What You Need to Know Trekking Georgia’s Svaneti

14/02/2020

Trekking through the Svaneti region in Georgia’s north west is an enchanting experience. You feel like you are stepping into another world as you are suddenly surrounded by towering snow capped peaks piercing over 4000m into the sky. The Svaneti is the highest inhabited area of the Caucasus and its true isolation has greatly preserved its culture, traditions and untouched beauty.

Fortified homes and bulky watch towers punctuate villages, all of which were former homes of warriors and are still lived in today.

Trekking to Adishi in Georgia's Svaneti region. Photo credit: Crooked Compass
Trekking to Adishi in Georgia’s Svaneti region. Photo credit: Crooked Compass

With such mystery and raw natural wilds, it is no wonder trekkers are lured to this pristine ancient land. So what do you need to know when planning to trek in the Svaneti Mountians?

When is the best time of year to trek?

Being so high in the mountains, the trekking season is limited to only a few months a year. The roads are snowed in during winter making the area inaccessible. Hiking seasons kicks off in the last week of May through to early October. June is rhododendron season where the mountains are blanketed in flowers. July is the peak wild flower season with the beauty of the area just screeching to levels of ridiculousness. June and July are also the busiest times to travel with accommodation being quite limited.

Ridiculous beauty - wildlfowers abound. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Ridiculous beauty – wildflowers abound. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

Where do I stay when I trek in the region?

On our Discover Georgia small group tour, we start in the larger town of Mestia before venturing on foot. Mestia offers basic local hotels with homely meals, perfect for fuelling your body. The hotels we use in Mestia have private bathrooms and showers and are family run.

When you reach the smaller villages, some of which are inaccessible by vehicle, you are staying in cosy wooden or stone guesthouses with local families where bathrooms and showers are shared and meals are eaten in a communal space with the local family. Hot water can be intermittent as can power.

Guesthouses are basic but cosy in the Svaneti. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Guesthouses are basic but cosy in the Svaneti. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

What do I eat when I am at the guesthouses?

The food at the guesthouses is tradition Svan cuisine. Think your heavier potato dumpling type dishes, lots of cheese and stew like meals. Local distilled spirits are almost always offered! You certainly will not go hungry and despite the fact your hosts will likely not speak English, what better way to bond and create new friendships than over food.

Traditional Georgian meal. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Traditional Georgian meal. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

What about food during the day when trekking?

Your host family will ensure you are well prepared with packed lunch boxes which consist of fruit juice, boiled eggs, sandwiches and fresh fruit. There are no shops along the way so if you require extra snacks, we suggest you bring some muesli bars with you. Blue Dinosaur bars are our preferred snack of choice when travelling! The mountain springs are so pure, filling up your drink bottle in waterfalls and streams is an experience in itself. There is the odd pop up bar every few days, but don’t expect anything but local beer here and home made spirits in some of the guesthouses. No Coke Zero, no Powerade, just beer in the mountains.

Local life in the village of Georgia's Svaneti mountains. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Local life in the village of Georgia’s Svaneti mountains. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

The watchtowers in the villages are INCREDIBLE! Can I go up one?

Most of the watchtowers are owned by the families living in the villages. Most are now filled with feed for their cattle, but in the village of Ushguli, a local museum dedicated to the history of the Svan culture and this remote region has been built inside one of the watchtowers! You can certainly go inside and climb up this one!

Watchtowers punctuate the Svaneti villages. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Watchtowers punctuate the Svaneti villages. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

Will I see many other hikers in Svaneti?

Whilst travelling through Georgia is new and exciting to many, for Europeans of neighbouring countries, they have been aware of this gem for years (and just kept it to themselves – selfish I know.) July can be busy, but there will still be times where there are no other trekkers in sight – just you and nature. Around glaciers, high passes and at river crossings, this is where you tend to see others.

There are places where it is just you and the mountains. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
There are places where it is just you and the mountains. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

I am a horse rider, can I ride horses in the Svaneti?

On our small group tour, we only have hiking and the odd horse ride to cross a river if water levels are high. However, if you are keen to explore the region by horseback, we can certainly arrange this as a private tour. Horse riding experience is mandatory.

Horse ridig in the Svaneti region is possible. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Horse riding in the Svaneti region is possible. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

I am super active and want to do more walking and longer hiking options than what is available on your tour. Can you help me organise this?

Yes, of course – we can certainly tailor an extended trek for you and your party. We can cater for additional days trekking, higher altitude trekking, glacier trekking (within season) and for those with an unlimited budget, we can helicopter you into some even more remote reaches so you are truly alone with nature.

Remote trekking? We have you covered. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
Remote trekking? We have you covered. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

Is trekking on your Discover Georgia tour difficult? How fit do I need to be?

We class the trekking on this tour as ‘moderate’. For us, moderate means trekking for five to eight hours per day and as long as you have a regular level of fitness and are in good health, this should be manageable for you. Trekking through the Svaneti, being mountainous terrain, you can expect a lot of steady incline and declines. Sometimes it can be muddy making it slippery or on shale. There is also a fair bit of trail hiking through valleys. On day 6, we do have a challenging and long incline. Alternate arrangements can be made for those wishing to skip a day of hiking.

A gentle trail hike in the Svaneti, Georgia. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass
A gentle trail hike in the Svaneti, Georgia. Photo Credit: Crooked Compass

Is the trekking at altitude?

The highest pass we cross, is Chkhutnieri Pass (2,720m) which is at altitude. We hike to the top of this pass and stop for lunch before descending down the other side. Should symptoms of altitude sickness start to kick in, your guide is First Aid trained to be assist. Drinking constant sips of water can also assist as you are ascending.

For further information on our Discover Georgia small group tour or to discuss a private touring option to best meet your needs, please contact our expert team to make this experience yours.