3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
6 hours from Tbilisi by jeep
When to go
From late June to mid-October
Minimum stay
One day
Col Albano (Georgia)
©
Nicolas Landru
Practical information on Col Albano
Reviews of Col Albano
Abano Pass (2926 metres) is the highest paved mountain pass of the Caucasus. It connects the Tusheti and Kakheti, separating the north Caucasus from the south.
My suggestion:
Climb up the small summit to the left of the road when you come from Kakheti. It offers a stunning view of the two slopes of the range!
My review
More than a destination in itself, Abano Pass is an obligatory passage on the way to visit fascinating Tusheti. Open from June to October, the loose gravel road consists of endless hairpin bends which may get tedious.
But once you arrive at Abano Pass, what a view! This is the highest paved mountain pass on the entire European continent. It is supposed to geographically separate Europe and Asia, but curiously, located on the northern slope of the range, Tusheti is more "eastern" than the rest of the country!
My most unforgettable memory is accompanying the transhumance of the Tush shepherds. In the spring and in autumn, thousands of sheep pass between the winter pastures of Kakheti and the summer pastures in Tusheti. Among these bare peaks, rocks and aerial views, Abano Pass transforms into a sea of sheep!
©
Nicolas Landru
