Transcaucasian Trail

I’ve been wanting to start traveling to places that many people in the United States haven’t heard of, and Georgia has been on the top of my list for a while, so when I found an opportunity to go there, I went for it. It was an incredible experience. Everyone on my crew was really nice, and helpful and everyone did their part. I feel like I received enough information to effectively conduct fieldwork because our leader spent a good amount of time thoroughly explaining how to use each tool effectively and safely, and they were always watching to make sure we were using them properly

The program was extremely rewarding. Loved seeing the interaction between members of the crew, the commitment of the entire Armenian crew to the TFC/TCT and the cultural exposure. Could never had an experience close to this travelling independently.

It was above my expectations! Very good working, and camping conditions, and also a great team with a great atmosphere. Good vibes :) The cultural exchange moments: singing and dancing, becoming part of the TCT family :)

The sense of community I experienced, with both Armenian and international volunteers, definitely exceeded my expectations. I felt being part of something really important. I expected a bit more diverse trail work. However I understand that this is not possible all the time.

I enjoyed discovering a beautiful mountainous area that was new to me, I also enjoyed time spent in Kutaisi and trips from Kutaisi to Zeskho and back. The work that I had to do also brought enjoyment to me, since I do not perform physical labour on a daily basis. But most of all I enjoyed a company of smart, interesting and diverse group of individuals who come from all walks of life. My biggest takeaway is that working in the mountains and aspects that come with living there can be more fulfilling than living "comfortably" in the city.

My three weeks in Georgia were amazing. I met awesome people, worked on new trail sections, and enjoyed the beautiful mountains and great food. The experience was friendly, safe, and unforgettable. I learned so much and made great memories along the way

My expectations all came from the social media followings. It’s going to be hard work but also amazing teamwork. We are going to be in amazing backcountry and camping in tents. It exceeded my expectations because we ended up with the most amazing volunteers.

I had a fantastic time with lovely people who were being mindful and motivated all along. The organizers went out of their way to provide a great experience and I felt very much at home with everyone all the while trying to do my part by learning how to build and maintain hiking infrastructure. The integration with the locals was almost seamless and I feel like I made many new friends.

The program far exceeded my expectations, particularly in terms of the organization and community-building and cultural elements of the program. The logistics--everything from departure to the camp, delegation of camp responsibilities, camp set-up, etc.--seemed well-thought out. The cultural activities were very enjoyable as well.

The diversity of people I interacted with was much greater than I thought it was going to be both an age range , but also in life experience and philosophy. The logistics of the volunteering experience were very well planned out and well managed by the staff which made focusing on interacting with the local and international volunteers and focusing on the work that we were doing on the trails much easier. The meals and camp facilities were a lot more luxurious than I was expecting. Which I know for some maybe a downside, if they are looking for a more traditional backpacking experience, but for me it was welcome, given that I had already experienced that some during my time in Armenia. The local history and cultural experiences were different than what I expected. But very enjoyable, nonetheless. And I think brought the group closer together very quickly. All of the nonvolunteer staff were increadble.

I love the TCT, the trail, the people and wanted to give back Great experience with a good crew. Really enjoyed the mix of local and international people Maybe recommend brining fun snacks to share (s'mores etc) The crew leader did a great job, only feedback would be to have more supervision to allow more people to work at once especially on technical scope like steps

The organisation of the week and the wonderful people who took part exceeded my expectations. Everyone was so generous and kind. The camp organisation was a step up from my previous experience in Georgia.

I enjoyed to the people and a deep connection with the group. Hard work each day with good fun and conversations and the crew leader do well during my time in the field. Also, the camp food have improved my overall volunteer experience.

My biggest takeaways is "Shwarma in Kutaisi. It was a large pork one with fries. No, I'm joking, sorry. After two weeks with no internet I really started to appreciate the beauty of the mountains, the forest, the individual trees, the small habitats, the rocks and the streams in the landscape. This mainly on the hike to and from the worksite that took a proportion of each day." Continued to sustainably develop trail. Had largely good weather over the four weeks. Stayed safe, no injuries. Didn't feel as tired or fatigued as I expected after multiple weeks of trail work. Digging three toilets was not terrible. Crew leaders and all the other TCT staff are fantastic at welcoming, accommodating, teaching and sharing with the volunteers. All the crew leaders really do a great job at making the volunteers feel safe, comfortable and positive in this very remote environment.

Where I would have expected more was on the food (both in terms of quantity and organization) and the non-working hours, nice to have the freedom to do what we like, but I was expecting more social activities, interactions, games, short workshops/sessions, etc (maybe not mandatory but on a volunteer basis). Also, the price is not reflecting the experience, which is authentic and cost-efficient (in a positive way), while the price is more towards a “glamping” option, which wasn’t the case (that’s why I choose it). I know funds have been an issues, but this should not impact the volunteers experience in my opinion, or the provided experience should change to reflect the price. The small habits we had, everyone has his own tasks, the morning routine, it helps enjoying the camping life even more

We got a lot of information about the county, the hike and meet new people. Also feeling that I contributed towards the future of the trail and country. Thank you for educating me on Armenia, it’s beautiful culture, it’s people , it’s nature and trail building.

I didn't really know what to expect beforehand and was impressed by the level of professionalism of the team and the overall quality of the organisation. "Pretty much everything ! :) I enjoyed very much the camp life and leisure time as much as the trailwork. I also enjoyed the feeling of being part of a larger territorial and transnational project."

I've had interest for the Transcaucasian Trail for a couple of years, which brought me to read about the international volunteer camps. In Fall 2025 I finally had the chance to take part in a 7-day camp in Lori North of Dilijan. The experience exceeded my expectations : we were really well taken cared of by the local crew, the work is well organized and balanced with leisured time and other activities. Above all, we had a lot of fun and lots of laughter all together, while we did a fair deal of work on the trail maintenance ! It is a great way to meet Armenian people and get to know better different aspects of the local culture. I can only recommend these camps to anyone looking for outdoor collective experiences to remember and meeting great people. I'll definitely return to repeat the experience in other regions and also take some more time to hike on the TCT !

Trail work was in line with expectations as were general conditions of living/camping. I enjoy the opportunity to feel I was making an actual difference that will hopefully develop hiking and tourism supporting it and local communities in Georgia Food was not always the best - appreciate it is hard to get food up a mountain, but for the price paid for the course there could have been more spent on protein sources such as tuna/tinned fish and less on empty carbs such as cookies, noodles etc. On many days I was low on energy because food felt insufficient in terms of nutrients.

I had wanted to visit Georgia for several years, and last year I discovered the volunteering program through the TCT. It immediately sounded like a great plan for the summer of 2025. Although it was hard to imagine beforehand what a week in Zeskho would be like, the experience met my expectations and was very professionally organized, which was the most important part. Contributing to such a meaningful project, learning how trails are built, meeting local people, and enjoying the calm of such a remote and beautiful place made the experience truly memorable