Ushguli – Mestia trail in 2 days ending in a Rescue

So we came to an “easy trail” that was supposed to be a lite trail and we were really arrogant after the hard trail we did from Esteri through Maseri and to Lekhtagi.

We heard that the route is more obvious from Ushguli to Mestia so we decided to do it in an opposite direction from what the most people do. We took a marshrutka with people from our guest house to Ushguli, about 2 hours of a terrible road, then I took Ira to the place which makes the Best Kubdari (hachipuri with meat) - café Koshki in Ushguli.

Kubdari

A chair to the head of the family

The sign

We started the hike at about 12:30, taking the road to Iprali while a one eyed dog which we called Dayan (after Moshe Dayan) joined us for the walk. It took us about 4 hours mainly on the car road to reach Iprali. We saw that we still have 3 more hours of light so we decided to continue and get as close as we can get to the river of Lardad Glacier near Adishi (it’s possible to cross it by foot only in early morning).

We went through the last village named Khalde (only one family left there) and got to a shepherd cabins which are great for a night over. We stayed in the first one near the lying antenna, the cabin had a nice stove for heating, benches with a table, and nearby there was a field of raspberries which really upgraded our dinner.

Ira and Dayan

a beautiful horse near Iprali

zemlenika

the lying antenna, mark for the huts and the path 

the hut

inside the hut

George on the way from Ushguli

Tetnuldi

We woke up at 5am and went out to the road at 6am so we will reach the river by 8:00. The way up was very clear and nice but the way down was wet and muddy, we reached the river at 8:20, took down our pants, changed to sandals and with the help of the walking sticks managed to cross an ice cold strong river. Our new friend Dayan was crying and we didn’t know how to help it cross the river. Eventually he crossed the river after few moments and ran proud to us wagging his tail.

5am inside the hide 

sunrize

trekking

Dayan

the trio

Adishi

The way on to Adishi was easy and full of raspberry fields. We reached Adisi by 12:00 and had lunch in one of the houses, we continued our way and reached Zabeshi through a nice wood collecting mushrooms on the way (the turn now to Zabeshi is a bit tricky due to the new construction work that goes on). We saw that we have plenty of time so we continued to Cholashi reaching it at 6pm, we pitch our tent in a house of a really nice family’s backyard who gave us coffee, water and cooking facilities for 10 Lari.

Turkey Dance

milking the cow

wait not ready yet

pasta with mushrooms we picked 

We were really proud and thought ahhh we finished almost the entire trail in 2 days instead of 4 and we are so fit and strong, we don’t really understand what was the entire fuss about this route. I told Ira that by 12 we will be drinking cold beer at Rosas guest house.

We started the trail and even found the mark continuing fast through one village, we went on without noticing the trail. Ira said that we need to go up in accordance with the map so we took the turn up after the last village, went up for an hour and realized that there is no way to progress, we decided not to go to the woods and went down.

We thought of taking the Jeep trail down to Mestia and then we saw on the GPS a clear way through the woods to Mestia, we decided to take it, pick up some mushrooms and get to mestia with a bag of them .

the last family in the village

the way

pigs

In the beginning the route was wide and clear. We progressed fast and I was sure that in an hour I’ll drink cold beer back in the guest house. Then the route got smaller and smaller until a point where we started searching for the next path. We took this decision based on the GPS and our previous experience in this area which showed that most of the trails disappear and then reappear. After about an hour of bush and tree fighting we found a trail that went down. We continued progressing on that trail and got happy because we thought we got to the right trail – that’s what the GPS told us. After a few hundred meters that trail disappeared as well and with that also disappeared my hope to have a cold beer by lunch at our guest house.

bush fighting

tired, but optimistic

I saw some big trees and a way to get down to the river, I was sure that if we will get down to the river side we will try to walk along it and then try to cross on some bridge. After some steep way down we saw that we reached a cliff which was impossible to cross and decided to try and walk along the river.

The way was really dangerous many streams full of rolling stones and unstable sand going down to a crazy very strong river full with stones – stumbling could be equal to death.

We walked slowly and very cautiously, we understood the possible results of a wrong step. I tried to get down to help Ira and then I stumbled and started drifting down. Luckily there was a big stone which stopped my fall and gave me few nice scratches …

We continued on but I was really shocked, I felt like I was saved from death by that stone.

I tried not to show any sign that I’m scared so we continued on…

I understood that we are in a mess and I really don’t want to risk the life of my loved person nor mine, I could not imagine my life without Ira there.

I decided to try and go back to the top and try and progress there. We climbed a bit on a ridge with small pine trees and then we met a huge boulder which was impossible to pass.

I tried both sides and understood that it’s very dangerous, and we don’t have a way up nor down. Then I looked at Ira and understood that it’s a good time to call for rescue.

We called Rosa and explained the situation, she told that she will call immediately the rescue services.

After 5 minutes I got a call from the main police station in Tbilisi, another 3 minutes passed the head of the rescue services called me. I explained where we are and that we are ok, but just can’t move up or down. I explained him that we can see the road and that we will be able to explain where we are if some car will go slowly along the road until we spot them. Henry, the chief of the border police, went by himself on the car on the road and when I spotted his car, I told him to stop. We opened an emergency blanket so they could recognize us on a cliff, and then he spotted us. From there it was a question of time until the rescue will reach us.

We started making some stupid pictures to pass the time, and talked about subjects which we never spoke before.

After about 2 hours, 2 teams of rescue reached us. One team of the border police and one team of professional rescuers. They had ropes and ice axes to go through the rolling stones. They gave us harnesses and built ledges for us to the way down. Apparently I was right, there was a bride 50 meters to the left from where we went down, but unfortunately it was not on the map and we turned to the wrong direction.

Five hours after our call for help we were down, safe and exhausted as hell. We thanked our rescuers and asked them to take a photo with us. Then we went up on their truck and tried to take our new dog Dayan with us back to Mestia, but he refused and jumped few times out of the truck. I gave him all the food we had left and left him there .

our rescue team

After another half an hour we were back in our guest house tired as hell (after thanking Henry in his base for the great work – apparently rescue in Georgia is free). We had a long hot shower, Rosa gave us a lots of food and Vito made sure that we will go to sleep drunk, so we won’t have bad dreams.

What a Trek!!! And what an adventure.

All good what ends up in a good way.

Happy to be alive and hug the love of my life in a warm bed.

P.S

A day Later I found Dayan in Mestia running with another group of tourist , he got a huge sausage from me and a lot of food . I took him to our guest house and maybe he found a new place to live in .