Racha
Racha is one of the least explored regions of the greater Caucasus – meaning the hardy hikers who make it there will be rewarded with unspoiled views in every direction. This region lacks any typical tourist attractions, thus, it is only visited by those who come explicitly for the mountains. Access is more difficult than other regions, so expect to have to take a taxi at some point or potentially wait a long time to hitchhike.
Getting there
The two hikes described below begin from the villages Shovi and Glola – only 3 km apart – thus can easily be linked into one longer hike. Daily marshrutkas to the town of Oni leave from Tbilisi at 8am and from Kutaisi at 8:30am (slow) and 2pm (faster). Occasionally, these marshrutkas will continue onward to Shovi, so ask the driver. If not, your best bet is to hitchhike or take a taxi.
There are rumors of a marshrutka from Oni to the village Ghebi on Thursdays, but the consistency of this is not confirmed. If it exists, you can ask the driver to let you off at the turn to Shovi which gets you 9 km from Shovi/6 km from Glola. Maybe you can even convince him to take you the extra few kms. Ghebi is also a potential destination for hiking and ski touring – go there and explore!
Accommodation
It’s definitely possible to stay in a guesthouse in Shovi in summer and probably in winter. In Glola it might be possible also. Ski touring season generally lasts until the beginning of May and hiking season begins around the end of June.