Okatse Canyon

The Okatse river has cut a narrow limestone gorge in the hills north-west of Kutaisi, and the way it is seen is a walkway: a steel structure bolted to the rock face running some seven hundred and eighty metres along the wall around a hundred and forty metres above the water, with sections of open grating underfoot and a viewing platform projecting out over the drop at the far end. Getting to it involves a walk of about two and a half kilometres through forest from the visitor centre at Gordi, or a shuttle. The gorge below is green and largely invisible from anywhere else, and the Kinchkha waterfall lies a short drive further on.

The landscape

• A cantilevered walkway on the cliff - steel bolted along the gorge wall.
• Open grating over the drop - the floor sections you can see through.
• The projecting viewing platform - the deck out over the canyon.
• Forest approach from Gordi - the walk in through the woods.

When to go

April to October; the walkway closes in ice and heavy weather. Half a day including travel from Kutaisi. Summer weekends are busy and the walkway is one-way with queues.

Things to know

The walkway is not for anyone uneasy with heights; the grating and the flex are unnerving. It closes without notice in bad weather. The approach walk is longer than most expect. Facilities at the entrance are basic.

Nearby

Kinchkha waterfall is north; Kutaisi lies east.

Key facts