Getting to Truso by Car

The road enters the Truso valley as wide, compacted gravel. The surface is stony but even — any car will manage at a calm pace. Stock up before you start: deeper in the gorge there are no fuel stations or shops, only mountains and a few scattered villages.

The surface turns stonier, with patches of old snow still lying along the verge. Sheds and farm buildings line the road — slow down and watch for livestock and dogs that may wander onto the track. Still flat, but it starts to rattle.

The valley opens into a wide flat where the track braids into several lines — some peel off to fords and meadows. Stay on the main compacted line heading up-valley along the power poles, and avoid the soft ground near the river. This is also where the first real bumps and stony potholes begin — the smooth opening stretch is over, so ease off the speed from here on.

The road narrows to two stony wheel-tracks with a strip of grass down the middle, and from here you get some of the best views in the whole valley — green slopes and snow peaks all around. Don’t let the scenery distract you: hidden stony bumps and sharp edges here are brutal enough to wreck a wheel or your suspension if you hit them at speed. Keep it slow.

Meltwater stands across the road here and the ruts run deep with mud. The depth changes week to week; if you are unsure, walk it first or watch another car go through. Keep steady throttle, skirt the deepest ruts, and don’t stop in the middle. Clearance pays off.

The road passes beneath a raw, eroding slope — loose stones and washed-out earth often lie on the surface here. Glance up before the bends, don’t stop beneath the slope, and clear this stretch without lingering.

If you don’t have a proper off-road vehicle, it’s better to leave the car here on the wide gravel and continue on foot — the stone towers of Ketrisi are a short walk away, and the hardest stretch starts just ahead. This is a normal starting point for hikes deeper into the Truso valley — toward Zakagori fortress and the Abano mineral lakes — so in season it fills with cars: arrive early.

From this point the road gets much worse. The first challenge is the climb with ruts. In the wet it gets slick — pick the widest line early and take the climb on steady throttle rather than speed.

The road narrows to a single lane and runs right past the old stone houses and watchtower of Ketrisi, a stream rushing close on the left. Move at walking pace, watch for people and animals around the yards, and be ready to give way.

The road becomes a narrow dirt shelf cut into the bank — a drop on one side, loose rock on the other. There is room for only one car. Sound your horn before blind corners, keep off the crumbling edge, and be ready to reverse for oncoming traffic.

Beyond, toward Zakagori fortress, the track is for prepared high-clearance 4x4 vehicles only — if your car isn’t up to it, turn around here.