Getting There
Trail Highlights: Distance – 15.6 km, Elevation gain – 1000 m, Elevation Loss – 1350 m max., Altitude – 185o m min., Altitude – 550 m, Duration – 8 h
Beginning at the starting point, follow the signs and continue through the village. After leaving the village and crossing the small river (within the first kilometre), a steep, winding path starts to the left and enters the forest. The trail, which comes to an open area 2km ahead, turns to the right and continues through an open area surrounded by forested ravines. After 4km it swerves to the left when it reaches the top of the forest line (subalpine meadows). Here you can see the stunning landscape of the Zagatala State Reserve – wide forested ravines and steep mountains. Ascending a little to the left, the trail crosses the right slope of the mountain and reaches the Honzogar plateau 2km ahead.
The path from the Honzogor plateau to the village of Gabizdere begins to the east of the shepherd huts and descends a short distance through the camp to the forest. After passing 2km through the forest, a winding path leads to a forest road and after 3.5km it reaches the village.
What to Expect
One of the recommended routes or hiking begins in the picturesque village of Jar in Zagatala and snakes its way up via a shepherds’ trail to a grassy meadow called Shamilovka (also known as Honzogor Pasture) which boasts wonderful views of snow-capped mountains. It is also possible to climb there from Gabizdere village.
A waterfall with one of the highest flow rates in the country is located in Gabizdere. Along the way you will enjoy charming views of forests and meadows, surrounding mountains and wide forest valleys. Although the walk is long and physically tiring, it is technically and the trails are clearly visible everywhere and fully marked. May-September is the best time in terms of weather and length of the day. Along the route, there is a cluster of 20-30 shepherd shelters on the Honzogor plateau alone. Shepherd dogs can be dangerous but not during the day when there are a lot of people around. In May and September, you can check with the local community to see if the shepherds are in the mountains. These huts can be a warm shelter and you can ask for information from the shepherds, but you need to be careful around shepherd dogs. If you do not have a tent, you can ask the shepherds to stay in one of the empty shelters (usually an empty shelter). In other seasons, you can find an empty shelter.
In general, although it is possible to do this hike throughout the year, it requires more preparation in winter months. In winter, spring and autumn, it is important to check the weather forecast more carefully and prepare food, clothing equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.) accordingly. On cold and short winter days, it is very difficult and risky to finish this route in one day, so it is not recommended to leave without proper camping equipment.
No prior permission is required to walk on this route. The route does not pass through specially protected natural areas or the border protection zone, and there are no permanent border guard posts anywhere along the route. When encountering border guards, it is necessary to show your documents and explain your route.
History
The most famous monument in Jar village is a small castle belonging to the 16th century commonly called Jingoz, Chingiz or Jigiz.
Facilities Available
In Gabizdere:
- Restaurants : Osmanli Guest House
- Supermarkets
- Buses
