SHKHARA IS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN GEORGIA AND THE THIRD HIGHEST IN THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS STANDING AT 5201 M (17060 FT) ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE PEAK IS LOCATED IN THE SVANETI REGION OF GEORGIA ALONG THE RUSSIAN BORDER.

Shkhara is only 88 km (55 mi) to the north of Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city. The close proximity to the big city makes the mountain somewhat accessible, however, the mountain’s peak is large and steep, and it is surrounded by a heavily glaciated region. That’s why the ascent is considered to be one of the longest, arduous and most challenging climbs in Europe among majority of mountaineers.

In addition, due to the region’s unstable security and rather poor facilities the peak has been rarely climbed from the Georgian side. The first documented ascent took place in 1888 when a British-Swiss expedition consisting of U. Almer, J. Cockin and C. Roth took the northeastern ridge route - one of the easiest and most popular path to the top of the mountain to this day.

THE FIVE HIGHEST POINTS IN GEORGIA:

Shkhara - 5201 m (17060 ft), in the Svaneti region, in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, Georgia.
Janga - 5051 m (16572 ft), in the Svaneti region, in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, Georgia.
Mount Kazbek - 5047 m (16558 ft), in the Kazbegi District, in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, Georgia.
Pushkin - 5033 m (16512 ft), in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, Georgia.
Katyn-Tau - 4979 m (16335 ft), in the Svaneti region, in the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range, Georgia.