Defeat

By unpaved, rocky, rutted mountain road.

We headed up into the mountains from Mestia towards Lentekhi.

The roads were atrocious, and so steep that it was first gear territory.

After more than an hour (having covered all of 11 klicks), when we stopped at a small crest to take some photos (this one among them), we were approached by some guys in a Mitsubishi Pajero coming the other way.

They told us our 'Auto hat kein chance. No chance.' of making it down the other side of the mountain. They had trouble in their 4x4 Mitsi with good ground clearance...

We turned round and went back down towards Batumi, and then east towards Gori, along a road the FCO recommends against all travel on because of bandits and the occasional shooting. Nevermind, we did our best to avoid it.



Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM.