Impressions Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007 by Jan Mongard

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Sheep descending from the Summer pastures

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

View from the Abanao-Pass

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Camp site

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Tushetian Horses

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

A shepherder

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

A puppy

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Hot tea

Cattle Drive Tusheti 2007, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Delicious Tushetian cheese made by the shepherders

Many Thanks to Jan ! All images by Jan Mongard, who took part in our Cattle Drive 2007. More information on our next Cattle Drive in Tusheti Georgia September 2008 here

http://www.kaukasus-reisen.de/english_version/e_tusheti-cattle-drive2008.html

View from Indurta, Tusheti

indurta-view, originally uploaded by grijsz.

View from our camp in Indurta, Tusheti, Georgia Caucasus, seen from Irakli Papashvili's Camp site

More historic Tushetian photos documented by Alex JTB

On TRANSCAUCASUS here:

http://transcaucasian.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-old-photographs.html

Mountain network B&B

mountain-network900-2, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Dshuta (Juta) call in advance 00995 99 533239 or ask in the village for Jago Arabuli

Shatili call in advance 00995 77 729362 or ask in the village for Vasha Chincharauli

Korsha (behind Barissakho) ask for Shota Arabuli

Roshka ask for Ivane Tsiklauri

Ardoti ask for Murgvar Ardoteli

Cesho ask for Murtazi

Cesho ask for Bakuri

Zemo Alvani and Dartlo call in advance 00995 99 964839 or ask for Manana Idoidze

Shenako ask for Kako

Indurta ask for Irakli Papashvili

Ninigori (3km before Lagodekhi) call in advance 00995 93 344615 or ask for Simoni Nareshelashvili

Prices may change, ask in advance

How to reanimate a Tushetian race horse or not

Alex describes witnessing the traditional horse race at Zezvaoba-Dalaoba here:
http://transcaucasian.blogspot.com/2007/05/zezwaoba-dalaoba.html

If I had seen the mountains again

If I had seen the mountains again.
If I had saddled my horse again,
And placed colourful saddlebags on him again,
To go into the mountains.

If I could pass through Tbatana again,
For the children to hand me apples.
If I had once again seen the Bats horses on the Mountain of the Kists.
If I could return to the source of the Alazani.

If I had milked the nanny goats one last time,
And oncemore carried the wooden pail full of milk.
If only I could return to Tsovata again,
And return from there and die here.

Alexander Bainbridge does a wonderful research on the language and culture of the Bats People from Tsovata Tusheti on Transcaucasus here and here

Alexander Bainbridge on research of Bats culture

Alexander Bainbridge is saving important particles of what is left of Bats language, history, personal photos, culture, identity. Go on discovery with him on:
http://transcaucasian.blogspot.com/2007/04/step-4-meet-bats-people.html

Map Tusheti 07

map-tusheti-07new80, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Selfmade ;-)

Cattle drive romantic journey September 2007 Tusheti

treck-abano-pass, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Sheep, cattle, horses, dogs, campfires, mountains, meadows, sun and rain, hail and snow:

See the marvellous beauty of pure life on the road over the mountains with Tushetian shepherders in Autumn 2007

Travel date:

24.09. to 08.10. 2007

Number of participants: 4-6

Travel programme in short

24.09. Transfer from Tbilisi to Zemo Alvani in Kakheti
25.09. Travel with 4WD over the Caucasus Range and the Abano-pass to Tusheti
26.09.-29.09. Excursions into the villages Chesho, Parsma, Girevi/preparations for the Cattle drive
30.09. - 04.10. Cattle drive through Tusheti over the Abanopass 2870 m to Zemo Alvani in the Kakhetian Wine region
05.10. - 06.10. Join the traditional Alaverdoba-feast in Zemo Alvani and Alaverdi
07.10. Return journey to Tbilissi
08.10. Departure, or extension of the stay in Georgia

All information on this Adventure journey here
http://www.kaukasus-reisen.de/tusheti-cattle-drive2007.htm

German/Deutsch
Viehtrieb Tuschetien Georgien 2007 Link

Tusheti, Road from Abano-Pass down to Kakheti

tusheti-road-from-Abano-Pass, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Going this road is always an exitement

Silence

natia-sheep, originally uploaded by grijsz.

The girl did know, what happens to sheep, but still had a sad time, Cesho, Tusheti, Georgia, Sakartvelo

Baking Tushetian bread

tushetian-bread, originally uploaded by grijsz.

in a Shepherders camp in Indurta. The bread itselfs takes 10-15 minutes. Its very tasty.

Fresh trout

fresh-trout3, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Drawing of the Tsovata Valley

tsowata-draw, originally uploaded by grijsz.

View from Indurta in the shepherders camp of Irakli Papashvili.

Tushs in Tsovata

tuschen, originally uploaded by grijsz.

We had a wonderful time in Tsovata, thanks to Besso, Valeri, Claude, Tamasi, Irakli and Petre.
Indurta 2006

Thanks to Irakli Papashvili I had the chance to learn some of the Bats Language, some examples here:

Bread- Mekg
Water- Khi
Bridge- Tiv
Horse- Don
Cow- Jed
Dog- Pluh
Village- Pekh
Mountain- Gornak
Wolf- Börts
Bear- Tsha
Shep- Cherle
Fish- Tshar
Eagle- Artsiv
Bird- Hadsuk

Alaia found back in Girevi

alaia-girevi, originally uploaded by grijsz.

I was not sure at all but thanks to Pore and Anton I found my dog Alaia back in the outpost of Girevi in a very good mood and health. I decided to leave her there, in a marvellous place and shepherders paradise and will visit Alaia once in a while.

Photos from Tusheti

pridon-tushet, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Photos by various photographers, collected by Pridon Beroshvili
http://www.akhmeta.ge/gal/Tusheti/fototush.htm

Indurta

tusheti-idurta, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Tusheti

Tusheti. Hans Heiner Buhr 2005, Litho


Treck. Hans Heiner Buhr 2005

In search for Alaia

Alaia on the right

Last October while crossing the Abano pass with local shepherders I lost at nighttime my female dog Alaia, probably she got frightend by strange shepherd dogs of a nearby camp we had to pass. As I sat on horseback she could not find my trace by nose either and she went back to Cesho some 30 km away. I hoped she would find us the same night or the next morning, but not. In the winter local villagers from Cesho told me, that she returned to Cesho on her own, and then maybe joined a camp of border guards near Girevi. This year the passes to Tusheti opened 12 days ago. I hope to be in Tusheti around 18th of July. If she survived the winter, then she probably gave birth to a bunch of puppies. If you, dear reader, find my dog by accident, drop me a comment on where did you spot her.

Alaia is originally from village Arkhoty, Akhieli in Khevsureti, where Dshardshi gave her to me in July 2004 for present. As a puppy she crossed with me Roshka-Pass and Datvis Jvari-Pass to Shatili. I really hope to find her this summer alive in Tusheti. She is now 2 years old, and a very kind dog.


Alaia as a puppy of 2 month