Stepansminda: Day 61 to 66

---

At the end of the Georgian Military Highway, my stop was at Stepansminda (also called Kazbegi).

At an altitude of 1,700 meters, the climate was much cooler than the hot weather in Tbilisi. Named after the Saint Stephan, who helped people in the area from avalanches by moving them further south, this is an area close to the Russian border (about 10KM).

The town is famous for the Gergeti Triniti Church, an icon for Georgia. At an altitude of 2,100 meters, this church is a sight to behold and presents a panoramic view including that of Mount Kazbegi. The hike up to the church is definitely worth the experience of seeing the views.

The next day, I hiked the Truso Valley.

Situated next to the Terek River, the valley is a bit away from Stepansminda and needs a car drop and pick up to the start of the trail. The trail itself is a 22KM out and back trail, mostly flat and takes about 6 hours. The hike is interspersed with amazing views of mineral rich springs, travertines and shepherds tending to their sheep (please avoid going close to the sheep, the shepherd dogs can be aggressive, in fact it's better to hike with other people if you can).

At the end of the hike, you reach a point that marks the Georgian border where guards will stop you from going any further (unless you have a special permit, I didn't have that, so can't comment on it).

Zakagori fortress at the end of the hike presents a contrasting view to the landscape and worthwhile to get upto it and seeing the valley from there.

The next day, I hiked to Arsha Waterfall, about 8KM from Stepansminda. Somehow, I never found the route to the waterfall, but the hike in the valley was a nice experience.

After resting an additional day at Stepansminda (and exploring some Indian food there), I headed back to Tbilisi.

Stepansminda, like Ushguli and Mestia is the world of mountains, valleys, hikes and nature. I enjoyed getting away from the heat and exploring this landscape.

---