Trek in Truso valley in Georgia

Trek in the beautiful Truso valley in northern Georgia

Starting point

Bridge at the former Kvemo Okrokama settlement. A taxi from Stepantsminda took us here for 60 GEL. After eight hours it picked us up.
 

Description of the hike

From Stepantsminda we were taken by taxi to Kvemo Okrokama settlement for 60 GEL. The price includes a pick up for the return journey. We agreed that the driver would wait for us at the same place after eight hours. Which was also with a comfortable time margin, as one can roll the valley hike in six hours.

So the trek starts at the remains of the Kvemo Okrokama settlement. This is just a few half-demolished stone houses. We walked past the settlement and followed a wide path along the Terek River. Along this road, tourists are taken deeper into the valley. Occasionally a car would overtake us this way, but otherwise the going was uneventful. At the beginning the river valley is narrow, but after a few kilometers it widens into a huge valley. There is a nice refreshment place at the beginning of it, so we rested here for a while.

Afterwards, we followed the trail to the Abano pond, which is interesting because of the bubbles on the surface of the surface that create carbon dioxide. From the lake we continued along the wide valley along the Terek River above the village of Keterisi. Here are the remains of the characteristic defensive towers. We continued along a wide road. We passed through the settlement of Abano, which is clearly the best preserved in the wider area. By then we had already seen the destination of our trek - the ruins of Zakagori Castle. Directly below the ruins is a military base and further progress through the valley is already forbidden due to the border zone with South Ossetia. We climbed the trail to the ruins and enjoyed the views from an elevated point above the valley.

After a rest we headed back. This time we chose the path on the other side of the Terek River. We passed through the village of Keterisi, which is just a few half-ruined houses. But there's a café here. After that we walked back along the wide road to the first refreshment place in the valley. Since we had time, we had a beer. After that we went back to the Kvemo Okrokama settlement, where a ride was waiting for us.
 

Difficulty

This is a longer, but technically very simple trip. In addition, there is minimal elevation gain. So when the weather cooperates, it's a beautiful trek in a fantastic landscape. The vast majority of the route is on wide paths, with a short section on a trail above the river.
 

Water availability

There are a total of three pub options along the route with refreshments in the Truso Valley. We each had 1.5 litres of water per person.
 

Sleeping options

Camping is allowed in the Truso Valley. However, we had accommodation in Stepantsminda.
 

Mountain peaks

The route does not lead over any peak. However, the landscape of the Truso valley is beautiful and surrounded by mountains up to 3,800 metres above sea level.
 

Danger

The route leads along a wide path. The Truso Valley itself is very wide and safe. There is no exposed section. However, the trek ends at the ruins of Zakagori. Beyond that is the border zone with South Ossetia and there is a no-entry zone. It is supervised by a military unit. A special permit is required to continue into South Ossetia.
 

Food

There's a tavern in the village of Abano where they probably cook. The other two snacks are just drinks, ice cream at most. That's why it is necessary to have your own snacks.