Etseri-Mazeri

A great one-day hike that takes you over Baki pass. Explore Etseri in the first part, admire Ushba from Baki, and finally pass the Meziri oasis: tiny lake, 10th century Archangel’s church and a glimpse of Becho waterfalls.

This hike starts in Etseri, about a 35-min drive from Mestia. The trail is marked red and white, the first part follows a wide dirt road that is used a lot by locals. First you will be passing through a few villages of the Etseri community, then the road starts going up into the alpine meadows where villagers keep their cattle in summer, and over Baki pass (highest point for today, 2460 m). Great views of Ushba, surrounding glaciers,  Dolra valley and the Svaneti Range. After you pass Baki and start descending, you will come across a place called Meziri: an alpine meadow with a small church devoted to the Archangel Michael. Beyond the church there is a small lake, probably the only lake in Svaneti where you can catch a reflection of Ushba. From near the lake you can already see Becho waterfalls in the distance and village Mazeri below you. The trail goes down through a forest and finally merges with a wider forest road that descends into Mazeri. The driver will pick you up near Grand Hotel Ushba, straight after the bridge (location “2” on the map below).

There are no technically difficult parts on this trail, but the elevation changes are significant, so you really need to be in good physical shape to enjoy it.

Please note that the official trail goes in the other direction. You start at location “8” and finish at location “2”. This way you do the trail facing Ushba instead of having it behind your back.

Photographs in order of the trail