Trekking in Georgia at the foot of the giants

Tbilisi is an extraordinary city. It has stood at the crossroads of Europe and Asia for centuries. A serene atmosphere emanates from this place, which has witnessed the passage of diverse civilizations throughout its history. This diversity is evident on every street, every facade, every turn where monuments are revealed.

Orthodox church, mosque, synagogue, citadel and other statues add depth to our guided tour of the day.

Cable cars and subways enhance our urban stroll today.

For our part, we are staying in old Tbilisi, near the baths and in a quiet but lively area.

Today, we leave Tbilisi behind and head to northwestern Georgia. The Svaneti region is known for its towering mountains (Ushba, 4,700m, and Shkhara, 5,203m) and its trails that skirt glaciers. In early autumn, when we arrive, its forests will be ablaze with vibrant reds and yellows.

The train journey is very comfortable and allows us to see Tbilisi station, a relic of the Soviet era. At the train's pace, we watch the landscapes change, cows move aside to let the carriages pass, and we arrive in Zugdidi. From there, it's a 2.5-hour drive to the mountains. We already see lakes, waterfalls, peaks, and glaciers along the way before arriving in Iskari, our starting point.

The trek begins! After a fairly leisurely start in the village, we leave the last houses of Iskari behind and begin to climb. The first few dozen minutes are spent on a wide track, allowing us to warm up.

Very quickly, glaciers appear behind us, and the views are majestic. The contrast between the autumn colors and the snow-capped peaks is striking. After passing through blueberry and rhododendron bushes, we reach the Detsili summit: a 360-degree panorama with views of Ushba, the Shdugra waterfalls, the north face of Laila, and in the distance, the highest peak in Georgia, Shkhara.

The descent towards Mazeri winds through fir trees and offers impressive views of the mountains. A beautiful first day in the Caucasus.

This morning, we're heading to the Guli Pass and its 2,954 meters altitude. A 360-degree panorama of the most beautiful peaks of Svaneti awaits us there.

After an early start beneath the imposing south face of Mount Ushba, towering at 3,000 meters, we traverse alpine pastures to gain altitude. The elevation gain, though significant, is on a well-marked and relatively easy trail, making progress much smoother.

Whether during exertion or breaks, every glance is drawn to a glacier or one of the giants of the Caucasus. No respite, only beauty.

This day is exceptional.

To ensure we only have good memories of the day, our host for the evening is waiting for us at a higher altitude with his vehicle, at the point where the road becomes a well-traveled 4x4 track. This gives us time to visit Mestia, the heart of Svaneti.

After a well-deserved rest in the heart of the capital, Svan, we continued our trek eastward. Mount Tetnuldi, a near-perfect snow-covered pyramid rising to 4,858 meters, served as our landmark, as we would spend the following night at its base. And the entire day admiring it.

Today's route is a little different from the previous ones: the slopes are gentle, winding through forests or hamlets adorned with the famous defensive towers of Svaneti. We walk through the heart of the traditional local way of life, namely dispersed housing and extensive agriculture. What a pleasure to alternate between stretches through vast green pastures and shaded sections in forests ablaze with autumn colors!

Once we reach the end of the valley, where the cirque closes in, we find the hamlet of Zhabeshi, a perfect refuge for the night ahead.

An ascent, a descent, 4,000-meter peaks, glaciers: our beautiful routine in the Caucasus continues. Today we leave the Mestia Valley, skirting the Tetnuldi Glacier, and head towards Adishi, a charming little hamlet with its dozen or so Svan towers. To get there, we ascend a well-marked trail, but one that deviates from the usual trekking route between Mestia and Ushguli. This affords us tranquility. We emerge at around 2,360 meters altitude and cross the small Tetnuldi ski resort. Its modest size and limited infrastructure do nothing to detract from the majestic landscapes surrounding us. We can still see the pyramids of Ushba behind us and, in the distance, the highest peaks of Georgia. Having completed the climb, we take a lovely balcony trail that branches off towards Adishi. A short descent brings us to this village that seems frozen in time.

An exceptional day lies ahead. After a well-deserved night's rest, we continue eastward, following the Adishchala River, which we ford after a few kilometers of walking. Today's route presents no technical difficulties or very steep slopes, yet it still allows us to reach the Chkhunderi Pass at 2,722 meters. From there, we leave the main route again, turning due north. We ascend the ridge that leads directly to an immense face several kilometers wide and over 2,000 meters high! Glaciers plunge to over 4,500 meters and descend to below 2,500 meters, while the peaks that border them are all higher than Mont Blanc. It's immense and spectacular.

From there, we branch off onto a less marked path which leads us to the point where the glacier transforms into a flowing stream. We continue towards Khalde, where we spend the night, along a peaceful path that runs alongside beautiful gorges.

Higher and higher, more beautiful than ever. We finish this trek by heading towards the village of Ushguli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To do this, we retrace our steps and climb back up the valley we descended the day before. Before us, still these giants of ice and rock. Straight ahead, still this colossal face, some 12 kilometers long, which mountaineers call the Bezengui Wall. The name becomes clear upon seeing it. Of the 14 peaks over 5,000 meters in the Caucasus, 11 are located in the massif before us. To admire it at its best, we climb to the Lagem Pass, the highest point of our trek in Svaneti. Its altitude varies depending on the source, but the GPS indicates 3,016 meters. Looking north, the panorama stretches from the high domes of Mount Elbrus, visible in the distance (Europe's highest peak at 5,642 meters), to the granite spires we have been skirting for a week. The descent towards Ushguli is pleasant and allows us to reach this hilltop village, which is very colorful.

Georgia from West to East! We're crossing the Georgian Caucasus to connect the country's two largest mountain ranges. We chose to visit both ranges because of the diversity of the mountains they comprise and to experience the cultural differences that make up Georgia. Connecting them in the same day also reduces travel time, maximizing time spent in the mountains and sightseeing. This is especially true since the new Kazbegi Tunnel, expected to be completed in 2026, will save us an hour on the estimated travel time. Throughout the day, the landscapes alternate between high mountain passes (2,623m and 2,395m) and the vast agricultural and industrial plains of the country. Near Kutaisi, we also pass through the unusual town of Tskaltubo, a relic of the Soviet era where Lenin and thousands of Soviet citizens used to come to enjoy the thermal waters. We arrived in Kazbegi in the late afternoon, in the hamlet of Juta (in 2025, the road was closed 2 kilometers before the hamlet, accessible on foot, but it is scheduled to reopen in spring 2026). Perched high at 2,200 meters altitude, we spent the night there, at the foot of Mount Chaukhi, known as the "jewel of Georgia." We climbed 60 meters to reach our accommodation and stretch our legs.

Juta is renowned as the highest inhabited place in Georgia. It therefore makes sense that we head towards the highest point of our trip. The Chaukhi Pass reaches an altitude of 3,338 meters.

We hike up the valley along the Chaukhi River, facing the impressive western walls of Mount Chaukhi. The sheer drop is striking and keeps us in the shade for the first few dozen minutes of our walk. This part of the hike is actually quite flat before we turn north to skirt the imposing mountain range in front of us. These landscapes are truly different from what we saw in Svaneti. The shapes and colors have little in common. As we gain altitude, we can make out our destination for the day in the distance. The Chaukhi Pass is a window onto a panorama stretching from the Abudelauri Lakes to the region's giant, Mount Kazbek. The view is breathtaking, and with a bit of luck, we spot some large birds, adding to the splendor. We descend gently towards Juta before heading to Stepantsminda, where we'll stay for three nights.

After a short transfer from Stepantsminda, we headed towards one of the most beautiful viewpoints on Mount Kazbek, Angelozis Mta. From this vantage point, only the narrow valley (the Terek Valley) that shelters Stepantsminda separates us from the giant of Kazbek. The trail to reach it leads into a wild and very sparsely frequented valley. Since the trail isn't marked on maps, we encountered few hikers. Perhaps a shepherd and his flock, or a few curious onlookers like ourselves. Despite this, the trail is fairly well-marked. The panorama is so beautiful that it's easy to lose track of it. Indeed, after a rather steep start, we emerged onto a ridge that gave us the impression of heading straight for the clouds. This completely opened up the landscape, and to the left, Mount Kazbek and its Gergeti Glacier. The chapel of the same name added even more significance to this day.

We can see it from our bedroom windows, so we're going for it. The Kazbek Glacier looms above us, and our goal for the day is to get closer to it.

To do this, we get dropped off at the famous Gergeti Trinity Church, which we take the time to visit. This place is one of the emblems of Georgia, perched on its promontory overlooking the valley, but itself in the shadow of the giant Kazbek.

The church is usually frequented by pilgrims, who have flocked here for centuries, but also by tourists. The trails that climb higher are much less crowded, and so we head towards this summit, which rises to 5,054 meters. The hike is superb; we are truly at the foot of the volcano, and the colors blend together with the very ancient lava flows we observe. It's fascinating to see the contrast between the bluish-white glacier and the reddish volcanic rocks. Along the way, after a 750-meter elevation gain and at 3,014 meters, we come across the AltiHut, a modern mountain hut that was the first built in Georgia. We'll have lunch there. For those who wish, the hike continues towards the glacier, 340 meters higher. We descend back to Stepantsminda to spend our last night in the mountains.

After a final glance towards Mount Kazbek, our driver picks us up after breakfast. As on the outward journey, we take the transborder military road, which lies on the Silk Road route. Like Georgia itself, this route connects Asia to Europe, East to West. We return to our accommodation in the old quarter of Tbilisi to be close to the main attractions.

In the afternoon, between free time to stroll around or find souvenirs, those who wish to can visit the baths in Tbilisi's old quarter. They have been used for centuries and are even said to have been at the heart of Tbilisi's founding. In the evening, we'll enjoy our last moments together over another Georgian dinner in Old Tbilisi.

A final stop in the heart of Tbilisi to admire its monuments, then we head to the airport. Just like on the outbound journey, we do our best to book flights with at most one stopover and to arrive in France before evening.