Parsma and Girevi

Parsma and Girevi lie near the head of the Pirikiti valley, the northern arm of Tusheti, beyond Dartlo and Chesho. The 4x4 track from Omalo follows the Pirikiti Alazani upstream past meadows and birch woods, and the scenery grows wilder with every kilometre. Parsma is a small cluster of stone houses and defensive towers on a terrace above the river. Girevi, a few kilometres further on, is the last settlement in the valley, with a tower group, a border police post and a handful of houses that open as simple guesthouses in summer.

Most travellers arrive on foot as part of a multi-day route through Tusheti, or come to start the trek over the Atsunta Pass, at about 3,430 m, to Khevsureti. Even without a big trek, a night here gives you Tusheti's most remote corner, with horses grazing by the river and very few other visitors. Facilities are basic: expect shared bathrooms, solar or generator power and home-cooked meals.

Pirikiti was the most remote of Tusheti's four historic communities, and its villages raised tall towers as refuges during raids. Girevi, near the top of the valley, watched the paths over the main ridge towards Chechnya and Khevsureti. Like Dartlo, both villages were largely abandoned for year-round life in the 20th century, but families still return every summer with their flocks.