What to know before you go

Day 3: Adichie to Ibrary

• distance: 19 km (11 mi)
• Total elevation gain: 860 meters (2,820 ft)
• time: 7-8 hours

Note: Iprari is also sometimes written as “Iprali”. Strange, I know. Whatever is written, they are both in the same place.

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Today is the hardest. It’s also probably the most beautiful. It is definitely the most versatile.

Most people, when you ask them what their favorite day from Mestia to Ushguli is, will tell you it’s today. I don’t have enough backbone to make a decision, but today is definitely a contender.

Anyway, you’re starting the day with Adichie leaving. You’ll follow a path through fields, while walking parallel to the river for about an hour or a little more. Sometimes, you are close to the river; Sometimes I was far from it. The meadow-like views are beautiful here, as you pass a lone church.

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About 60 to 90 minutes after leaving Adichie, it’s time to cross the river I already told you about. Here, you will find locals with horses. Give them 25 lari, and they will put you on a horse, and that horse will cross the river.

There is a small possibility that you will be able to cross the river without the help of a horse. To do this, you will need to take off your shoes, roll up your pants, and head slightly downstream. Using walking sticks, check to see if it is possible to cross it on foot. It probably won’t be the case, but it’s worth checking.

Anyway, after you cross the river by whatever method you choose to cross, prepare for the steepest part of the entire trip. Right after crossing the river, you will reach the forest, and start heading uphill. After about an hour, the forest will open up and you will see the Adichie Glacier. Take a short break here, because the steep incline continues.

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The remainder of the slope is open, rather than forested. You get excellent mountain views. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the entire trip. After about an additional hour, you will reach Chkhunderi Pass. Located at 2,655 meters (8,710 feet), it is the highest point of today’s trek, and the highest point of the entire walk.

Stop here to eat, before heading down the hillAnd to the next valley. After about an additional 90 minutes of walking along a beautiful river, you will reach the village of Khalde. Stop here for your last break of the day, before following the road for about an hour. This road (sometimes a dirt road, sometimes asphalt) will take you to Ibriri, where you will spend the night.

Pro Tip: When you sit at Chkhunderi Pass, you may decide to take an extra turn for some extra views. To do this, head northeast along the ridge, rising above the glacier. Going there and back will take about 45 minutes. Obviously this gives you a better view of the glacier and mountains, but because I’m such a pessimist, I find it hard to believe how that could be true. Try it yourself and see.

Pro tip #2: Although each day of the trip has a lot of downs (and even though today has a lot of ups), today is the most downhill-heavy day. So, if you have trekking poles (which you should!), today is definitely a good time to use them.