Tbilisi (GE) – Camp Sevan (AM) – Day 8 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – Welcome to Armenia!

After a full day of resting, on the eighth day of our adventure in the Caucasus we were full of energy, and prepared to say goodbye to lovely Georgia. The only ones who stayed behind were the guys from Rabbit Software, who decided to wait for their companions. The rest of us continued our journey […]

Continue Reading

Ambrolauri (GE) – Tbilisi (GE) – Day 6 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – An easy drive to Tbilisi

Last night a massive storm hit the Western part of Georgia, knocking the power out in some of the more remote villages and towns in the area. But thunder does not scare the brave adventurers of the Caucasian Challenge, who also had plenty of wine to help them sleep through it like babies. 

Continue Reading

Ambrolauri and Khvanchkara Vineyards, the Best Place For Georgian Wine

A small town in Western Georgia, Ambrolauri is the regional capital of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions, and a place all wine lovers should visit, no naturally, it’s one of the major stops on our route. The town was first mentioned in the 17th century, when it was known as one of the residences […]

Continue Reading

Mestia (GE) – Ambrolauri (GE) – Day 5 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – Georgian Wine Heaven

Our adventure in the Caucasus takes us through three off-road trails, and the journey from Mestia to Ambroulari was our second such trail. And when we say off-road, we don’t just mean “bumpy”; we’re talking dusty, rocky mountain paths that can take several hours to cross. Some trails can’t be done with 2 wheel drive, […]

Continue Reading

Kutaisi (GE) – Mestia (GE) – Day 4 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – Doing the Chacha

We all had a very interesting day yesterday, but it was time for us to continue our journey and head for Mestia. We left early in the morning, although we only had 253 km to cover. Even so, one never knows what unexpected surprises await on the road. And we had our fair share of […]

Continue Reading

Mestia, a Small Jewel in the Heart of the Caucasus Mountains

Located at an altitude of 1,500 m (the equivalent of 4,921 feet) in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, Mestia is an important stop for all tourists visiting Georgia and a highlight for us whenever we come to the Caucasus. The townlet – or daba in Georgian – is found 128 km northeast of the regional capital […]

Continue Reading

Batumi (GE) – Kutaisi (GE) – Day 3 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – A Day Full of Surprises

Day 3 of the Caucasian Challenge was full of pleasant surprises. At least for some of us. The German team was up bright and early, as usual, and was the first one to be on its way. Then the rest of us followed. It was going to be a fine day for driving in Georgia, […]

Continue Reading

Sinop (TR) – Batumi (GE) – Day 2 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – The Longest Journey

We love Sinop so much that we usually spend two days in this city, but this year was different. Knowing that a very long journey awaited us today, we had to take off early in the morning in order to reach the new camping spot in time. But that didn’t quite happen as planned… Before […]

Continue Reading

Istanbul (TR) – Sinop (TR) – Day 1 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – Camping by the seaside

When you’re on the Caucasian Challenge, sleeping in is not an option. At least not on the first day, when we have a 734-kilometre drive ahead, and there are so many things to sort out before we actually take off. We meet in the hotel lobby early in the morning, welcome everyone with a short […]

Continue Reading

Istanbul – Day 0 of the Caucasian Challenge 2014 – The Big Gathering

A lot of excitement has built up over the past few weeks, as we’ve all been eager to embark on this adventure. But the day we’ve been looking forward to has finally come. We’re here in Istanbul and we love it. This is where it all begins, this is ground 0. The adventure will take […]

Continue Reading