Last Sunday we did a hiking trip to Turtle Lake, starting from the stairs on Polikarpe Kakabadze street. I’ve been a big fan of hiking in Tbilisi for a long time. More than ten years ago, we used to do hiking trips almost every weekend, something I’ve written about on the blog many times. Back then it was routine.
- Last chance workout on the trails around Turtle Lake before Tbilisi Marathon
- Hiking trails near Turtle lake, Tbilisi in Winter
- Remote and Abandoned Hipster Party Place with Great views of Tbilisi (Hiking near Turtle Lake)
- and more
Recently we moved to a new apartment on Pavle Ingorovka Street, and from our window we can clearly see hiking trails cutting through the hills. That alone was enough motivation. One evening I pinged Jeff, a Belgian acquaintance, asking if he was up for a hike. He immediately suggested starting from the location, not far from our place, he even sent me location name in Georgian, so I can find the spot - ლამაზი ხედი თბილისზე ხის კიბეები. Decision made.
The next morning at 9:30 we met at the spot and started the trip. With a seven-year-old along, the whole route took us a bit over four hours. That felt slow, especially considering that several years ago I ran the same route during a Tbilisi Adventure run and finished it in about one hour and thirty minutes. Different pace, different priorities.
The total route was roughly 7 kilometers, with about 367 meters of elevation gain and loss, up and down throughout. Winter added a bonus layer of difficulty and beauty.
In some sections there was over 30 cm of snow on the trail, which slowed us down but made the whole experience much more interesting. I was also happy to fly my DJI Mavic drone around. Lately I’ve been doing that very passively, so it felt good to actually use it properly again.
Physically, the trail is solid and probably requires at least a basic fitness level. For me it was nothing special. Being a gym rat and running 6 km every day on the treadmill helps. My girls complained a bit, but that’s part of the process.
Overall, great trails, great views, and a good reminder of why I like hiking in Tbilisi so much. Living closer to the hills definitely helps, and I don’t plan to ignore those trails outside our window.
