Transcaucasian Trail crowdfunding campaign:
New hiking routes show best of Georgia’s nature

A new online campaign is looking to raise money to build a trail connecting two of Georgia's most picturesque regions and contribute to the development of tourism in the area.

Aiming to connect two proposed national parks in Georgia's north-western Svaneti and Racha regions, a new trail planned to be created within the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) network "aims to develop a world-class, long-distance trail network across the Caucasus" over the next five years.

The project is led by a group of travellers featuring TCT Association executive director and co-founder Paul Stephens and other regional and international campaigners.

The online fundraiser has raised almost half of its $13,300 goal with six days remaining until the campaign concludes on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.

The great Transcaucasian Trail project aims to create two routes connecting the Black and Caspian seas from west to east as well as the two Caucasian mountain chains in the north and south. Image from The Transcaucasian Trail.

In their goal of setting up around 40km of trail, the travellers will take advantage of an old hiking route between the two regions that has now become difficult to navigate due to years of neglect.

Project organisers said the old direction was "dangerous and easy to lose, and in places totally non-existent".

The team travelled to Georgia in 2015 to survey the area of the proposed trail and collect data for the project they considered "perfect" for the region.

The Svaneti-Racha trail is a perfect pilot project in many ways. The route will connect two proposed national parks and pass through some of the most stunning landscapes in the Caucasus. It will bring hikers who have discovered Svaneti across the mountains to Racha, which has very little tourism despite its incredible beauty," read the project’s description on the crowdfunding website.

Organisers of the campaign also said the trails would venture through new national park in Racha, which the Georgian Government was currently working on adding to its Protected Areas.

The new trail is planned to be built and restored by teams of local and international volunteers, while the Indiegogo campaign team has partnered with the National Hiking Federation of Georgia in their task.

The great Transcaucasian Trail project will consist of two intersecting trail corridors, with one connecting the Black and Caspian seas from west to east, while the other will link the northern Greater Caucasus and the southern Lesser Caucasus mountain chains.

Each of the two long-distance trails is expected to be around 1,500km long once completed.