omg, they paved the road up to Gergeti Trinity Church ?!?

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Belgium to Nordkapp via Iran | Discover Overland | Destination World

I was surprised to find a paved road switchbacking steeply up the hillside all the way to the church...where several large parking lots full of spit-shined Mitsubishi Delicas awaited. Fortunately, there are enough unpaved roads remaining elsewhere for those with a craving. There's a nice side trip in a valley running right up to the South Ossetia border just ten or twenty km south of Kazbegi where the Delicas all park as soon as the track gets rough, leaving their passengers to walk further on foot if they choose. Just watch out for the large dogs along the way, who definitely take their sheep-safety responsibilities seriously.

Worth noting: the church shown is not the one above Kazbegi; it's the one just a couple of hundred yards short of the Russian border, right along the paved highway.

I generally don't click on links provided by posters whose main message is "Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel." Maybe I'm just not suited to ten-minute videos which offer no context or personal process. I'd love to hear from the OP his thoughts about his journeys, which appear extensive and varied. On the other hand, I recognize that this is not always easy, particularly when English is a secondary language.

Mark

The second church is the one near the border indeed. But the first is Gergeti, above Stepantsminda, where you have a nice view of mount Kazbeg. The Japanese import RHD Delicas used to run tourists up the bumpy trail to Gergeti, because "the road is impossible to ride on your own, please use my humble services" .
So I'm a bit surprised they would turn back on the trail to Abano (I assume that's the valley you are referring to).

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Belgium to Nordkapp via Iran | Discover Overland | Destination World

Ooops. Clearly I didn't really watch the video--just skipped through rapidly.

Yes, I was thinking of the road thru Abano--past the monastery to the ruined tower, beyond which the military declined to let me pass. When I checked Google Maps to refresh my memory, it shows a road which avoids Truso Gorge by climbing high above the river on the south side. I wasn't aware of this road--in fact, I'm wondering whether it actually does exist--so I crossed the river and followed the track thru the gorge and all the way back to the military barricade. It was rough in spots, but not too bad overall.

I didn't see anything which a Delica could not have managed, but there was a cluster of them parked just before the bridge, after which I saw only tourists on foot, looking resentful as I passed on my motorcycle. I believe I did see one private car back in the valley, but no other traffic. There were a couple of farm trucks, and the monks had a truck they were loading with hand-split stone.

If you're familiar with the area, I was curious about the road through Juta. It currently extends a ways past the town--6 or 8 km maybe--arriving at a military encampment but appearing to continue onward up into the mountains. There was no barricade, so I was tempted to keep going but was dissuaded by a bunch of soldiers who came barreling out at me yelling and waving their arms. Do you happen to know where that road ends up? It doesn't show up on Google Earth, but it's a nice, smooth, well-engineered, paved road past Juta.

Mark

I've explored some of the area, but not Juta itself. Since It is so close to the Russian border, I'd guess they wanted to keep you out of the border zone.

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Belgium to Nordkapp via Iran | Discover Overland | Destination World

Funny, that never occurred to me. Thanks!

I'm done with the thread drift for now. Thanks also to the OP; hope to hear more.

Mark

Yes, they did...

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