Shkhara ( ka, შხარა) is the highest point in the nation of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

It is located near the Russian-Georgian border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in the south. Shkhara lies north of the city of

Kutaisi Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...

, 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 Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

'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 In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

known as the Bezingi (or Bezengi) Wall, a ridge. It is a large, steep peak in a heavily glaciated region, and presents serious challenges to mountaineers. Its north face (on the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n side) 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 Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internati ...

team of English climber John Garford Cockin and Swiss guides Ulrich Almer and

Christian Roth Christian Roth (born in Hanover, Germany) is a designer of luxury eyewear, co-founder with Eric Domege of the eponymous brands Christian Roth and Optical Affairs. Biography Roth is the son to Dr. Fritz-Jürgen and Sabine Roth, geb. von Prittwit ...

.J. G. Cockin, « ''Shkara, Janga, and Ushba'' », ''The Alpine Journal'', vol. XVI, n° 122, novembre 1893, pp. 477-494 - reproduced in

Douglas W. Freshfield Douglas William Freshfield (27 April 1845 – 9 February 1934) was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the '' Alpine Journal ''from 1872 to 1880. He was an active member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club and ...

,
The exploration of Caucasus
', E. Arnold, 1896, Volume II, pp. 38-58 This route is still one of the easier and more popular routes on the mountain. The first complete traverse of the Bezingi Wall was in 1931, by the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

ns K. Poppinger, K. Moldan, and S. Schintlmeister.

References

{{Highest points of Europe Mountains of Georgia (country) Mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria Seven Third Summits Georgia (country)–Russia border Five-thousanders of the Caucasus Highest points of countries

Morphology

History

See also

References