Abkhazia Caucasus Mountains Photography Expedition

The Abkhazia Mountains Expedition offer superb wilderness trekking with stunning scenery, enormous cliffs and escarpments and the chance to spot unique wildlife. Abkhazian natural heritage is magnificent and diverse, unique in its fascinating, harmonious combination of the scenery of the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea coast. A stretch only fifty kilometers wide between the shoreline and the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range encompasses all existing climactic zones, from rainforest to perennial snow and glaciers.Greater Caucasus mountain range on Abkhazia's northwestern border, near the source of Auadhara River, rises 2500 meters above sea level, while on Abkhazia's eastern border, the altitude of the mountain ranges reaches 3500-4000 meters.

Day 1: Sochi Arrival 
Arrival to Sochi International Airport and transfer to Abkhazia (145 km) Gagra Area.See Google Maps to follow...Overnight


Day 2: Yupsharsky canyon, Lake Ritsa, Chkhi Pass, Agursky lakes
After breakfast, departure early in the morning, no later than 08:00. Passing from the coast to Lake Ritz, we will drive another 24 kilometers to the mountains to the Chha Pass 2020 meters on an SUV. From the pass we will begin our hiking to the Agur lakes. This is a group of 13 lakes located on the Agoura-Arihua ridge at an altitude of 2200-2500 meters. Hiking takes about 5 hours, the length of 10 kilometers. Having descended back to the pass, we set up a tent camp near the shepherds' hut, study the life of the shepherds and have dinner together with them in order to get the most out of the local flavor. All dishes are cooked by Abkhaz shepherds on an open fire in special houses with a dirt floor, as they were 200 years ago.

Day 3: Lake Chy, the summit of Ancho
The rise is not later than 7 am, breakfast. During the hiking along the mountain path, we will be pursued all the way by views of the Main Caucasus Range. In the middle of the route we will make a lunch snack at Lake Chy-2 350 meters. Further along the ridge of Bagri Yasht we will reach the summit of Ancho xwo 2,697 meters. From the top there are panoramas to the mountain ranges of the western part of Abkhazia.

Day 4: Resort Avadhara, Adjara waterfalls, Lake Adjara.
Getting up no later than 7 am, departure. We will drive about 20 kilometers along the mountain road, wade the Awada river by car and start our hiking towards Mount Ajara.On this day, we try real mineral water from a source that was very much appreciated during the Soviet era.The first part of the route passes along the riverbed and after a few kilometers we will reach the Adjara waterfalls. After a short rest we will move with a more difficult relief along one of the tributaries and within two hours we will reach the final goal. At an altitude of about 2,400 meters there is a small group of lakes in a small rock circus.

Day 5: Lake Mzy, Ridge Atsetuk
Getting up no later than 7 am, breakfast. Hiking to the lake Mzy through fir forests and the picturesque valley of the river Mzynma. The way to the lake takes about two hours. After a short rest, we are advancing to the final goal of our route - Atsetuk Ridge. We will rise to a height of over 2,500 meters in order to see Lake Ritsu and the resort Avadhara from an interesting perspective. With a pole on the ridge we will explore several more small lakes. The end of the route around 20 00. Overnight in Gagra

Day 6: Sochi Departure
Breakfast and transfer to Sochi Airport for your return flight

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