Baia is a Tbilisi-born travel journalist with bylines for Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, Skyscanner as well as her own website, Red Fedora Diary, providing local insights and tips for Tiblisi, Georgia and beyond. You can follow her travels on Instagram and Facebook.
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: Two to three days
Start/end point: Shovi to Glola
Accommodation: Camping
This little-known but gorgeous hike to the small alpine lake of Udziro at an elevation of 2,800m is an excellent alternative to busy hikes and popular destinations in Georgia.
Clear skies, pleasant weather, and unusually shaped mountains make for a breathtaking panorama of the Caucasus range. The drawback is the logistics of getting to/from the start and end points with public transport.
A short trek takes two or three days, starting in the village of Shovi and finishing in Glola. Despite the small distance, it’s a challenging trail with a lot of ascent and descent. I suggest doing it in three days to enjoy the surroundings without being rushed.
Need to know
Starting from Shovi is a popular choice and often advertised as such, but it has steep uphills over rocky terrain in some parts. However, you are treated with panoramic views of the Caucasus as you descend to the lake. Nevertheless, I prefer to hike the other way, as the ascent is not too steep.
The trail is well-marked and easy to follow, but a few patches of overgrown plants make it slightly hard to navigate, so you should have an offline map app on your phone.
The hike is doable only from late June, when the snow on Geske Pass melts, until late September. You can stay in Shovi or Glola before/after the hike but need full camping gear on the trek.
How to get to Shovi
First, get to Oni from the Didube Bus Station in Tbilisi. The marshrutka leaves at 8 am. From Oni, you can get a taxi or hitchhike. Alternatively, you can take a marshrutka to Amboraluri, the central city of Racha, and find transportation to Shovi.
How to leave Glola
Glola is the village next door to Shovi, so you'd need to ask around for transportation or try hitchhiking.
At a glance
Destinations
Racha
Activity
Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, Responsible Travel, Slow TravelPhysical Level
Moderate
Season
June - September
Duration
3 days
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