Adventure Travel in Caucasus Continues with the Caucasian Challenge through Georgia

Adventure travel in Caucasus keeps exciting the intrepid participants of the Caucasian Challenge 2016. The first three days of the rally witnessed the participants race through the Black Sea region of Turkey through the lush woods of Georgia.

The ninth Caucasian Challenge of The Travel Scientists is running towards the high mountains of Georgia which show off their sublime beauty with utmost elegance. The teams of gallant adventurers departed from Istanbul on Tuesday to complete the track which runs for 4,000 km through the Armenian capital Yerevan.

The teams include racers from Belgium, the UK, and Hungary. Internationality of the event is quite vital as the Caucasian Challenge 2016 offers freedom and space. Participants were free to enter the competition with vehicles of their choices. Some participants have driven through the steep mountains of the Caucasus by powerful 4WDs while some of them have chosen to increase the level of adventure riding an old Subaru Justy. If you are wondering about how to get started in rally racing, you can simply follow the path of the adventurous Caucasian Challenge racers and hit the road even if you don’t have a fancy car. Being a rally racer is everyone’s natural right.

Adventure Travel in Caucasus Starts Right Across the Turkey-Georgia Border

The participants aimed to cross the whole Turkey via the highway goes by the Black Sea. The real adventure started right after the border crossing as the Turkey part of the challenge was quite smooth due to highly developed highway system in Turkey. We will talk about the off-road driving experience in Georgia; however, let’s see what happened in the first 2 days in Turkey.

Black Sea Region of Turkey

As we already mentioned that the participants were dying for driving on the mountain roads of Georgia, which is among the most enjoyable activities for adventure travel in Caucasus. Therefore, the rally cars speeded across Turkey’s Northern Black Sea region. Most of the teams used the highway to reach Sinop which was the first stop on the way to Georgia. Sinop is the city located on the northern-most tip of Turkey. The city is famous for its amazing cuisine and the Fortress Prison (now a museum), also known as the Alcatraz of Minor Asia, where many famous Turkish writers, journalists, and politicians were held captive in the 20^th century.

Turkish Food

We talked about the smoothness of the Turkey stage of the run. However, the press team managed to boost the level of excitement choosing a rural way through the beautiful villages of the Black Sea region. Everything was perfect up until they encountered a bridge which was washed away during a landslide. They lost quite a lot of time but they managed to join the rest of the participants in Sinop who were already enjoying the natural life at a camping by the sea.

Washed away Bridge

After spending a night in Sinop watching the amazing view of the Black Sea while enjoying drinks and divine Turkish food, the participants hit the road on the second day with the aim of crossing the Turkey-Georgia border. Due to the congestion at the border, the teams had to wait around seven hours to cross to the Georgian side. Well, of course it wasn’t such a pleasant wait, but, it was an opportunity to make new friends. For instance, some of the participants befriended a bus driver who offered drinks, snacks, and a place to sleep in the bust to the participants.

Once the participants arrived in Georgia, the adventure travel in Caucasus literally started as the bumpy roads of Georgia welcomed them right away. The final destination the day 2 was Batumi. The Adjaran capital’s fascinating 19^th century and the pleasant harbor made it an amazing start for the Georgian leg of the trip.

When You See Cows on the Road, You Know Your Caucasian Challenge is On

After Turkey’s safe-to-drive highways, Georgia’s dirt roads were more exciting for adventure travelers. They had to get past of such obstacles as rebellious cows on the roads. However, the breathtaking view of the Caucasus mountains helped the participants forget every hardship that they have been through during the trip.

Another significant challenge in Georgia was that it was hard to find an English-speaking local. When the participants asked for a fast food restaurant, they were directed to this place:

A Local Market in Georgia

They didn’t give up though. They again asked for directions, and they ended up giving a ride to an old Georgian, who had knowledge of neither Russian nor English, half an hour down the road.

A Mountain Road in Georgia

After driving through the Cliffside paths and trying to avoid potholes which turned out to be a common element in Georgia, the participants had the chance to relax at Borjomi, the home of the Soviet Union’s finest mineral water reserve. It also accommodates a cable car and a visitor center.

The final destination of the day three was Kutaisi. The participants had the chance to party and relax in this beautiful Georgian city. The adventure travel in Caucasus goes on with the Caucasian Challenge 2016. Stay tuned for the upcoming adventures.