#Dariali KhdeGorge ChaukeyPass Roshka Juta

[jorge5000]

Dariali to Juta to Roshka via Khde gorge and Chaukey pass in 5 days (Georgia)

This is a short account of my trek in Georgian mountains I did in late August 2021 starting in Dariali, going to Juta over Kibishi pass, further on to Roshka over Chaukey pass, and ending back in Juta. Hope this will help you plan your own adventure.

In short:

- You absolutely need a permit to trek Dariali to Juta via Khde valley/gorge and you can get it in Dariali at the border facilities.

- Dariali to Juta is the difficult part of the trek meaning there is almost no beaten path (though you just follow the river to the glacier), there is a possibility of encountering bears and you need to cross a glacier or a steep, slippery slope instead. Juta to Roshka is much easier.

- You will be following a river upstream and downstream from Dariali to Juta. Take the usual precaution when consuming the water from the river. The higher up the mountain you are, the less will cattle pollute your water source. From Juta to Roshka water sources are available, but not that plentiful.

- I was surprised that I could get no food whatsoever, without staying in a guesthouse in Roshka.

- You can find the GPS map of the trek and additional info on caucasus-trekking.org (Dariali to Juta route and Juta to Roshka route).

- If you want to make the trek shorter you can cut from just before the glacier to Sno through Eastern Kibishi pass (although you should reach Juta in the same time and finding transport there might be slightly easier). If you want to make the trek longer, I suggest taking the route back from Roshka over Sazdele pass, and then, instead of returning to Juta returning to glacier and taking the East Kibishi pass route to Sno. Beware, though, that this means your trekking permit has to be valid for this period or maybe you can get a new one at the facility here.

Khde gorge. Just follow the river to its source and think about how will you filter the grey glacier water.

Day by day:

Day 1 - Arrive to Tbilisi and/or Tbilisi to Stepantsminda. Head for the Didube station and ask for a minibus to Stepansminda. It’s likely you'll have to wait an hour or two for it to fill up, or agree on a price with the driver straight up and get on the way. Or just enjoy a day off in Tbilisi.

Day 2 - Stepantsminda. Do the easy hike to Gergeti trinity church and beyond. Enjoy the views and return to Stepansminda for some delicious food. Find someone to take you to Dariali next morning to get a hiking permit (propustka). Finding someone who knows someone at the border crossing is better.

Day 3 - Trekking permit and passing the border guard. Early morning taxi to Dariali. You will get your permit in one of the buildings on the left side of the road accessible from a small road going left from the main crossing road. You will have to answer a few questions and will probably be offered three days to do the hike. Expect to have the permit checked four times by the end of the trek so take it seriously. Once you got the permit, go back towards the river next to the Dariali Monastery Complex and start following the track from there. The track starts as a dirt road and ends soon with a mark for trail start. From there on the trail will very soon get difficult to follow or there will be no trail to follow but the general direction is following the river upstream. After you reach the Georgian guard post it will be much easier due to lower vegetation, but still you will most often be creating your own path. There are plenty of raspberries on the way and the bears are well aware of that. You should be able to leave that part well behind you by the end of the day. I pitched my tent here for the first night, above the treeline, in hope of avoiding bears.

Away from the eyes, away from the heart. Away from the tree line, away from bears.

Day 4 - Reaching the glacier. Continue following the river. Again, this is a difficult trek since there is no beaten path. By the middle of this day you should reach the glacier, but still might want to set camp underneath it and cross it on the next day. You have two options for that: either cross the glacier directly, or take the steep path left of the glacier. Crossing the glacier alone is definitely dangerous and inadvisable. Water is melting underneath it and it’s impossible to determine ice thickness. If it breaks under your feet you might find yourself in a few meters deep ice hole. Left of the glacier is a very steep hillside with slippery and unstable rocks. Still, it is likely to be the path of your choice if you are alone.

The glacier path on the right, and the steep alternative left, just out of the image

Day 5 - down the mountain and to Juta. Climb the slope left of the glacier, enjoy a short break, and continue down the mountain. A river will start forming soon on your left, although it will be quite a walk away from your path. You will pass two more checkpoints before finally reaching the asphalted road after the second permit check. Just follow the road to the right to go to Juta. If you ae looking for a place to pitch your tent near Juta, your best option will probably be to start the path towards Roshka and find a place there. Otherwise, you should be able to find some accommodation in Juta.

Day 6 - Juta to Roshka via Chaukey pass. Follow the well beaten path and use the GPS map available here if needed to start from Juta to Roshka. Don’t expect to be alone in this route. After the Chaukey pass the path down gets very steep. Afterwards, just follow the paths in the valley to finally reach Roshka. Stay there or return to a great campsite near one of the lakes.

Over the Chaukey pass

Day 7 - Roshka to Juta. You can take a different way back from Roshka (via Sazdele pass) Reportedly, on that route you will pass some shepherds who will be happy to meet you and provide you with some food. Once you each Juta it shouldn’t be difficult to find a place in a minivan going back to Tbilisi. Drivers are likely to approach you in Juta center.

This guardian of the mountain might provide you with company when going over the Chaukey pass