TRAIL RUN GEORGIA
NEW DATE: 05 - 13 JULY 2024
PRICE:
£2495PP ($3050)
BOOK WITH JUST 10% DEPOSIT + PAY OFF IN SIX INSTALLMENTS
SINGLE ROOM UPGRADE: £195 ($225) PER PERSON
“Bravo to the fantastic team at Pure Trails who provided a wonderful, fun week of tail running. Perfectly organised, and very professional. I look forward to trying another location with them in 2022!”
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EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
Peel back the veil on Georgia and you will find something magical; loaded with culture and a vast array of differing landscapes, mountain trails meander through centuries-old townships, and monasteries straddle ridgelines against a peak studded mountain backdrop.
Our journey starts in lively Tbilisi, reputed to be one of the coolest cities in Europe where we will get a slice of Georgian culture with good food and wine while we prepare for our journey to the mountain kingdom of Svaneti.
In Svaneti, we will spend five-core days of running traversing trails as we dip in and out of picturesque mountain villages, alpine meadows, and snow-capped mountain peaks that sow above 5000m.
We’ll experience the very best that Georgia has to offer seeing glaciers, waterfalls, and empty trails. Our nightly accommodation will be cosy local guesthouses with delicious Georgian cuisine and wine to ensure we are well-rested and recovered.
NEW DATE: 05 - 13 JULY 2024
TRIP ADVENTURE GRADE: C3
DISTANCE: 14 - 25km per day
MAX. 12 RUNNERS
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HIGHLIGHTS
Five core days of trail running as we dip in and out of picturesque mountain villages, alpine meadows, and snow-capped mountain peaks that sore above 4000m
Experience lively Tbilisi - one of the coolest cities in Europe - where we will get a slice of Georgian culture with good food and wine while we prepare for our journey to the mountain kingdom of Svaneti
Experience a fully-supported adventure travelling only with light-packs
Stay in cosy local guesthouses where delicious Georgian cuisine and wine are served to ensure we are well-rested and recovered.
ITINERARY
Click to explore in more detail.
+ DAY 1: ARRIVE IN TBILISI
Early morning arrival into Tbilisi as the majority of airlines land at 04:00 am
Group transfer to our hotel for immediate check-in, relax and rest
Late breakfast and welcome with the group
Walking / Light running city tour of Tbilisi
Welcome dinner
Rest and relax
+ DAY 2: TBILISI TO MAZERI
Breakfast and kit check before heading to Svaneti in Western Georgia (8.5-hour drive)
Our journey will include stops along the way, travelling via Kutaisi and Zugdidi. En route we have lunch.
Continue to Mazeri village (1,660m) via the Enguri river gorge.
Arrive into Mazeri village located at the foot of Mt. Ushba (4,710m), one of the best-known summits in the Caucasus.
Check into our mountain guesthouse, with time to chill and explore
Local dinner and discuss our running plans for the next week
+ DAY 3: TRAIL RUNNING MAZERI - USHBA WATERFALLS
Breakfast
Acclimatisation day and 14km trail run to the Ushba waterfalls (400m of ascent)
Lunch at the guesthouse and time to enjoy the mountain scenery
Time permitting explore Mazeri
Chill and relax
Local dinner served in our guesthouse
+ DAY 4: TRAIL RUNNING MAZERI - MESTIA, VIA GULI
Breakfast
Pack up our gear and load it into our vehicles
Approx. 22km (1,400m of ascent) trail running along the east side of Mt Ushba to the Guli Glacier (2,965m)
Our hardest day on the trail as we hike uphill towards the Guli Pass where most of our ascent is obtained
Cross the mountain pass down to Mestia (1,400m), the provincial capital of Svaneti with jaw-dropping views of Mt. Usbha and Mt. Tetnuldi
Arrival at our guesthouse, check-in, and relax
Local dinner served in our guesthouse
+ DAY 5: MESTIA - TRAIL RUN HATSVALI - ADISIHI
Breakfast
Check-out and pack up our luggage
Take the ski lift if it's open or the car to Hatsvali wheree begin trail running today
Approx. 25km (1,500m of ascent) trail run to the village of Adishi (2,050m)
Arrival in Adishi, check-in, and relax
Local dinner served in our guesthouse
+ DAY 6: ADISHI - USHGULI
Breakfast
Check-out and pack up our luggage
Approx. 19km (750m of ascent) trail run from Adishi to Khalde gorge and then onto Ushguli village (2300m) which is located at the foot of Mt. Shkhara, the highest peak in Georgia
We finish in the village of Iprari where we transfer to Ushguli by vehicle (approx. 30min drive)
Arrival into Ushguli, check-in, and relax
Explore the village
Local dinner served in our guesthouse
+ DAY 7: USHGULI - LOWER SVANETI, VIA THE ZAGARO PASS
Breakfast
Approx. 20km (450m of ascent) trail run-up to the Zagaro Pass (2640m) and then along the amazing "Bezingi Wall" a chain of 5000 metre peaks
We continue down to the village of Tsana where our transport will be waiting to meet us and transfer us to down to Kutaisi.
Arrival at our hotel in the spa town of Tsktulbo for check-in, relax
Dinner is served at our hotel
+ DAY 8: KUTAISI - TBILISI, VIA MTSKHETA
Breakfast
Group transfer back to Tbilisi
En-route visit Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia where we have lunch
Arrive in Tbilisi, check in and relax
Farewell group dinner at the hotel
+ DAY 9: HOMEWARD BOUND
Breakfast
Free time to do some last minute exploring
Group transfer to the airport
Onward flight home
OUR ROUTE
Approximate details*:
Total Distance: approx. 95.0 km
Total Running Days: 6 Days
Lowest Elevation: 1,383m
Highest Elevation: 2,970m
*The daily distances and itinerary may change according to local weather conditions and the groups condition.
INCLUDES:
9 nights accommodation (twin or double room share) in a 4* hotel in Tbilisi & family-run hotels, and simple guesthouses when in the mountains
Fully-supported trail running trip
Cultural sightseeing
Full board throughout (inclusive of breakfast, picnic lunches, lunches & dinners)
Group arrival/departure transfers at set times
All local transportation in 4WD minivans
4:1 Runners to Guide Ratio
Trails & Trees: with every booking, we plant a tree
EXCLUDES:
International flights
Beverages and snacks
Personal equipment
Laundry
Travel Insurance (REQUIRED before the trips departure - for cancellation, accidents, health and emergency evacuation, loss, theft, or damage to baggage or personal effects)
Tips
Single Room Upgrade
WHERE WE
STAY
The Glarros Hotel, Tbilisi
One of the coolest capitals in Europe, Tbilisi has no shortage of classy modern 4* hotels.
We’ll be staying at the Glarros hotel which is amazingly located in the capitals old town.
Mountain Guesthouses
Travelling in remote parts of Georgia means we will make the most of staying in a variety of family-run guesthouses.
Clean and very charming, the guesthouses will form the backbone of accommodation for the trip. All of which serve up ample amounts of delicious Georgian cuisine. It’s worth knowing when we travel to the villages of Adishi and Ushguli the facilities can be a bit more simple, but provide everything we need for a night in the mountains.
FAQ
FLIGHTS
We specialise in arranging excellent trail running holidays but do not book international flights.
There is a great variety of flights departing from all over the world to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). The vast majority of them arrive in Tbilisi in the very early hours of the morning, usually, around 4 am.
VISAS
British, American and, EU citizens can enter and remain in Georgia for a maximum of 365 days without a visa.
GROUP MANAGEMENT
Being a group of max. 12 runners with a mixture of ages and running abilities we may decide to split into flexible groups, all of which will be supported by our Georgian running guides who will travel with us on the trip.
By splitting the group will allow us all to move more fluidly, allowing all team members to run at their own comfortable pace, without feeling pressured.
TRAIL RUNNING
Trail running in Georgia is spectacular with very few other groups delivering experiences in this style. The country is still well off the beaten path with very few travellers making it to the Georgian Caucasus.
We expect the trails to be empty, travelling through alpine meadows, waterfalls, glaciers, and mountain trails.
At times we will cross over from one valley to the next, climbing stepper paths with boulder and dry rock sections. Our maximum altitude will reach around 2,970m.
Our large luggage will be transported by vehicle from point to point.
TEMPERATURES
Travelling to Georgia in July is peak time and we can expect temperatures in the mid-20 degrees C. When we are in the mountains the air is refreshing and that bit cooler with very pleasant daytime temperatures. At night temperatures can drop a touch to the high teens (C). We anticipate the conditions to be perfect for trail running.
READY TO
BOOK
NEWS FROM BASECAMP
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