Climb Mount Kazbek

Mount Kazbek towering over the surrounding area at 5047m high. Photo: iStock

There’s a good chance that you’re coming into this article without much background knowledge on Georgia. If you want to throw yourself in at the deep end, then this might be the trek for you. As you’ve probably garnered by now, there are a lot of mountains in Georgia. Like, a lot. And most of them are extremely high, too. So why not make your first hike in Georgia a good one?

Mount Kazbek stands tall at 5047m. That’s almost four times the size of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. Kazbek is the highest mountain in Eastern Georgia. That means that climbing it is not easy. It’s a four day trek and it can be very physically demanding. But it’s non-technical and doesn’t require any previous mountaineering experience if you go with a good mountain guide.

The trek starts from Gergeti Trinity Church (pictured below) at 2150m, one of the most famous landmarks in Georgia, perched on a hilltop with a stunning backdrop of fierce mountains.

One of the foremost Georgian landmarks, the Gergeti Trinity Church near Gergeti town. Photo: iStock / Bruev

From here it’s a steep ascent to the Arsha pass, with views of Gergeti glacier, and then onto Meteo Station at 3600m. You’ll spend a day acclimatising here, before heading to the summit of Mount Kazbek the following day. Be aware, good weather is required and you’ll have to get up about 2am to set off. This is not one for the faint of heart.

The summit is a challenging 9km trek on narrow paths, often over snow or ice. It only gets tougher the closer you get to the top as well, but eventually… you’ll get there. And you won’t forget it in a hurry. Descend safely and the day should be about 11 hours of trekking, with an ascent and descent of 1147m each way.

You’ll have earned remarkable views of Georgia en route and you’ll also be able to say that you’ve climbed a 5000-er. There aren’t a lot of people you can say they’ve done that. Check out our tailor-made climb up Mount Kazbek, with spots still available for 2020, if you’re interested.