Outdoor enthusiast and freelance writer Anna Richards was sitting at her desk one day when a notification popped up on Twitter directing her to this advert.

"We’re seeking intrepid, experienced hikers to be the first thru-hikers on the new 1,500km Transcaucasian Trail. Will you be one of them?

For the past 6 years, we’ve been stitching together routes, building trails, and putting new destinations on the map (literally) across the Caucasus.

Our goal: to create the most culturally interesting and geographically diverse long-distance hiking trail possible across Georgia and Armenia as part of the Transcaucasian Trail.

The result: a challenging and stunning 1,500km route connecting the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The route weaves between high alpine passes, red desert canyons, bucolic meadows, volcanic plateaus, an ...