DISCOVER THE ALAZANI VALLEY BY HOT-AIR BALLOON

The Alazani Valley in Kakheti, eastern Georgia, is among the most beautiful vineyard valleys in the world. It takes its name from the Alazani River that flows for 218 miles (3151km) along the eastern border of Georgia.

Anyone who’s been here for a while will be familiar with the magic of the Alazani Valley: vines, woodland and meadows stretching for kilometers either side of the snaking river, with hills on one side and the snowy peaks of the Caucasus Mountains on the other. No photographer, however inexperienced, can fail to take an incredible shot there. Most of us who have been there have taken in that incredible view with a glass of wine (or two) from a beautifully paved hotel terrace or a wooden guest-house balcony, warmed by the late afternoon sun or cooled by the gentle breeze. Even in autumn and winter the Valley is magic; less green, yes, but in October the oranges and reds replace that green and in winter, browns and grays are set against the bright white snow in the distance. But what if you could see it all from a new perspective? What if you could float above like a bird, at the whim of the wind, soaking up the peace of nature and letting go your worries?

Sky Travel Ballooning offers just that.

We met the pilot, Zura, and co-owner, Liliana, at the just-after-dawn hour of 6am, the minibus having picked us up from our hotel. They do offer evening flights, but the weather is usually not as calm and stable up above then, so early hours are preferred. We watched as the pilot and local crew unrolled the massive balloon, hitched it to the basket and began to fill it with cool air. We stood ready to climb in- which had to be done quickly once Zura lit the burners and the hot air began inflating the balloon- a gloriously huge patchwork of sky-blue, green, gray and black. A hop-and-a-jump and we were in the basket. The pilot stood in the middle section with the giant gas canisters, and his passengers were divided equally into the two sections either side of him. I was told they have this, a basket for 16, two balloons for three persons, and one for eight. Two of them are from Britain (Cameron) and two are from the Czech Republic (Kubicek). When the pilot was satisfied the balloon was ready, his crew untied it and let go of the basket and we gracefully floated up and away.

While the regular bursts of flame from the gas burners are loud and hot, the peace felt between those bursts is something truly special; floating just above the treetops, which from that height that looked like a model-maker’s craftmanship, then up to 750 meters to enjoy the snaking Alazani River stretching across the Valley and reflecting the rising sun. Telavi, Sighnaghi, Kvareli and small villages could be seen here-and-there, but the biggest visual impact came from the spread of ripening vines in neat rows between the areas of woodland; the patchwork of fields, like our balloon, showing the true skill of Man.


The only other people up at that hour were the farmers and vine-workers; women in long skirts and aprons with straw hats on their heads, their hands worn from tending to the earth. Men were also with them; brown, weathered faces breaking into grins as we drifted down to within meters of them, waving and nodding to their offers to join them for wine.


At every stage of our flight, the pilot was in touch with his colleagues below by walkie-talkie. One of the preconditions for commercial flying is that the area has ample start and drop-off points and that it be well accessible to road vehicle so the passengers and balloon can be easily collected after the flight. The Alazani Valley is perfect in this regard, as is the company’s second flight zone- the Kartli Valley near Mukhrani, some 30 minutes north of Tbilisi.


All too soon, Zura had spotted a good place to set us down- a rectangle of open, farrow land. After bringing us up for one last photo-session of the incredible view, he let us gently drift to the earth again. We were instructed simply to bend our knees and hold tight to the rope loops inside the basket. The bump was minimal, a small lift, and then we were down, the fire was out, and the balloon slowly began to deflate to the side of us. We applauded Zaza who, we found out, like his fellow pilot Levan, has some 13 years’ experience in this enviable job, and climbed out of the basket.

We were then officially welcomed into the ballooning community and presented certificates by the co-owner, a lovely lady called Liliana from Bulgaria, who is married to the founder of the company, Revaz Uturgauri. She told us the story of the first balloon, which I’ll present for you below.

“The first hot air balloon flight in Georgia was undertaken by a French balloonist called Bede on November 10th, 1882. Bede rose nearly 300 meters into the air in a Montgolfier balloon from Mushtaidi Gardens in Tiflis (Tbilisi). Ten years later, in Tiflis, balloonist Ogust Gordon took a donkey up into the air with him. During the flight, he mounted the animal, which became frightened and began braying. Inspired by Gordon, Tiflis businessmen Poladov, Gumiashvili and Bakradze decided to organize commercial ballooning in the capital. They offered hot air balloon rides, in the company of a donkey, in Alexandrov Gardens, but no one was willing to fly in the balloon and the donkey was sent up on its own. The balloon came down in Avlabari near Metekhi Castle. When the businessmen got there, they found that the basket was empty and the donkey had been stolen. This put an end to Georgian commercial ballooning for more than one hundred years (and donkey ballooning forever).” [Source: Georgian Ballooning Open]

Sky Travel was given the status of ‘airline’ by the Civil Aviation Administration in 2005, meaning it could fly and set up its own pilot school. It was allotted flight zones countrywide by the Georgian Air Navigation Administration and since then both commercial and private flights have been taking place annually in Georgia. Revaz and Liliana are looking to open their own pilot school in the near future in order to expand their fleet due to the popularity of their balloon flights.

I’ll leave you now with the words of Revaz Uturgauri, as, if my description hasn’t convinced you to give it a try, then his surely will:
“The spellbinding beauty of our Earth as it opens up from above, particularly in the morning or evening light when the sun is closer to the horizon, is too wonderous to put into words. While flying, you are enveloped in absolute silence. The balloon moves smoothly, not much faster than walking pace. You don’t feel the wind, since the balloon moves at the same speed. Flying in a hot air balloon is something extremely emotional, the sensation it arouses cannot be compared to any other adventure in the world!”

A 40-50-minute air balloon flight with Sky Travel costs $130 per person, which includes pick-up, drop-off to the start site, water, champagne, a flight certificate and a breath-taking experience you’ll never forget!

Get online for more information or to book your flight: https://www.facebook.com/ skytravel.ge/


By Katie Ruth Davies