#8: [15-Jul-24]

#7: [24-Sep-18]

#6: [16-May-16]

#5: [04-Aug-13]

#3: [29-May-10]

#2: [04-Apr-10]

#1: [28-Jul-04]

#4: [22-Aug-11] (incomplete)

14-Oct-2025 -- I had originally planned to cover only 25 km today, but after waking up two hours before sunrise, I saw the opportunity to walk all 50 km to the city of Gori. Before daybreak, I made my way along a muddy track riddled with puddles in the cold darkness. Then, I was treated to a beautiful sunrise and glimpsed the snow-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus to my left in the north. Yesterday’s rain had fallen there as snow, and I’m curious to see how the mountain crossing will go in a few days’ time.

Today’s route took me through the broad valley of the Kura River, which separates the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. As the sun rose higher, the day grew pleasantly warm. I underestimated the sun’s intensity and left my sunhat and sunscreen in my backpack—now my cheeks are completely red.

In the afternoon, I visited the 42°N 44°E confluence point, located in a former refugee camp for South Ossetians. The breakaway region of South Ossetia lies just a few kilometers to the north and is no longer under Georgian government control. The village, or rather the camp where the point is situated, is called Skra and consists of simple, small prefabricated houses. The exact coordinates fall inside the home of a family named Ketino.

When I arrived, I could barely begin documenting my visit before a crowd gathered around me. And once the group formed, it only drew more curious onlookers. Amid a mix of English, Russian, German, and Georgian, I tried to explain my mission. The confluence point by the way is exactly inside the house! The people were incredibly friendly—I was invited inside and offered everything from coffee to vodka. I met the family there, and when I showed photos from previous visits to the point, their daughter Helena brought out old childhood pictures of herself. I had visited this same point 15 years ago, when the camp had just been built and was still very bare. It’s worth checking the confluence.org website to see how this location has changed over the years.

After another 10 km, I reached Gori, a city of about 50,000 people. As the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, it naturally hosts a Stalin Museum. Here, he still stands proudly on a pedestal in front of the museum. However, the statue in front of the city hall—which locals nicknamed the “Reichstag” due to its appearance (see photo)—has been removed. That building was constructed during the Soviet era by German prisoners of war.

I settled into one of the many hostels in town and managed to cook a simple stew for dinner.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to a road: 10 m
• Distance to a track: 0 m
• Time to reach the CP from the road: 5 minutes (due to the crowd)
• Time at the CP: 3:13 PM
• Measured height: 605 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 4 m
• Position accuracy: 5 m
• Topography: flat, in a wide valley but surrounded by high mountain ranges
• Vegetation: gardenland.
• Weather: sunny, 20° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: Helena’s Childhood Confluence

You are very welcome to visit my blog of the long hike. If you want to see where I am currently hiking, you can find my daily update on Polarsteps.