Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical age group

The age range of our participants range from 18 years up to late fifties.

What is the experience level

You should be capable of handling a front suspension hardtail mountain bike on jeep track and singletrack that may feature ruts and rocks, riding up hills for extended periods of time and riding downhill.

Where are your tour participants from

We have hosted many nationalities but our participants are mainly from Western Europe countries and the U.S. Other groups have come from Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and Australia.

Are participants and guides mainly English speaking

The majority of our participants are English speaking and all our guides speak English.

What is the cost to hire a mountain bike, and what types of bikes are available

The cost of hiring a front suspension mountain bike is $30 per day.

I would be arriving from the US very early in the morning, would you recommend arriving a few days early

Its entirely up to you if you wish to give yourself a few days before the start of the tour to prepare, get accustomed to the climate and it can be a good opportunity to do a little extra sightseeing in Tbilisi.

Is there vehicle support

There is vehicle support by way of 4x4 jeeps.

How do you accommodate solo travellers

On our group tours we have a minimum of 4 participants and a maximum of 16 so you won't find yourself without company.

Do we get picked up and dropped off at the airport

All transfers to and from the airport and to destinations in the itinerary are covered.

Should we bring our own bikes

You can bring your own bike or hire bikes from us.

what is the longest time it would take should there be an incident, until the member of our group could be brought to a clinic or hospital that would be able to administer treatment?

As I understand the minimum time to the nearest hospital in svaneti is 1 hour maximum 3 hour. We've never had any accidents with customers and our guides will always advise of possible dangers such as difficult terrain etc.. but guests need to keep in mind that medical help is not close at hand and shouldn't take unnecessary risks. Having said that the holiday is about fun and with sensible riding there shouldn't be any problems.

do you recommend Rabies vaccines for our trip to Georgia? We see its suggested on the US State department site.

If it is recommended on the US department site, if you don't have it, it might void your insurance. The likelihood of being bitten is extremely low, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. I know people who have biked and travelled all over the country for many years in Georgia and never been bitten. The total deaths through rabies annually in Georgia is 5 (http://www.xcdsystem.com/icid2012/57.023.html), so the risk, however small is there. Some of the riders have been vaccinated who have come on the trips and we always advise that people take the necessary precautions that are required by their travel insurance. There are measures that can be taken- for example, avoidance and let your guides deal with it. Generally the Foreign Office tends to be on the overcautious side, however, the decision is up to you. Can you shop around for different prices? I've checked another source, that said that it is 'to be considered' rather than 'to be recommended' and the UK price is about £150 per person which is a lot less than $1000.

Is there a dress code in Georgia?

As for appropriate dress, it's not as conservative as it used to be so most clothing will be fine. In the villages we pass through we'll be cycling so cycling wear is okay. The only places you will have to dress appropriately is when we visit churches or holy sites. In churches women are expected to wear long skirts, so I would advise some kind of wrap for your wife to wrap around her legs that looks like a skirt (Dark colours) and a head scarf is also expected for a woman. Also for you and the boys it's not permitted to enter a church wearing shorts so it's an idea to have long trousers with you that you can put on over your cycling shorts if you want to visit the churches.

Can we do a ride in the city?

Aside from the drivers who are the worst I've ever experienced there's the problem of leaving the bikes to look around various sights. As yet its not a bike friendly city. Riding the in the mountains and hills however will give you views of parts of the city no other tourists will get to see, lisi Tba would be my recommendation as the the terrain is not too difficult, there's plenty of good single track and outstanding vistas of the whole city. And there's a lake to swim in at the end of the ride before enjoying a post ride beer.

Do you have a better picture about the bikes available?

The quality of our hard tails are of a high standard mid range with disc brakes slx or XT kit. carbon fibre cannondale flash 29er lefty in size xl, a scott scale 960 in size L with rock shox forks 26 wheels, a medium scott scale 760 with rock shox forks 27.5 wheels.

How much vertical ascent per day do you do?

You can check the Strava data accessible from the homepage links.

How strenuous is the Tusheti Tour

The tour is not too strenuous, last year we had a 53 year old female guest who was fine with the climbing and distance and this tour we're doing now we are taking a 55 year old man with us and a 49 year woman and as I've said before the vehicle is always on hand if people need a rest.

I'm vegetarian. Are there options?

Vegetarian food is available at all the guesthouses, as many of the Georgian dishes are vegetarian. There'll be meat dishes for those who want it.

Can we have single rooms?

We can put you all in single rooms in Tbilisi but it will cost an extra $40 per person per night and we may have to put you in separate hotels. We can do the same in Sighnaghi where it will be an extra $30 per night per person and again we may have to put you in separate guesthouses. The guesthouse choices are very limited in the mountains and the ones we use are of a higher standard than most, they are still basic but comfortable and clean.

is there an issue of mountain sickness?

there is no problem of altitude sickness.

Do you accept cash payments for tours?

Payment options are available on arrival.

will at least one of the jeeps be accompanying our rides all the time? This is important for a few reasons: (1) We can put stuff in the car and not carry with us; (2) The athletic level of the group it not totally uniform and an accompanying vehicle can provide the option for more or less cycling for some of the group; and (3) Emergency needs.

Both vehicles will be supporting the tour at all times apart from one day where we will leave the vehicles for a short period as they cannot follow us along one of the trails, however they will be waiting for us on the return ride. It's not a long or strenuous section and we'll be near the soldiers border station in case of emergency.

For cash is it preferable to bring US$ or Euro, or it doesn't matter?

As for cash, we would like the bike rental in $ please, $30 per person per day, 5 days. You can withdraw cash outside the hotel or in the airport from the cash machines in $ or gel. I'd suggest drawing gel to cover your drinks and any souvenirs you may want. Beer and wine is very cheap here, about 2-5 gel per beer and 10 gel for a bottle of wine. Everything else is covered for you in the cost of the tour, food etc...

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