Hinauf nach Uschguli

On Sunday, August 26, 2018, I want to reach Uschguli. The village consists of 4 closely located villages at the upper end of the Enguri Gorge and is located at an altitude of 2100m to 2200m. Thus, Uschguli is the highest inhabited settlement in Europe all year round (if one still wants to count the area as part of Europe). Due to a lack of good alternatives, I set up our tent in a small side valley near Iprari the previous evening. So we have to be patient until about ten o'clock when the first rays of sunshine reach our campsite. I use the time to write a travel report. By noon, the tent and the laundry washed the previous evening are dry and I can slowly pack my backpack. Finally, we can set off around half past twelve. We cross the Enguri and start the ascent to the hill range north of the valley. Here we have to pass through the village of Davberi. In the middle of the village, we are encountered by a Caucasian shepherd dog who immediately confronts Rango. I cannot prevent the first little brawl, but I manage to separate the two during a short ceasefire. Fortunately, Rango survived the first round without any bite injuries. The local four-legged creature probably weighs between 60kg and 80kg, while Rango appears quite cute compared to it. The supposed owner has zero control over the animal. When another dog of similar size joins in, it becomes clear that we will not be able to continue here. So, somewhat annoyed, I turn around, and now apparently we have a multi-hour hike along the main road ahead of us. For the next hour, we walk along the Enguri Gorge in a north-east direction. Despite the beautiful landscape, I am starting to get fed up because the traffic is noticeably increasing. We regularly walk in a cloud of dust, and Rango is almost indistinguishable from the road in terms of color. Therefore, I try to organize a ride and promptly get lucky - a minibus still has space and takes us with it. We reach Uschguli shortly before two o'clock and take a break right at the first restaurant. While having coffee and cake, I strike up a conversation with a few other guests, and Rango takes the opportunity to get petted by everyone. After about half an hour, we make our way to a potential campsite below the district of Chazhashi. The majority of the stone houses are comparatively well-maintained and inhabited. The village seems to have been able to preserve its historically grown settlement structure so far. The chosen camping spot also makes a good impression, so I set up our green shelter on the meadow next to the Enguri. In the afternoon, I relax in front of the tent, enjoying the sunny summer weather. In the late afternoon, I go back to the village because our food reserves need to be replenished. Like Mestia, Uschguli is also overrun by tourists. Most of the residents seem to earn their income from guests staying overnight or through gastronomy. Therefore, the pricing is sometimes questionable. Almost nothing has a fixed price in the shops, so as a tourist, you often pay a small surcharge. As soon as I change my mind about making a purchase, things start moving. Back at the tent, a few horses have gathered in the immediate vicinity, trying to be good neighbors and grazing at a respectful distance from the tent.

The night is cool again at this altitude, so I warmly welcome the first rays of sunshine shortly before eight o'clock on Monday morning. After warming up and having a small breakfast, I set off with Rango to Murqmeli, the lowest of the four villages. Many of the historic stone houses here are only partially preserved. Perhaps a third of the settlement is still inhabited and accordingly well-maintained. On the way back to the tent, I buy a watermelon at a good price and invite two Ukrainians, who settled in the vicinity the previous evening in the dark, to share it. During the past month, the two have hitchhiked around the Black Sea. They are planning to go back to Ukraine via Russia soon. The Dicke (Rango) also treats himself to some watermelon, but he prefers the rind over the flesh - strange animal. While I take a nap in the sun and cool off in the ice-cold Enguri, Rango and I take another walk through the upper villages of Uschguli in the late afternoon. I want to be well-rested for the ascent to the 2943m high Gvilbari Pass and subsequent ridge hike on Tuesday.