Kayaking on the Bzhuzha River

Difficulty 

The difficulty rating of the sections ranges between 3 and 5.

Location

The village of Shemokmedi, from where the route starts, is located in Ozurgeti municipality, at an altitude of 190 meters above sea level, in the Guria Region.

River

The 32.5 km long Bzhuzha River originates on the northern slopes of the Khino Mountain and passes through the resort of Gomismta and several villages.

Route

The first section of the route starts at a hydroelectric power station on the way to the resort Gomismta and ends at Vashlebi (apples) Camp, near the Shemokmedi village.

The length of the first section is 1.5 km, with a drop in elevation of 50 m, and a difficulty rating of 5 (extremely difficult, high, and irregular waves, rocks, transparent but narrow exits).

The second section starts near the Vashlebi Camp and ends near the village of Chapukha. The length of the second section is 2 km, with a drop in elevation of 80 m, while the difficulty rating ranges between 3 and 4 (difficult, numerous regular waves, open and clear passages, medium speed water, requires maneuvering).

The third section starts at Chapukha and ends at Shemokmedi village. The length of the third section is 5 km, with a drop in elevation of 90 m, and a difficulty rating ranging between 3 and 4 (difficult, numerous regular waves, open and clear passages, medium speed water, requires maneuvering).

Season

Kayaking on all three sections of the Bzhuzha River is possible from late April to late May, and from October to early November.

How to get to the starting point

It is 9 km from the center of Ozurgeti city to the hydroelectric power station located on the road to Gomismta and the starting point can be reached easily by any type of car.

Safety

Only experienced kayakers should attempt this route.

It is recommended that you go down the river with a local kayaker or at least obtain the necessary information from one of them. Contact a local company in advance to book a tour.

The minimum age for kayaking is 18.