Day 22: Driving Through the Valley of Georgian Castles, Yusofeli 30 Comments

This entry was posted in Travel Turkey and tagged 2018 Asia Breathtaking Views Castles Motorhome Mountain Pass Mountains Photography Travel Walks Wild Camping on

All night long the young mountain stream keeps up a light roar. The cool waters kept the air slightly damp and fresh, which is a relief in this hot and humid climate. I wake to find Craig is already up and about but no where to be seen. I shoot out of bed calling his name, but no reply. Panic sets in then I spot him through the corner of my eye. He is filling his bucket with fresh spring water to wash off the dust and tar marks.  I open the door and Mac n Tosh dash outside to say hello. I shout over “Morning chuck, fancy a night cuppa?” to which Craig smiles and nods…and so the day begins…

Over the bridge we go and almost immediately the road starts to wind. The road coils along a gorge beside a riverbed. The river trickles over stones and boulders with periodic bone dry mountain streams that join eventually join the river.  Today the river trickles but it bears the scars of fierce torrents of the past. In several places the concrete bridge section has collapsed and been washed away. Temporary walking bridges made of rope and wood slats connect the tiny villages with the outside world.  

From here a dirt track takes us through a small village. A landscape of dry stone walled terraces and half timber and half stone dwellings. The men wave as they hand dig the footings for a new wall. It looks like they are trying to divert a little stream away from the road? We hand some sweets to a little boy, who grins, laughs and then runs off.  As we head out the village the landscape starts to change and soon we find we are in a valley of endless castles.  

This area was once part of the medieval kingdom of Georgia, with numerous churches and castles to show for it.  The whole landscape is not only beautiful but it is dotted with seldom visited castles mixing characteristics of Armenian, Seljuk and Persian. On ever peak you can see some sort of stone ruin. Most just resemble a wall or a small building but some are quite grand and form part of the Golden Age. 

Castle at Tekkale

The Byzantines and Georgians coexisted relatively harmoniously, but the Seljuk Turks’ arrival in 1064 destabilised the area.  In 1122, King David IV defeated the Seljuks and he reunified Georgia with Tbilisi and the southwest provinces. So began the ‘golden age’ for Georgian culture. 

The road inland climbed through ash and oak woods into a land of goat bells, soft green grass and stone houses surrounded by piles of hazelnut shells.  In the main, the road remains tarmac with the occasional bumpy section.  At first we thought it was an unpaved road but then realised it was tarmac covered in mud and landslide.

Rare Selfie

 

We were on our way to Yayla land, but first we head through the village of Yusofeli for one enormous loaf and some kofta’s. Sadly, this village is like a ticking time bomb and at some point it will be buried under water.  The massive hydro dam that lurks behind the town will soon open its flood gates and Yusofeli will be no longer. The government has relocated some of the people to ‘new Yusofeli’ high above the dam waters but the 8,000 locals are struggling to leave their homes. 

Diggers & Dust

The existence of a road at all in this desperately part of the mountains is something of a miracle. With harsh winters and extreme conditions that constantly flood, slide or perish the roads.  It seems to be maintained by the local villagers with diggers and trucks stationed at points along the route. If you stop for a minute and take in the surroundings and road, it looks like you are travelling on a big ledge.  Its like Caminito Del Rey but for cars not people.

A tata car comes hurling at us round a tight bend and as we go through the elaborate ritual of manoeuvring past each.   I feel some relief that we are hugging the rock face and not watching the loose chipping roll off to the unknown depths below. But the thoughts of anyone crashing over the side makes my stomach flip….”Craig, I really am shitting myself here, this ain’t funny” to which he replied “Do I look like I am bloody laughing?”. I shut up, closed my eyes and hummed aloud…god save our gracious queen lalala.

Progress seems positively slow but rewarding from Barhil to Yaylalar as the last 20 kilometres are unpaved. Here the walls of the gorge close in and Vin slots in to a low gear as we grind along, clinging to the roller coaster track.  At one moment rising so high above the river that we can no longer hear its roar. Then next plunging to within range of its rock tossed spray. All the time bumping and juddering over half cleared piles of rubble that fling us from side to side like folk shaking off a fever. Mac n Tosh brace as the contents of the cupboards bash like crazy. 

Vin plods along

Six hours of mountain driving and we near our destination. We climbing out of the last cultivated valley, which now lies far below us. Thanks to Craig taking Vin on a vertical adventure. Leaving me with nothing less than an immediate colonic and two petrified dogs. I would highly recommend you think twice before following in our footsteps to Yaylalar.  Unless of course, you love being scared out your wits.

Anyway,  we tuck into the massive rubble strewn flanks of the mountain side like a fig leaf on a grey marble statue. We level out at our highest ever sleeping pointing in a motorhome 2100 metres. With amazing views and surrounded by saw tooth mountains our butt clenching journey here is soon forgotten. We’ve reached Yayla land!

Our parking spot…you can just see Vin

Our Bumble paid camping spot Yaylalar N040.866859,E041.256971

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