Anybody know if it is possible for a non-Turkish non-Abkhazian
non-Georgian to get from Trabzon to Sukhumi by ferry, and if
so how to sort the relevant paperwork? Where in Turkey or the
UK could I find an Abkhazian consular representative?

The abkhazia.org website seems to be inactive, and emailing its
webmaster produced no acknowledgement (nor am I too sure they
have any official connection with the Abkhazian government).
That site suggests going through Russia (no thanks) - a ferry
from a country I more or less understand and avoiding Georgia
would seem to be less hassle even if it might be primitive.

Maybe someone here has climbed Mount Elbruz recently and needed
to go through these hoops?

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[email protected] (bogus address) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Anybody know if it is possible for a non-Turkish non-Abkhazian
    > non-Georgian to get from Trabzon to Sukhumi by ferry, and if
    > so how to sort the relevant paperwork? Where in Turkey or the
    > UK could I find an Abkhazian consular representative?

Probably nowhere. AFAIK Abkhazia is not recognized by Turkey or the UK
(or anyone else, except possibly by Russia).

    > The abkhazia.org website seems to be inactive, and emailing its
    > webmaster produced no acknowledgement (nor am I too sure they
    > have any official connection with the Abkhazian government).
    > That site suggests going through Russia (no thanks)

As far as this place is a semi-war zone, following the advice given by
the Abkhazians themselves seems an extremely good idea. If I was going
there, I'd do exactly as detailed on:

http://www.abkhazia.org/travel.html

    > - a ferry
    > from a country I more or less understand and avoiding Georgia
    > would seem to be less hassle even if it might be primitive.
    >
    > Maybe someone here has climbed Mount Elbruz recently and needed
    > to go through these hoops?

I think Mount Elbruz is typically climbed from the Baksan valley in
Russia, which means there is no need of going through Abkhazia.

http://www.ewpnet.com/MEDOSMAP.HTM

Bjorn

"bogus address" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Anybody know if it is possible for a non-Turkish non-Abkhazian
    > non-Georgian to get from Trabzon to Sukhumi by ferry, and if
    > so how to sort the relevant paperwork? Where in Turkey or the
    > UK could I find an Abkhazian consular representative?
    > The abkhazia.org website seems to be inactive, and emailing its
    > webmaster produced no acknowledgement (nor am I too sure they
    > have any official connection with the Abkhazian government).
    > That site suggests going through Russia (no thanks) - a ferry
    > from a country I more or less understand and avoiding Georgia
    > would seem to be less hassle even if it might be primitive.
    > Maybe someone here has climbed Mount Elbruz recently and needed
    > to go through these hoops?

From what I can see on the net, Abkhazia is currently blockaded by
Georgia and Russia and not recognised as a separate entity from Georgia,
by anyone. A ceasefire was signed in 1994 and a UN peacekeeping force
has been there since then, but it still looks like serious bandit
country. The blockade presumably applies to the port capital of Sukhum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia

There's an airport at Sukhum (omit the trailing "i" when speaking to
Abkhazians or they will be upset), but it too may well be subject to the
blockade. History of missile attacks on aircraft as recently as 2001. I
wouldn't fancy it.

From http://english.pravda.ru/cis/2001/06/26/8694.html:

The Sukhumi airport reopened after several years' break in the capital
of Abkhazia, Georgia's constituent republic.
UN mission delegates were the first to come by a special flight. UN
planes will now make regular trips to Sukhumi, two to three flights a
day.

Even the British Embassy in Tbilisi refers to Abkhazia as a breakaway
region of Georgia:
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/ser...enMarket/Xcele
rate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1054572030724
so my guess is you won't find a consulate.

Is your intention mountain-climbing? If so I would pick another one,
personally...

HTH,
Martin.