Shkhara
Highest peak in the Republic of Georgia
title: "Shkhara" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountains-of-samegrelo-zemo-svaneti", "mountains-of-kabardino-balkaria", "seven-third-summits", "georgia-(country)–russia-border", "five-thousanders-of-the-caucasus", "highest-points-of-countries"] description: "Highest peak in the Republic of Georgia" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shkhara" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Highest peak in the Republic of Georgia ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Shkhara |
| photo | Mt Shkhara as seen from Khalde (Photo A. Muhranoff, 2011).jpg |
| elevation | 5203 m |
| elevation_ref | |
| prominence_m | 1357 |
| prominence_ref | |
| parent | Main Caucasian Range |
| Greater Caucasus Mountains | |
| listing | |
| map | Caucasus mountains#Russia Kabardino-Balkaria#Georgia Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti |
| map_caption | Location of Shkhara within the Caucasus mountains |
| label_position | left |
| location | Svaneti, Georgia |
| Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia | |
| coordinates | |
| first_ascent | 1888 by U. Almer, J. Cockin and C. Roth |
| easiest_route | Northeast Ridge: snow/ice climb (Russian grade 4b) |
| :: |
| name= Shkhara | photo= Mt Shkhara as seen from Khalde (Photo A. Muhranoff, 2011).jpg | photo_caption= | photo_size= | elevation= 5203 m | elevation_ref= | prominence_m= 1357 | prominence_ref= | parent= Main Caucasian Range Greater Caucasus Mountains | listing= | map= Caucasus mountains#Russia Kabardino-Balkaria#Georgia Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti | map_caption= Location of Shkhara within the Caucasus mountains | map_size= | label_position= left | location= Svaneti, Georgia Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia | coordinates= | coordinates_ref= | country= | mountain_type= | age= | first_ascent= 1888 by U. Almer, J. Cockin and C. Roth | easiest_route= Northeast Ridge: snow/ice climb (Russian grade 4b)
Shkhara (შხარა; ) 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 88 km 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 11-12 km ridge. It is a large, steep peak in a heavily glaciated region, and presents serious challenges to mountaineers. Its north face (on the Russian side) is 1500 m high and contains several classic difficult routes. The significant sub-summit Shkhara West, at 5068 m, 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.
References
References
- (2022). "The Physical Geography of Georgia". Springer.
- (2019). "Geomorphology of Georgia". Springer.
- https://worldribus.org/caucasus-mountains/
- (1998). "World Mountaineering". Bulfinch Press.
- [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/186306/shkhara.html Shkhara on Summitpost]
- "Shkhara - Peakbagger.com".
- (1 January 2010). "Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac 2010". Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc..
- [https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Shkhara/forecasts/5200 Shkhara. Weather Forecast, Georgia] mountain-forecast.com
- J. G. Cockin, « ''Shkara, Janga, and Ushba'' », ''The Alpine Journal'', vol. XVI, n° 122, novembre 1893, pp. 477-494 - reproduced in [[Douglas W. Freshfield]], ''[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACA6IJKBCQI4HV87/pages/A5S2YNIDXJ2SYX8S The exploration of Caucasus]'', E. Arnold, 1896, Volume II, pp. 38-58
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