2021 09 Trans Caucasian trail
day 23
It was a white washed wall we looked at when we woke at 6 in the morning. So we decided to stay on our mats till at least we could see the signpost again. At 7.30 it became visible so we started our morning ritual. After saddling up we rode across the meadow again up to the ridge, where we tryed in vain yesterday and after bushwalking for about 20m we run into the trail. Happy we followed it up till the top of the mountain pass at 2810m passing a couple of small lakes. The trail on the Garmin seemed accurate at this position and we kept on following it down, trying to stay on the trail. All signs vanished after the pass and the trail shown on the map led down an impossible cliff, so we were kind of stuck. The trail was not visible in the grass and the trail shown on All available maps, not possible even without horses. Lasha decided to follow the elevation line across the wide valley and found after about 2 km a trail marker of three stones on top of each other, on the opposite site of the valley. A barely visible trail
Led down the valley getting more narrow with every step and ending on a ridge where birch trees and some scrubs were growing. We wondered how we were getting down here but Lashas comment was just, let's have some fun.
The decent in wet grass at 45plus degrees was indeed an adventure and we marveled at Lashas ability to find the next decent as if he had walked it before. The horses walking free slid sitting on their hind legs down and followed Lashas horse while we tried to keep up with his pace.
We finally reached the bottom after as i guessed about 600m straight decent and were happy to be walking in a riverbed, stumbling over rocks.
But the adventure continued, as there was no trail
We could follow, but had to stay in the riverbed joining into an even larger river and continue to ride and walk on its edge, crossing it a dozen times. As the riverbed got more narrow we found a meadow about 7 m above the river and as we climbed up we found an abandoned stable and house, even a well was there. We camped and ate our last portion of soups, spare the iron ration.
day 23
It was a white washed wall we looked at when we woke at 6 in the morning. So we decided to stay on our mats till at least we could see the signpost again. At 7.30 it became visible so we started our morning ritual. After saddling up we rode across the meadow again up to the ridge, where we tryed in vain yesterday and after bushwalking for about 20m we run into the trail. Happy we followed it up till the top of the mountain pass at 2810m passing a couple of small lakes. The trail on the Garmin seemed accurate at this position and we kept on following it down, trying to stay on the trail. All signs vanished after the pass and the trail shown on the map led down an impossible cliff, so we were kind of stuck. The trail was not visible in the grass and the trail shown on All available maps, not possible even without horses. Lasha decided to follow the elevation line across the wide valley and found after about 2 km a trail marker of three stones on top of each other, on the opposite site of the valley. A barely visible trail
Led down the valley getting more narrow with every step and ending on a ridge where birch trees and some scrubs were growing. We wondered how we were getting down here but Lashas comment was just, let's have some fun.
The decent in wet grass at 45plus degrees was indeed an adventure and we marveled at Lashas ability to find the next decent as if he had walked it before. The horses walking free slid sitting on their hind legs down and followed Lashas horse while we tried to keep up with his pace.
We finally reached the bottom after as i guessed about 600m straight decent and were happy to be walking in a riverbed, stumbling over rocks.
But the adventure continued, as there was no trail
We could follow, but had to stay in the riverbed joining into an even larger river and continue to ride and walk on its edge, crossing it a dozen times. As the riverbed got more narrow we found a meadow about 7 m above the river and as we climbed up we found an abandoned stable and house, even a well was there. We camped and ate our last portion of soups, spare the iron ration.