Becho and Mazeri

People come to Becho to see Ushba from close up. The Dolra valley opens west of Mestia, the main village of Mazeri sits at about 1,600 metres, and the twin-headed massif stands directly at the head of the valley.

Ushba is 4,710 metres and among the hardest mountains in the Caucasus. It is not the highest, but the silhouette of its two steep towers made it the emblem of Svaneti. From Mazeri you look straight at it without climbing anything, which is rare.

The second reason to come is the Shdugra waterfall, a long stepped cascade down the valley wall and one of the tallest falls in Georgia. From Mazeri the walk takes three to four hours there and back: beech and birch forest first, then boulder fields, then the base of the fall. At one point local people have rigged a rope crossing, though you can also walk around.

Higher up, at the head of the Dolra, are the Ushba glacier and its icefall. Reaching that is a full day and better done with a guide.

Mazeri and the neighbouring hamlets have Svan towers — fewer than at Ushguli, but standing in working yards rather than in an open-air museum.

The Becho pass leads north towards the Russian border. It is not a visitor route and should not be attempted.

Now, honestly, about the weather. Ushba is in cloud a great deal of the time. Mornings offer the best chance, especially after a cold night; by midday the valley often shuts down. Staying one night in Mazeri roughly doubles your odds.

There are guesthouses in Mazeri, quieter and cheaper than Mestia. In the evening the silence here is close to total, which can no longer be said of Mestia in summer.

The season runs from June to early October. In May snow still lies on the paths and the rivers are in flood; from November the village empties.

One full day — the waterfall, the village and the view — is exactly right.