Support the Transcaucasian Trail's Path to Sustainability
ABOUT THE TRANSCAUCASIAN TRAIL
For the past seven years, we've been working to create a world-class, long-distance hiking trail across the magnificent South Caucasus mountains that celebrates and supports its diverse cultures, climates, and people.
The Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) will ultimately stretch 3,000 kilometers across the Greater & Lesser Caucasus Mountains, connecting roughly two dozen national parks and protected areas across the region.
In seven short years, the TCT has gone from being an idea to a vibrant reality - with trails, programs, and a community which spans all three South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. And as it's grown, the trail has created opportunities for economic growth, cultural exchange, and environmental education.
Join us and become a part of the community bringing the TCT vision to life!
BACKGROUND
WHY THE CAUCASUS?
The Caucasus region deserves to be on any hiker’s bucket list. It’s a biodiversity hotspot. It’s rich in historical sites, unique cultural traditions, and dozens of indigenous languages. And it’s home to staggeringly diverse landscapes, including snow-covered alpine passes, red desert canyons, lush forests, peaceful meadows, and high volcanic plateaus.
We're putting these hidden gems on the map to help ensure that the landscapes and heritage of the region can be enjoyed by future generations.
Simply put, hiking is one of the best ways to experience the Caucasus-- and it's one that has rippling benefits for the whole region.
For hikers, good trails make the rugged mountains accessible, expanding the areas that are possible to safely hike in-- and creating an unparalleled slow-travel experience through diverse landscapes and communities.
For rural communities, trails draw people to places they might not otherwise visit, creating opportunities to develop small businesses and revitalize villages.
For the environment, trails provide a platform for people to learn about biodiversity and develop a personal connection with the natural world-- an essential part of shifting broader attitudes towards conservation.
OUR IMPACT
Over the past seven years, working together with a wide group of volunteers and partners, we’ve developed more than 1,500 kilometers of the Transcaucasian Trail.
Along the way, we’ve:
- Welcomed tens of thousands of section hikers, as well as the very first long-distance thru-hikers to the trail... and in doing so, launched a new wave of human-powered adventures through the Caucasus
- Trained hundreds of local and international volunteers in trail building and maintenance
- Mapped an extensive trail corridor to aid navigation and to put new destinations on the map (literally)
- Brought together young people from around the region-- including international trail building exchanges-- through our growing Caucasus Conservation Corps program, which trains young professionals in trail construction and outdoor leadership
- Developed strong relationships with the growing network of communities along the trail
- And built collaborative relationships with governments and protected areas, as well as dynamic partnerships with organizations involved in outdoor recreation and tourism development.
As the trail has grown, we’ve seen a large increase in the number of local and international hikers on these routes-- and a corresponding increase in economic activity in villages along the trail.
By investing in the Caucasus' outdoor infrastructure, we’re helping increase opportunities for small businesses in mountain regions, providing environmental education & professional development for trail crew members, and improving access to the region’s natural & cultural heritage for everyone.
WHAT WE'RE BUILDING TOWARDS
Over the next several years, we're working to set the trail on the path to long-term sustainability. We aim to ensure that the TCT will be a force that provides economic opportunities in rural areas, a platform for cultural exchange and conservation, and a gateway to discovering the magnificent Caucasus for decades to come.
The TCT idea has already taken a firm hold in the region. And our small team of staff and volunteers have become experts at leveraging a small amount of funding into bigger results for the trails and surrounding communities-- even in the past few years of turbulence.
Now, we need to build our core organization to invest in these partnerships and projects over the long term-- and to add new efforts that will help ensure the long-term protection of the trail and long-term benefits for the trail's communities.
The TCT's early supporters had the courage to believe in the vision that, together, we could create a world class long-distance trail across the magnificent South Caucasus mountains that celebrates and supports its diverse cultures and people. Now that the trail is real, it is vital that we expand our funding base.
That means we need more people who believe in its vision to provide the financial support that project-based funders cannot. We need people like YOU to become members.
Core support is what makes it possible for the TCT team to pull volunteers and partner organizations together and make all of our projects happen-- meaning your support is leveraged several times over.
Every dollar, dram, lari, and manat goes towards our priorities to benefit the mountain people and environments of the Caucasus. Our impact is growing-- but we can't do it without you!
THANK YOU!
As of summer 2022, the long-distance TCT is officially a reality that people are hiking. The only reason this has been possible is because of individual hikers, environmentalists, and Caucasus lovers like you-- who care not only about creating more hiking trails, but also building a brighter future across the Caucasus.
Thank you for joining the TCT community-- and we'll see you in the mountains!
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1st Maggie Osdoby Katz $100 raised 1 donation
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You can also help us to achieve our goals!
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Liam
Can't wait to hike it!
Dorota Szparaga | $10.70/M
Paul Hodgson | $104.15
John Graham Tours
John Graham Tours is a proud supporter of the TCT. Keep up the great work!