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Shkhara

Shkhara (Georgia)

Practical information on Shkhara

  • Viewpoint
  • Hiking / Trekking
  • Extreme Sports
  • Mountain
  • River
  • Off the beaten track
5 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
The foot of the glacier is a 3 hour walk from Ushguli
When to go
Between April and October
Minimum stay
One day

Reviews of Shkhara

Nicolas Landru Seasoned Traveller
117 written opinions

At 5068m of altitude, Shkhara is the roof of Georgia and the third highest summit in the Caucasus. To the north, its slopes form the border with the Russian Federation. A spectacular mountain and a majestic glacier which you reach on a trek from Ushguli.

My suggestion:
The hike to the foot of the glacier can be done alone, but to climb the mountain, it's best to take a local guide. The mountain shouldn't be taken on without preparation and the Shkara is known for its difficulty.
My review

Mount Shkhara is legendary in Georgia, as it is the highest point in the country. It's from the high valley of Enguri and notably Ushguli where you can best admire it, with its majestic and colossal form. Very much covered by glaciers, very white, it dominates Svaneti with its eternal snow.

The trek from Ushguli to its glacier is one of the most beautiful that you can do in the Caucasus. The mountain, like a queen, is raw, mineral and clear. The foot of the Shkhara glacier is the classic destination for non mountaineers.

Because beyond that, the Shkhara assumes another dimension. It is the privilege of the pure high mountain that only experience mountaineers can take on. Scaled for the first time in 1888 by the Swiss Stefan Almer and his team (but from the north face in Russia, more accessible), it has been well-known for being arduous. The first north-south crossing of the Bezingi Wall of which it is the summit wasn't realised until 1931...

Shkhara, south face
Nicolas Landru Seasoned Traveller
117 written opinions

At 5068m of altitude, Shkhara is the roof of Georgia and the third highest summit in the Caucasus. To the north, its slopes form the border with the Russian Federation. A spectacular mountain and a majestic glacier which you reach on a trek from Ushguli.

My suggestion:
The hike to the foot of the glacier can be done alone, but to climb the mountain, it's best to take a local guide. The mountain shouldn't be taken on without preparation and the Shkara is known for its difficulty.
My review

Mount Shkhara is legendary in Georgia, as it is the highest point in the country. It's from the high valley of Enguri and notably Ushguli where you can best admire it, with its majestic and colossal form. Very much covered by glaciers, very white, it dominates Svaneti with its eternal snow.

The trek from Ushguli to its glacier is one of the most beautiful that you can do in the Caucasus. The mountain, like a queen, is raw, mineral and clear. The foot of the Shkhara glacier is the classic destination for non mountaineers.

Because beyond that, the Shkhara assumes another dimension. It is the privilege of the pure high mountain that only experience mountaineers can take on. Scaled for the first time in 1888 by the Swiss Stefan Almer and his team (but from the north face in Russia, more accessible), it has been well-known for being arduous. The first north-south crossing of the Bezingi Wall of which it is the summit wasn't realised until 1931...

Shkhara, south face