One of the most popular destinations for a hike in the proximity of Mestia is Chaaladi glacier. A very easy walk can take you there, following along a dirt road this would even be considered boring by some. Loud trucks, driving to and from a mystery construction site in the area, were turning this into a rather unpleasant experience. Luckily we were rescued from walking those first few kilometers by a nice British guy who spontaneously offered us a lift to the start of the trail towards the glacier, an offer we gladly accepted! At the end of the road there is a parking where we left the car behind and after crossing an old, narrow, icy bridge the real hike could begin. The path almost 7 km (both ways) leads through the forest. Unfortunately, heavy clouds caused very low visibility and no stunning views this day.

Since our hike this day turned out to be very short, we decided to visit one of the three museums in Mestia, and opted for the Mikheil Khergiani House Museum. The choice was obvious, I couldn’t miss my chance to visit the house of this legendary Georgian alpinist :) The museum, displays a collection of old climbing equipment, personal items of this climber, many photos, medals which Khergiani won in countless competitions and other mementos. He was honored by the Soviet Union for his achievements. He died during one of the climbs in Dolomites, at the age of 37. Despite the museum is not very big, it shows clearly his prominent climbs and how meaningful his influence was on another nations, especially to the British who called him “Tiger of the rocks”. Furthermore, it was possible to visit one of Mestia’s characteristic towers (connected to the museum) and see how people were living there more than 60 years ago.

Practical info:

  • Admission fee to the museum - 3 lari