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WIZZ MAGAZINE
crossesherself acoupleof timesbefore
each ride. “Theonlyproblem is the
electricity,” saysNioradze,whouses
the rope road toget to school eachday.
“Sometimes they stop thecars.”When
thathappens, sheadds, theoperators
have towincheachcarmanually. It’s
gruellingwork.
I suggest that thecarsareabeautiful,
awesomeaddition to the rough-hewn
landscape.Nioradzecracksawarm
smile. “I suppose–youcould see it that
way,” she says. “A lotofpeopleare inter-
ested in theplace.”
Theminesarenowownedbyan
Americanconglomerate thathas
promised theminersbetterwagesand
Fly toKutaisi withWizz
Air. Book at
wizzair.com
or
download theWizzAir app.
abrighter future.Thereareevenplans
toupgrade the rope road.Mostof the
people I spoke to inChiaturawelcomed
the ideaof anewcablecar system–one
that showed the intentof anationwhose
stature isgrowing.Others, however, can’t
help feelingnostalgicabout thehis-
toric skyways, aconstant reminder that
Chiatura, a tiny town in themiddleof a
small country,wasonceaglobal power-
house. “If youwant to seewhat theSoviet
Union really looked like,” saysMagar,
“just visitChiatura!”
FOURPEAKSCHALLENGE
Bakuriani
Southof Chiatura, Bakuriani is a resort
sitting 1,700m above sea level in the
Trialeti Rangeof the Lesser Caucasus
Mountains. Famous for producing
someof Georgia’s bestwinter
athletes, the town hosts horseback
riding, cross-country trailing and its
famous 25m ski jump.
Gori
Around two hours fromKutaisi, Gori
is best known as thebirthplaceof
JosephStalin, but is packedwith
historydating a lot further back than
him. Gori Fortress, which looms over
the small city, was built in the 13th
century and isworth the hike. Nearly
10km further east is the ancient rock-
cut townof Uplistsikhe, oneof the
oldest settlements inGeorgia.
Gudauri
InGeorgia’s north isGudauri, a ski
resort that alsooffers paragliding
and a host of other activities,
nestled among theGreater Caucasus
Mountains just a short ride from the
borderwith theRussianRepublic of
NorthOssetia-Alania.
Stepantsminda
Buriedbeneath theCaucasian
foothills, not far from theRussian
border, is this historicplace named
after aGeorgianmonk, Stephan,
who constructed a hermitage
there. Pretty enough for its
dramatic, snow-capped
backdrop, the town is also
popularwithhikers, whooften
trek to the 14th-century
Gergeti TrinityChurch.
Gori, 588m
Gudauri, 2,196m
Stepantsminda,
1,740m
Bakuriani, 1,700m
