Tusheti, Georgia

Tusheti opens for three months a year, and reaching it is part of the experience. The Abano pass climbs to 2,850 metres on a road that is gravel, narrow and unforgettable; the reward is a plateau of alpine valleys where sheep outnumber people and the stone towers are higher and quieter than Svaneti's.

This is shepherd country. Tushetian families drive their flocks up in June and take them down in September, and the cheese, the hospitality and the shape of the day all follow the animals. Omalo and Dartlo are the anchors, but the walking between them — to Chesho, Parsma, Girevi — is what people remember.

Tusheti asks for a 4x4, a flexible attitude and a tolerance for very few beds. We handle the vehicles, the guesthouses and the weather calls, and we keep groups small because that is the only way this valley works.