Shkhara

Shkhara is a mountain peak and the highest point in the country of Georgia. It is located on the Georgia–Russia border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in the south. Shkhara is the highest peak of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range since both Elbrus and Dykhtau are located along the side ranges which lie to the north of the Greater Caucasus Range. Shkhara lies north of the city of Kutaisi, Georgia's second-largest city, and closer to the townlet of Mestia in Svaneti. The summit lies in the central part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, to the south-east of Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest mountain. Shkhara is the third-highest peak in the Caucasus, just behind Dykh-Tau.

Morphology

Shkhara is the high point and the eastern anchor of a massif known as the Bezengi Wall, a ridge. It is a large, steep peak in a heavily glaciated region, and presents serious challenges to mountaineers. Its north face is high and contains several classic difficult routes. The significant sub-summit Shkhara West, at, is a climbing objective in its own right, and a traverse of the entire Bezingi Wall is considered "Europe's longest, most arduous, and most committing expedition".

History

The peak was first climbed in 1888 via the North East Ridge route, by the British/Swiss team of English climber John Garforth Cockin and Swiss guides Ulrich Almer and Christian Roth.