Day 10 – Down with the Coffee

At 8 o’clock, we set off on another long walk—this time descending from Gwirot back to Gwamaru. It was the same treacherous mountain path we took two days ago. Since we were going downhill, I expected it to be physically easier, but somehow, I felt more afraid. The first time, I didn’t fully know what to expect. This time, I did. Luckily, I didn’t misplace my footing and reached our destination safely. But the walk was just as mind-blowing as the first time…

The Mental Battle of Endless Walking

One thing I’ve come to realize is that hours and hours of trekking isn’t just physically exhausting—it wears you down mentally. As the hours pass, fatigue builds up, but you just keep moving, knowing you still have several more ahead. Toward the end, a strange kind of inner anger starts to push you forward—you just need to reach the finish. Going up to Gwirot took me more than nine hours. The way down was just over six. Yet, when I arrived, I was just as exhausted as the days before—soaked in sweat, smelly, and starving. But it’s amazing what a bit of rest and fresh fruit can do. One positive surprise: my operated knee, which used to ache even after mild hikes on our Georgian tea plantations, held up without any trouble.

Carrying Coffee, Carrying Hope

I wasn’t walking alone. More than 30 people made the journey with me, carrying down the coffee that had been stored up in Gwirot. Each person hauled 15–20 kilos of coffee—plus the food they needed to sustain them for the multi-day hike. That’s how it works here. The journey from Gwirot to Sirisiri takes two days down and two days back up. They probably could buy some food on the way, but they don't lack food, but money, so they carry everything they need for the four-day round trip. Given the sheer number of calories burned, it’s a lot of food.

The funny part? The people carrying coffee didn’t expect me to walk fast. Most of them started 30 minutes to an hour later, expecting to catch up with me on the way. None of them did. Our small group arrived first, and only after some time did the others start trickling in. In total, we managed to bring down 500kg of coffee beans. Tomorrow, another group will transport those beans to the coast, while today’s crew heads back up to collect more.

It’s staggering to think about what it takes to move a single 50kg bag of coffee down from Gwirot to Sirisiri. One person alone would need to walk for 12 days to bring down just one bag. Since the bag is split into three loads, that’s three separate trips. Each round trip takes four days—two down, two back up. Up in the shed, there were 72 bags waiting. If 36 people were working on it, each of them would have to walk 24 days to get them all down.

And yet, they keep doing it—because this is their only way to bring real money into the community. Otherwise, they’re just circulating the same small amounts of cash among themselves.

In the evening, I sat down with Gray and Leroy to talk about the business side of the project. The new season starts in about a month, so we need to act fast to figure out how to approach it and implement some much-needed improvements. I also tried organizing some of the photos and videos I’ve taken over the last few days, but most of that will have to wait until I’m back in Estonia.

Before going to sleep, I made a decision: I’ll split the last 30km into two days. Most of that road is out in the open, and the heat and humidity during the day are brutal. After today, I can’t imagine pushing through another 8–9 hour hike in one go.

Hannes