Category: Transcaucasian Trail
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Introducing The Armenian National Trail: A New Village-To-Village Hiking Route
On May 16 2023, in the leafy surrounds of Yerevan Botanical Gardens, the Armenian State Tourism Committee and HIKEArmenia announced their intention to create the Armenian National Trail, a new national hiking route across Armenia. In attendance were government officials, tourism development representatives, long-time members of the hiking community… and the small crew of trail…
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Breaking: Former Traveller Recreates Feeling Of Adventure At Home (Again)
The moment I decided to stop travelling, put down roots, and buy a house (on the pretext that I needed somewhere to store my bikes and camping gear), some deeply buried part of my brain started looking for ways to make it feel like I was actually still travelling. Iām certainly not the first. And…
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The story of the volunteers hacking a 3,000km path across the Caucasus Mountains
I recently penned this 1,500-word piece for Horizon Guides, whose founder Matt Iāve known for many years. Their mission is to expand our understanding of the world through guides, journals and curated travel experience ā a mission that has much in common with my own. There is no particular blueprint for creating a long-distance hiking…
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Guest Post for Home Of Millican: Building The Transcaucasian Trail
Originally published at homeofmillican.com. In an obscure corner of Armenia, in the town of Dilijan, just shy of the central square, a rickety wooden staircase leads up from the street, through the trees, and into the unknown. If you climb these stairs and follow the red-and-white symbols, youāll rise far above town along pathways etched…
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The Gegham Mountains: Exploring Armeniaās Volcanic Backcountry
The Gegham Mountains are an imposing chain of volcanic domes that bisects Armenia from north to south. For most of the year they are impenetrable due to a thick layer of snow. But come June, as snow starts to melt, the countryās tent-dwelling Yezidi nomads drive their cattle from lowland plains to graze beneath the…
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Applications Now Open For 2019’s Fundraising Treks In Armenia & Georgia
A very quick heads-up that places on the Transcaucasian Trail group fundraising hikes in 2019 are now available. Click here for the dates and details and, if the fancy takes you, to register your participation. I’ve been helping design and promote these treks for the last couple of years, and they’ve proved to be a…
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5 Ancient Monasteries In Armenia’s Dilijan National Park (& How To Hike To Them)
The experience of exploring Armenia on foot is characterised by three things: an abundance of breath-taking landscapes, being invited in by locals to drink homemade oghi (vodka), and stumbling upon at least one ancient church or monastery per day. Dilijan National Park ā part of the forested northeastern province of Tavush ā is no exception to…
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How To Get Involved With The Transcaucasian Trail
This Transcaucasian Trail thing has really snowballed. Itās got to the point where my life as a āself-unemployed creative nomad fuelled by travel and adventureā seems like a distant memory. Weekly blogs? Monthly newsletters? Hah! ā youāre kidding, right? During a much-needed bikepacking escape over the winter, and on the advice of a good friend,…
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Doing It Right: The Politics Of Hiking Trail Development In The Caucasus
When I decided last summer to build the Transcaucasian Trail, I had no idea just what kind of a political mess I was getting myself into. I donāt mean the regional geopolitics of the Caucasus, either. Thatās actually pretty clear-cut. Some areas are off-limits, some borders are closed. Thankfully, none of this actually affects a…
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Mestia to Ushguli: Is Svaneti In Danger Of Losing Its Mysticism?
Agendas ā hidden or otherwise ā seem to play a big part in trail development. Sometimes there is a peace-building motive, knitting together fragmented nations by means of a common travel corridor. More often an effort is framed in terms of the future financial benefits, which usually boils down to a simple equation between more…