a GH.
Heading up the climb out of town, the cloud level was down to 1500m. The further I rode the more the rain intensified, to the point where I too should have been in full waterproofs. I was too late. Fortunately it wasn’t cold and being soaked to the skin from the waist down wasn’t a drama.
On the long descent towards the junction for Algeti, 4x bikepackers were on the climb in full waterproofs. It was late in the afternoon and by now pissing down. I couldn’t help but wonder where they were heading; there was nothing up there!
At the junction I stopped at the new ‘supermarket & bakery’, bought a couple of freshly baked choc chip cookies and used the facilities. These were accessed by tapping your bank card 🙄 but when I pointed out the cost of this for a foreign tourist the shop assistant used his pass and let me in.
I pitched camp in the rain down by the river opposite and was delighted when it stopped raining just long enough to unzip my flysheet and cook pasta.
It rained on and off all night. Despite wearing earplugs I know this because the rain kept dripping on my head. My 12yr old 2-3 season tent was at its limit – poor thing. To be fair, even my Sea-to-Summit eVent waterproof dry bag had leaked just enough to dampen my sleeping mat and that’s never happened – not even in Scotland!
Riding Day 18
Algeti wild ⛺️ to Tblisi
57km | 950m⬆️
I awoke in the cloud but the birds were singing so I knew it wasn’t raining. I messaged Lana at MariaLuis Hotel to see if I could arrive early but they were booked for tonight. She said she would check and message again regarding tomorrow. (She didn’t). Coffee, porridge and straight onto a 450m climb to Manglisi.
On the way up a Transit van was reversing very slowly out of a side (dirt) road. It’s tyres were choked full of clay and as I looked up the track at the deep orange ruts, I knew he hadn’t made it very far (I had one as a company van once and one wheel on wet grass was enough to prevent any motion!).
In the village of Akhali Zirbiti I was pleasantly surprised to find a new SPAR, complete with a coffee machine that served a very passable Americano.
I spent ages there scrolling through Booking trying to find a suitable place to stay for two nights. Eventually I came upon the Lotus Hotel, on the opposite side of the Cathedral from the MariaLuis Hotel. As the sky began to clear so I removed my soaking wet shorts from my Tailfin side pocket and strapped them onto the front of my bike to dry.
The climbing wasn’t quite over yet but as I approached Tblisi so the city came into full view way below me.
A little further on I stopped and plotted a route to the hotel with Komoot. It took me down a ridiculously steep, narrow road part houses with high walls, and massive security gates. This was clearly where the Tblisi elite chose to live. Their views across the city and to the countryside beyond will be outstanding .
Down on the main road that runs through the city along the West Bank of the Kura River, I was surprised to find a cycle lane that ran almost all the way to Rustavelli Metro station. With the traffic often stationary, this made cycling by far the quickest way into the city!
After checking-in, I spread my tent out to dry in the courtyard along with my sleeping bag , mattress, trainers, shorts, boxers, socks….you get the picture!
Tblisi Pt.3
Of all the scenarios I had planned for regarding my return to Tblisi, arriving early, nevermind two days early, wasn’t among them. I was frustrated at not having completed my planned route but I knew it wasn’t possible. I just had to suck it up, enjoy a few beers and sample more Georgian cuisine.
I split my days between exploring the city and hanging out in my favourite café, catching up with my diary (you’ll have noticed I did a poor job of recording my spending over the final week).
After two night in the Lotus Hotel, I rode around the corner to MariaLuis Hotel, checked-in, retreived my bike box and set about packing.
My return flight to Luton departed at 2030 on a Saturday night and landing in Luton at 2345. My flight to Edinburgh wasn’t until 0945, meaning bag drop didn’t open until 0645. I’d packed my sleeping mat in my carry-on luggage and got my head down in the quietest part of the airport – departures. At 0400 I was rudely awoken by security. The departure hall was filling up and I’d have to find somewhere else. I found another spot but didn’t really get any more sleep.
At 0645 I dropped my bike off, cleared security and found a ridiculously priced coffee to wash down my breakfast – a ‘Georgian’ shawarma carried fall the way from Yufico – a final taste of Georgia.
A few photos from my final days in Tblisi…
Route notes and a few tips below
Route Notes
Unnecessary detours – If you plot your own gravel/MTB routes on a platform like Komoot, you’ll be all too familiar with the algorithm including pointless detour in a bid to extract every metre of dirt road possible. The downloadable. gpx track for this route is no different.
I tend to only follow these detours if I think they’re going to c dc how me something I wouldn’t otherwise see.
Roshka – Unless you’re planning on riding/hiking up to Abudelauri Lakes I wouldn’t bother; there’s nothing to see.
It’s a stiff climb up a series of switchbacks that’ll have many pushing (myself included!)
Optional (via Verkhovani) loop through ‘Tusheti Protected Landspape’ (see Day 6)– There is NO water on the climb OR on the ridge.
Train to Zugdidi – I went to the train station to book my ticket and was passed between counter staff until an English speaker was found. I went on a Monday with the intention of departing Tuesday. The next available train was Thursday. I later found the app which couldn’t be easier to use. It even accepts Apple Pay.
No need to book your bike. Just turn up early and pay the guard/stewardess. GEL5.
There are NO DEDICATED BIKE SPACES. Your bike will be stored in the doorway of an unused door, along with other luggage.
I therefore advise arriving early (0730). Ride up the vehicle access ramp outside the station, then up the next ramp that takes you around the back of the terminal building to platform level. Cross the tracks (literally) to get to Platform 2 and walk towards the north end (you’ll see the stairs descending from the terminal building). The train will arrive 30-40mins before departure. Each carriage (there were only 4) will be clearly numbered and have its own guard/stewardess. Head straight for the one responsible for your carriage as soon sd they emerge. They’ll check your passport against their manifest and that’s it. You’re onboard.
The reason you need to be there early is to get your bike stored before the doorways fill up with luggage.
It’s a 6hr ride so take drinks & snacks.
Tips
Water filter – yes there’s plenty of lovely mountain water, but the sheep, cows & mules are all shitting everywhere.
Packable rucksack – Useful for everything from shopping to carrying a waterbottle in the city but it played a big part in ‘relaying’ my kit over the Atsunta Pass.
Pelotan roll-on suncream – I first saw this thanks to Tristantakevideo and have been a fan ever since. No more greasy hands!
Sun sleeves – The first time I’ve used them and they were great. Allowed me to travel with minimal suncream.
Chain lube – Dusty trails and water crossings will play havoc with you gear shifting, not to mention chain wear. I use Squirt and took two of their dinky 15ml bottles (which I refill from a bigger bottle at home).
Park Tools GSC-1 – Chain/cassette cleaning tool/brush. Weighs nothing and easily slips into a framebag. This got used a lot.
Small selection of zip lock bags – From decanting the likes of oats, granola, nuts etc to storing food leftovers, takeaways and tortilla wraps.
Bike lights – (basic ‘be seen’ type. I rode in the dark, rain, cloud, tunnels, in & out of cities. They saw far more use than I was expecting. On the two occasions I found myself riding in the dark I also used my headtorch.
