Route 9
9. Duisi - Dzibachewi – Bacara - Batana, (duration 5 hours)
We advise as a part of:
9. Duisi - Dzibachewi - Bacara- Batana - Kochadala - Hadori- Dzibachewi - Duisi, (duration 2-3 days)
We can travel by car from Duisi to Batana, or on horseback from Dzibachewi village (as well as from Duisi). Then from Batany to Khoczadala and Hadorwe travel on foot or on horseback.
We suggest to go by car and horses, depending on quality of the roads.
We travel north from Duisi to Dzibachewi, last village in Pankisi by car. After reaching Dzibachewi we can stay in the car or switch to a pony.
From the main road in Dzibachewi, we turn left behind a bridge. We pass an entry to Bacarski National Park, where the park’s museum is. National Park begins from deciduous forest, in which found relic yew trees. Higher, closer to crests yew's grow in clusters. The museum is being renovated at present, there also are plans to build a hotel by it.
We go further straight, on first larger cross roads we turn left uphill. Alazani all the time flows near us and several times we have to cross it.
We approach the Bebris Tapis pass (18 kilometres from Duisi). Its name comes from oldman's name - Bebris who lived in this place. Tapis means “place” in Kistinian.
A nice view stretches from the pass over Nakerala High Caucasus mountains.
From the pass we go all the time in up the mountain. It was built by Tushins in 2007 r. and at present it leads to the next pass named Batana, situated high in the mountains.
There are Tushin and Kistinian shepherds' summer huts and shelters on Batana. Beautiful views stretch from tat place over the peaks of High Caucasus. Shepherds live in this place since June to the end of September. They supervise pasturage of sheep's herds, cows and goats. Tushins keep pigs near their shelters, what signalizes that, there are no Kists around, but only Georgian highlanders.
Shepherds through the whole season make different kinds of whey and cheese from cow’s, sheep's and goat’s milk. Surely they will show us individual production stages, and treat us with what they already made.
In every place where there the shepherds are we can encounter also dogs - Caucasian sheep-dogs looking after herds and defending them from wolves. One should keep caution, and not move till their owner will come and call the dogs. After spending some time in shepherds' company dogs stop paying attention to the guests. They thing of guests as a part of the herd.
You can spend night in Batana, but we recommend to go further, 500 meters down to next kistinian shepherds' hostel place named Kochadala. There is much more space and a river in which you can swim.
