kasbegi | Clune Gap Years

Gergeti Church

06/10/2025

We attempted to walk towards the glacier. Unfortunately J’s vertigo kicked in big time on the initial steep up hill. He returned to Jez and I walked on for half an hour. We don’t like to be apart too long any way, but especially when with only one phone and travelling.

*Not even from the top. Jez in the car park*

*Kazbeg Peak. Called the Bride by locals as often wearing a veil of cloud*

After lunch we popped into Gergeti Church, which with Kasbeg mountain are used as a photo in Georgian tourism advertising. It was having some work done and was busy.

*Gergeti church actually looks better from a distance as it is all about its location*

*Stunning location with a trail of tourists: many Russian, as we are so close to the border, and Asians*

Then had an easy afternoon. Good to have a non driving day.

Gveleti Waterfalls

07/10/2025

Up at 6.30 and z bending down the hill to avoid the mad Mitsubishi Delicia taxi drivers bombing guests up. I needed all the tarmac on some of the bends.
Breakfast once parked at Gveleti, followed by a walk to two waterfalls. Stunning mountains again.

*The autumn colours are lovely pops of colour*

*More Russian laid gas pipes up to two small chalets*

*Not sure how or why two railway carriages up here, but now used as a plastic depository* 😔

We drove up as close as you can get to the Russian border, stopping at Dariali monastery.

*A blog I’d read said the monks were known for their cheese, so we had to sample. One of us had wine!*

*Looking across to the border checkpoint. The actual border is 1.6km further on, but through a tunnel*

The military highway is still a major freight route. As well as Georgian and Russian trucks, there are many Armenian trucks and cars. Apparently a lot of Russians settled in Armenia after the invasion of the Ukraine.

Unable to drive any further up the Military Highway, we retraced our steps south. Parking is outside Stepantsminda / Stepantsminda or Kazbegi with the mad Delicia taxis. We walked into town