04Experiences

Walking in the mountains

Trails of Kazbegi and Svaneti

The Greater Caucasus runs along Georgia's north, and the easiest ways into it are Kazbegi and Svaneti. In Kazbegi the classic short climb leads from Stepantsminda at 1,740 metres to Gergeti church at 2,170 metres, about 430 metres of ascent through pasture. From the ridge Mount Kazbek feels close, its glaciers covering 135 square kilometres. In winter the slopes of Gudauri and the Kazbek massif open up for off-piste skiing and ski touring. In Svaneti the villages are surrounded by peaks of 3,000 to 5,000 metres, and a mountain road runs from Mestia to Ushguli at the foot of Shkhara, the country's highest summit. Mountain weather changes fast: the July average in Stepantsminda is only 14.4 °C, snow covers Ushguli for six months a year, and the road to Mestia is often closed. Walk in summer, set off early before the clouds build, and carry warm layers even when the valley is hot.

About 430 m

Climb from Stepantsminda to Gergeti

0 km²

Area of Kazbek's glaciers