Route 14
14. Horad¿o - Czhatana
We advise it as a part of:13. Route Omalo – Horad¿o – Czhatana – Nakera³a – Omalo (duration 3-4 days)
After a stop in Horad¿o our path leads further up the mountain. Nearby, on the left side, we notice that long time ago there had to be some buildings here. We go through the forest which thins out again - judging by wild fruit trees, numerous blackberries' bushes and terrain form, again we can presume, that we are passing an old Kistinian colony. We enter the forest then again, path rises up the mountain, until widespread meadows appear in the end. The valley which we traveled closes slowly behind us. We reach Czhata, shepherds’ village, in which we will stop for the night (about 1,15 h from Horad¿o). There is a nice place take a bath by the stream, close to the shelters.
Two Kistinian families from Omalo live in Czhatana from May to September. They raise cattle. Since we stop here for the night we recommend to take a closer look on the buildings. They are shelters made of stone, each consists of one-room living quarter and a kind of a porch.
All shelters are really old, and full of tools and equipments. Wooden wide benches serving for sleeping are focal pieces of furniture in the room. Meals are prepared on open fire, outside on the porch.
A pot or a kettle with mountain herb tea or coffee is placed on top of wooden logs based directly by a wall of the shelter. Smoked cheeses is hanging over a hearth.
While staying in Czhatana we can be go on short trips in closest neighborhood. Right behind the village there are two small cemeteries - Georgian and Kistinian. And right in front of Czhatana there is a path leading to a mountain spring - wild mountain goats chose it for a watering place. We can also hike to a ridge from which we can to admire Didgora lake. There is an old Orthodox church nearby the settlement, in which few of Omalo villagers celebrate shepherd's holiday Peris Cwaleba (19th of August). This Christian holiday is, celebrated also by Moslem Kists. When autumn comes, grasses and lives become yellow and villagers go out to the pastures, they feast together thanking for a good year.
In Czhatana we can also hear legends about nearby places. There is a cave above the settlement in which one can hear the swoosh of sea. Men say, that there used to be a tunnel linking Czhatana to the sea. Shepherds used to shout loudly near this place, in order keep to animals from approaching this cave. This is well-known place among shepherds, very recently it was covered up by an avalanche. In other place there is Sakwawizgori lake, where a ram drown trying to have a drink. Shepherds tried to stop the animal, but they fell to the water with him and also drowned. Supposedly they were found dead in the Black Sea. According to other tales Chechnyan guerrillas hiding in the valley from Russian soldiers hid in local "tunnels”.
