Georgia – Day 5 – Girevi – Dartlo – Omalo

Slept all night like a log. Woke up and went out of my room to check if all the clothes and my shoes that I fell in the river with, the day before, were dry. The views from the balcony stunned me. The first thing I saw were the old defensive towers up the side of the mountain from the direction I came. I didn’t see them the day before. They were like the stuff of fairy tales. The valley stretched in front and continued East, hiding behind another mountain edge. All my clothes were still soaked, including the shoes. I went to breakfast barefoot.

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Day 4 – Crossing Tusheti – Military checkpoint – Atsunta pass (3500m) – Girevi (31km – 10 hours). Hiking trails and single track. Crossing 17-18 rivers and streams. It was a big day.

I didn’t sleep well during the night. There was massive shepherds’ dogs around me and cows, and they did not stop barking all night. Some of them came close to my tent and made me very nervous. I might have gotten 4-5 hours of broken sleep.

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Day 3 Tusheti crossing in Georgia – Shatili – Mutso – Atsunta pass military checkpoint

It was forecasted for a chuck load of rain. I didn’t even know how far I can get and if the next two days of hiking across the 3500m mountain pass were possible. My plan for the day was to get to the base of the hike and see how it goes, at least that’s when I went to bed.

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Day 2 Tusheti Crossing – Datvisjvari pass (2600m) – Shatili

Started the day be reconciling myself with putting on wet clothes and shoes. Rich breakfast including khachapuri and packing.

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Day 1 Tusheti crossing – Tbilisi – Zhinvali Reservoir – Guest house near Chargali.