Georgia. Ushguli – Shkhara – Mestia Day 72 July 10th 2019
A day hike takes you from Ushguli village to the base of the Shkhara crater. We could have hiked in from the village, however we were treated to a shortcut – a drive in then a hike to the bottom of Mount Shkhara, the base of the glacier and where river Enguri begins.
A pleasant hike tracing along the river and up to the base of the crater. The final stretches were stony and needed a little more concentration.
Concentration was difficult when the scenery was demanding of attention – a huge winding glacier coming down the mountainside, a gaping slit where the waters of the river began, wildflowers covering fields in every direction, a cloudless clear blue sky, snow-capped mountains, vivid green hillsides and a raging river cutting through it all.
Every where we visited there were butterflies in abundance. An older man who had lived all his life in Ushguli was puzzled by them – there were many more than ever before he explained, yet he was not clear if this was a good or bad thing. They fluttered above the wildflowers, they gathered in hundreds around pools of water.
Arriving at the base of the glacier I clambered over the huge boulders and rocks strewn across the hillside to the river. A huge opening at the base of the glacier was clearly visible – the beginning of the Enguri river – the most powerful in the Caucus Mountains and used further down to generate power.
Our last lunchbox, our last picnic and what a spot – in the midst of a field of wildflowers the glacier and mountains behind us. Time to sit and greet the many walkers arriving at the base of the walk up to the glacier, most of whom had put in the hard yards from the village. Just the spot for a post lunch selfie of the team.
As we returned to Ushguli there were a number of water crossings. My favourite was the rivers edge where a number of cows were enjoying the water. As we crossed – the wake rippled across the water with one cow unimpressed. She was looking unhappily at us creating a wave that might get her tail wet.
