Abuli Fortress, Big Abuli, Chikiani Menhir

It's mid-October and I've said goodbye to hiking in the mountains... This is always a stressful stage for me. After the free fall, the fields saturated with the breeze, the colorful alpine flowers, the peaks, the spaces, the rustling, the whispering of the world and the breathtaking air, comes the period of the city, noise, chaos, dust and shortness of breath. However, this is not a story of farewells and urban bustle, but a story of unexpected adventures.
On a completely ordinary autumn day, when I was lost in gray thoughts and lost in my spleen, an old acquaintance wrote to me: What cool places you go to, I want to go too, I used to go on one-day tours and now I want to try bigger hikes. I didn't hesitate either and, suddenly excited by the opened perspectives, I said - let's go, I really wanted to wander in Javakheti this year and here you are - and so I said. Thus, an ordinary day destined for melancholy turned into the beginning of an amazing journey. Suddenly, another fellow hiker joined us. I introduced the route, maps, sights, planned to visit Abuli Fortress and Didi Abuli , and in 2 or 3 days we set off on the Ninotsminda minibus towards our dreams (it may sound unbelievable, but yes, sometimes minibuses lead us to dreams). The views from the windows were getting more and more inspiring and we couldn't wait to set off on the winding paths leading to Abuli Castle. Paravan also appeared, our first stop was the village of Gandza, located near Lake Paravani. We arrived in the village and were in the process of hanging up our bags and packing up when we heard a call. It turned out that the kind owner of a local cafe was calling us, who welcomed us with coffee and waffles and even gave us a lift. From Gandza to the foot of Patara Abuli (the Abuli Castle is built on the slopes of Patara Abuli) there is a dirt road for cars. Easy terrain, a pleasant breeze, so we reached the castle completely untiringly. Along the way, wide, open spaces and Paravani adorned our view. The fortress looks like a pile of stones from below, if you can perceive even a little trace of architecture, but when you climb up and get closer, the impressions exceed all expectations. This monumental building, built 3000 years ago, with thick walls, built of huge stones, but simple and laconic, takes your breath away. You will be amazed at how they created all this, how this cyclopean, impeccably built fortress has survived to this day. Even underground chambers and hiding places have been preserved, with roofs made entirely of stone slabs. That night we camped near the Abuli fortress. Another wonder was the starry sky and the shooting stars.
The next day we set off for Didi Abuli and discovered that it had snowed on the summit that night. All the way we were hoping that the clouds would not move away from the peak of Abuli, that we would see snow on the slopes, and then the sky would clear up. You will be surprised, and that is what happened. When we reached the foot of the mountain, the clouds slowly cleared and we could see Didi Abuli in all its beauty and grandeur, and snow on the slopes. Nothing compares to the feeling of standing on the summit. I think anyone who has experienced this will remain forever poisoned by peaks, there is no cure. An amazing Georgian mountaineer, Alexandra Japaridze, described her first encounter with the glacier as follows: "I looked up at the peak... The first rays of the sun illuminate its gray-haired mane, gray-haired indeed, because here and there black rocks are visible through the snow and ice. The surroundings provide shade, and to the already proud and beautiful, the rays of the sun add even more pride and beauty. It draws you towards itself, and so strongly that rarely can anyone resist it. You want to get close, touch it, put your hand on its head and let it sway. This is the only hero who has captured and enslaved my heart" - these words come to mind when climbing each mountain. We looked down at the earth from 3305 meters. Waves of clouds moved from the vast expanses and slid between the hills, the sea of clouds slowly swept over the mountains and rested on their slopes. The snow and the white sea sparkled in the sun's rays. From this dream, we gradually began to descend towards the cozy tents. The next day, another megalith - the Chikiani menhir awaited us.
On the third day, rested and full of unforgettable impressions, we went back to the village. From Ganzdi to the Chikiani menhir, which you can easily spot from the road. The menhir was a megalith of cult significance. Thousands of years ago, people prayed to nature here for food, fertile land, and fertility... This three-meter-high boulder standing tall in an open field is an amazing sight. Megaliths are a world shrouded in mysteries. And all this seems even more magical when fog covers every view and in the whiteness you see only the huge monolith and scattered black polished obsidian fragments.
Captivated by this mysticism, we decided to relax. Filled with boundless emotions, we were not happy to return to Tbilisi and spent one night near the menhir, shrouded in fog. On the fourth day, we set off by hitchhiking, each of us bringing our own adventure, our own history, and new plans...