Gomismta

Gomismta lies at around two thousand metres on the ridges above Ozurgeti, a scatter of simple wooden houses on open alpine meadow used only in the summer months, when families and herders move up from the villages below. There is little to it beyond the huts, the grass and the view: on clear days the ground falls away west toward the Black Sea, visible as a line on the horizon, while the Caucasus stands to the north-east. Wild flowers cover the meadows in July, and walking routes run along the ridges toward Bakhmaro and into the Guria mountains. The road up is rough throughout and takes several hours from the coast.

What you actually see

• Open alpine meadow at 2,000 metres - the ridge the settlement sits on.
• The Black Sea on the horizon - the view west on clear days.
• Summer wooden houses - the seasonal huts of herders and families.
• Ridge walking routes - the paths toward Bakhmaro and beyond.

When to go

July to September; snow closes the road for the rest of the year. A day, though the drive is long. Weather changes fast and cloud often fills the ridges.

Honest expectations

The road requires four-wheel-drive and takes hours. There are no shops, no fuel and no reliable phone signal. Accommodation is very basic and mostly informal. Cloud frequently removes the view entirely.

Nearby

Ozurgeti is south-west; Bakhmaro lies south along the range.