Svaneti, Georgia

Svaneti is the most vertical place in Georgia. The Enguri valley runs up from the lowlands to Mestia, and above it the Caucasus walls close in — Ushba, Tetnuldi, and Shkhara at 5,193 metres, the highest point in the country. Villages here raised defensive stone towers for a thousand years, and around two hundred of them are still standing.

The towers are the image, but the walking is the reason to come. Trails run from Mestia to Ushguli — four days through villages and over the Zagari pass, ending at a UNESCO site. Shorter days climb to glaciers, lakes and the Chalaadi ice tongue, and every valley has a Svan family who will feed you more than you can finish.

Summer here is short and precise: late June to mid-September, wildflowers in July, clear light through August. We plan Svaneti around weather windows rather than fixed dates, and keep the walking within reach of anyone comfortable on their feet for five hours.