A love story
We first got to know each other through writing. Phone calls and video calls followed. Then the UK refused a visitor’s visa. It was fairly easy to turn our initial disappointment into an opportunity for a wonderfully romantic adventure.
We had to find a country both of us could visit without a visa. Almost halfway between China and Wales lies Georgia. We met there and went hiking in the mountains. It was magical!
This is the first chapter: Hiking in Georgia – Kasbegi.
A nightmare
We received another visa refusal eighteen months later. This time it was the spouse visa. There was no opportunity for a wonderfully romantic adventure. Instead, we were caught up in a kafkaesque nightmare of bureaucracy, unreasonableness and extortion during a global pandemic.
Moving forward with hope
I now run and write to
- campaign for love and compassion with Reunite Families UK.
- fundraise for justice and equality with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.
Read about my 2021 running campaign.
The road to Kasbegi/Stepantsminda
It is the last week of August. After two days in Tbilisi, we are ready to head into the mountains. Tbilisi is sweltering in midsummer. It will be cold up in the Caucasus mountains.
I managed to borrow some travel guides from Swansea library. Much supplementation was required from internet blogs. Georgia is very new on the tourism scene compared to countries like France! A firm favourite with me is Shooting Star by Shivya Nath.
After much searching, we managed to find the camping shop in Tbilisi. Peter buys a mattress that we never sleep on and a knife that he cannot take home on the aeroplane. I buy a map of an area that we never visit! Time and money well spent, obviously.
The trip up north has the potential to be hair raising from what we read. We opt for the soft option and order a private transfer through the hotel reception. I think we paid 200 Lari (about £45) for the trip of 150km and 3hr20min. Our driver even stopped at a shop where we could buy provisions. There are cheaper alternatives. We took one of them, a minibus with a driver on a mobile phone all the way, a few days later.
We arrive in Kasbegi early afternoon. It is a bustling little town. The new and modern tourist information centre is reminiscent of Alpine ski centres. The rest of the town is more chaotic looking, but striving to achieve a developed tourist appeal.
Hiking – Day 1
To Trinity Gergeti Church
It rained that afternoon as we ascended the foothill of the mountain. After passing through a small village we followed a footpath. The rain and the clouds added drama to the atmosphere of entering the mountains.
It was not a long way to the spot where we would spend the night camping. It took us less than 2 hours to get there. The area was not very remote. It was also accessible by car with more development underway. Nevertheless, we were in the mountains and the views were spectacular.
Hiking – Day 2
Around Trinity Gergeti Church
We woke to a new day and a spectacular view! Mount Kazbek, the highest peak in the Kazbek region, catches the morning light first.
It is a beautiful day of clear skies and no wind. We enjoy a simple breakfast of coffee and bread. The timescale from UK visa refusal till arriving in Georgia was 10 days. We had time for the bare minimum of preparation. Tourism information for Georgia is severely limited and often conflicting, especially when it comes to hiking.
We need more drinking water and set off to explore the area around the church. There is quite a lot of human activity at this site and we hope to perhaps find ablution facilities.
Mount Kazbek
Mount Kazbek is a dormant stratovolcano with a height of 5053.927m. It is the second highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus after Mount Elbrus. It’s Georgian name, Mqinvarstveri, means ‘Glacier peak’ or ‘Freezing cold peak’ whilst it’s Vainakh name, Bashlam, means ‘Molten Mount’.
Towards the snow-capped peak
We didn’t find drinking water or ablutions. A steady stream of people were making their way up the mountain towards Mount Kazbek. We take what water we have as well as some snacks and decide to set off along the path up the mountain too.
A break before returning
After crossing a torrent of glacial meltwater on a small wooden bridge, we come to a high mountain campsite. It looks like a mountaineering base. We are relieved to find some fresh drinking water and decide to stop for some food.
The breeze is chilly, so we shelter behind the newly built hostel. Two mountaineers from Israel have the same idea. They plan to summit Mount Kazbek in the next couple of days. We share a cup of tea whilst we talk about the big subjects of politics, religion and the destruction of planet earth. Humor and hope make this meaningful exchange possible.
Downhill all the way!
Where to from here?
We pack up and make our way back to Kasbegi for a rest and a restock before our next hike into the mountains at Juta.
I will share about the hike at Juta and days in Tbilisi and Kasbegi in subsequent posts.
