Georgia. Rockclimbing vacation spring 2019.

Short review from the MCS AlexClimb rockclimbing collection - rockclimbing in Georgia by Alex Trubachev

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The description of the program - here!

Rockclimbing in Georgia - first experience of climbing guide. Article from the collection "MCS AlexClimb Rockclimbing Geography"

It was difficult, but we did it! Despite the attacks of khinkaly and diving in the sea of the homemade wine, our girl's climbing team under my strict professional guidance, kept the athletic mood and (!) the potential for training!

In this season, for the first time, I decided to add a climbing program in Georgia to the MCS AlelxClimb School’s climbing trips collection - just could not deny myself this pleasure. We could, of course, be as usual and go to the undoubtedly beautiful Majorca and elbow our way through the crowds of cyclists there. Or go to the hyper-climbing island of Kalymnos, where put our noses to the rocks and see nothing more arownd. About Crimea I am just expressively silent. However, May is the only one and not a single minute of this beautiful time should be lost or spent with insufficient profit. So, quite logical rockclimbing choice fell on Georgia: where, if not in this country, in spring you can eat, breathe and enjoy the glory of the mountains because spring in Georgia is a separate reality, filled with the scent of blooming of the countless flowers and the singing of birds!

I already did the rockclimbing blocks in Georgia in parts, a lot of great sightseeing attractions were repeatedly circled around, but to collect all the ingredients in one program, specifically rockclimbing, was somehow beyand the reach of my hands. And now the dream has come true! The result was a bright mix of climbing workouts, excursions, Georgian cuisine, a certain amount of wine, and even off-road adventures.

The idea of the program was to introduce the participants to an amazing country and make a route based on the rockclimbing, but also seriously filled with both natural beauties and historical sights of which Georgia is absolut world Champion. The task is very complex - select from the huge number of beautiful and interesting places the most beautiful and interesting, and even box it into the format of a workout rockclimbing vacation.

We started our testing of Georgia from Tbilisi and Gori, this is understandable - bright, clean and quite European Tbilisi, a mixture of ancient and modern history, quiet and cozy Gori, the museum of Stalin, the fortress of Goristzikhe. Then immediately go climbing - the fantastic Katskhi canyon with a monastery on a rocky column, Chiatura - the city ​​of miners and flying rusty trailers, incomparable green Sveri gorge. All rockclimbing sectors are well maintained, tidy and civilized. Routes are bolted safely, without excessive spans and unnecessary adrenaline - special thanks to the author and pusher of climbing progress in Georgia Guga Dabrundashvili - the Georgian rockclimbing pioneer and my personal friend.

Then immediately, without stopping we drive to beautiful town Akhaltsikhe, went to the excursions to the fantastic Sapara monastery where the singing of the monks merges with the birds singing and everywhere is the spring riot of blooming of everything that has not even turned green. Then did the trip to a bit too touristy, but necessary to visit Vardzia. Then went to Abastumani, the place of the death of Tsarevich Alexander (not many people even in Russia know about this historical fact). And then we did an desperate attempt to drive to Kutaisi through the Zek pass, but in that did not succeed - that was the only misadventure of the whole program. With all the pleasure of 20 km of winding ground serpentine and enchanting views of all the surrounding mountains, the pass was not possible to cross - 500 meters before the saddle, the road was dug up so dip that even my very off road truck did not dare to try. In general, 50 km from Kutaisi, I had to turn around and make a detour of 200 km. Perhaps this was the only event in the program that did not bring the expected pleasure.

Kutaisi met us with rain, but we managed to rockclimb the rocks there and even the weather did not turn off our training schedule. A visit to the beautiful orthodox churches and the Historical Museum perfectly helped to cope with mild accumulated fatigue. The final of the program was planned on the wonderful natural rockclimbing wall in the heart of Tbilisi - in the Botanical Garden, however, the weather made adjustments, and we held a rockclimbing session at the indoor climbing gym. By the way, a very modern and pleasant in all respects 10 m high hall. The final day spontaneously turned into a trip to David Gareja - one more unique place on the border of Georgia with Azerbaijan. The oldest monument to the Christian history of Georgia, located in the incredible colored hills.

Well then... I am pleased that my first rockclimbing pancake in Georgia did not come out lumpy. I hope that a light positive confusion from this trip will compose in the memory of the participants into bright and different impressions as that is the very essence of Georgia - bright, infinitely diverse, positive and God-treated country!

So my next rockclimbing program in Georgia quite logically falls on the schedule from 15th of October and will be compiled taking into account all the shortcomings of the pilot version information about it is already on the web page

Yes, and I want to prepare your mind not to overheat from our future plans - rockclimbing in Iran - but these are the ideas for the next season.

Program leader, author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev

MCS EDIT 2023