Babis Mta
4,454 m
Georgia, Russia
Also known as Babismta, Donguzorun Glavni, +4Also known as
Babismta · Donguzorun Glavni · ბაბისმთა · Донгуз-Орун Главный / ბაბისმთა · Donguzorun · Донгуз-Орун Главный
- Elevation
- 4,454 m
- Prominence
- 1,087 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 18 Sep 2026
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel to Russia; the Georgian approach is unaffected, but climbers must not descend to the Russian side.
gov.uk
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 8 check notes
- danger scan: Dolra herders' hut → Donguzorun: straight line 4369 m (limit 200 m)
- danger scan: Dolra herders' hut → Donguzorun: sustained 71° > 40° on a straight line
- last routed vertex 4369 m from the summit (closed by straight)
- 100% approximate geometry
- ascent 3461 m vs net gain 2836 m (+22%)
- low confidence 0.36
- Mazeri → South Becho shelter: dem (snap_failed, 15.6 km)
- South Becho shelter → Donguzorun: straight (snap_failed; DEM rejected: DEM path 8789 m > 1.8× straight 4369 m + slack, 4.4 km)
Sources differ: 2A (Russian), south ridge, ice-snow route; attributed to Helbling's party, 1903 (Donguzorun district route guide (caucasalp.narod.ru), route 68; alpinist.biz classifier) · 2A (Russian), south-west slope (G. Merzbacher's party, 1892), from the bivouac on the south-west ridge of Nakra (caucasalp.narod.ru, route 68a)
The easiest route on Donguzorun (Babis Mta) and the only practical one today, from the Georgian side in Upper Svaneti: up the Dolra and Kvish valleys to the North Kvish glacier below the Nakra plateau, through a broken glacier branch to the south ridge, then snow, a narrow corniced crest and loose rock steps to the summit.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 19.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +3,461 m
- −625 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,454 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 15h 17m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 11h 30m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Donguzorun's famous north face with the 'Seven' glacier rises above the Baksan valley in Russia, but ascents of Main Caucasus Ridge summits from the Kabardino-Balkaria side are prohibited, so the easiest route, the 2A south ridge, is approached from Georgia. From Mazeri in the Becho community (Upper Svaneti) a forest road and path lead up the Dolra valley past the South Becho shelter to the herders' hut at the confluence of the Becho and Kvish streams (about 2,240 m). Cross to the Kvish valley and follow its left bank, past a canyon and moraine ridges, to bivouac sites by a large round boulder (about 2,500 m, 2 hours from the confluence). A cairned path continues over gravel hills to the stream from the North Kvish glacier, which is crossed where it braids about 200 m below the snout. From the North Kvish glacier, which comes down from the Nakra plateau, cross up and right and climb its badly crevassed north-east branch to a small upper plateau. Turn right, cross the bergschrund and climb a steep ice-snow slope onto the south ridge. Alternatively, go up a simple ice-snow slope to the broad Dolra pass and follow the long ice-snow ridge of the saddle, with short easy rock steps, onto the south ridge (3–4 hours). On the ridge, pass a narrow corniced snow crest (80–100 m), climb 250–300 m of broad ice-snow slope, then a steep 40–50 m rock step with loose blocks (belay). Continue 250–300 m along the easy, broken, snowy and partly narrow rock ridge to the final rise, and climb its 80–100 m of steep rock with short walls (loose rock, belay) to the summit: 3–5 hours from the Dolra pass. Descend the same way.
Start
Mazeri1,618 m
- Marshrutka Zugdidi–Mestia along the Enguri, alighting at Becho; then taxi or on foot to Mazeri
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Mazeri1,618 m
Becho community, Upper Svaneti; guesthouses; road from the Enguri highway
- Waypoint: South Becho shelter3,792 m
Old shelter with a narzan spring about 4 km above Mazeri
- Waypoint: Dolra herders' hut3,792 m
Bridge to the Kvish valley above the hut (not on route line)
- Summit: Donguzorun4,454 m
Key Passages
- North Kvish stream crossing
- Crevassed north-east branch of the North Kvish glacier
- Bergschrund and steep slope onto the south ridge
- 80–100 m corniced snow crest
- 40–50 m loose rock step
- Final 80–100 m rock rise
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 36%Overview
Donguzorun (Babis Mta in Georgian), 4,454 m, is the big snow and rock wall opposite Elbrus above the Baksan valley, its north face marked by the hanging 'Seven' glacier. It sits on the Georgia–Russia border; ascents from Russia are prohibited, and the easiest route, a 2A ice-snow ridge, is climbed from Svaneti.
Donguzorun stands on the Main Caucasus Ridge between the Becho and Donguzorun passes, about 12 km south-east of Elbrus. Seen from Cheget, its dark north face with the 'Seven' (Semerka) hanging glacier is one of the best-known views of the Elbrus region. The massif has three summits, East (about 4,442 m), Main (4,454 m) and West (about 4,430 m), with Nakra next along the ridge to the west; the Tsalgmili range branches south into Svaneti, and the Ledeshdvi, Dolra and Donguzorun glaciers drain its flanks.
The north side offers the classic hard routes (4A–5B ridges, buttresses and the north face), but since 2017 the Kabardino-Balkaria border-zone register lists the Donguzorun summits among Main Ridge peaks whose ascent from Russia is prohibited. The south side is gentler: two 2A ice-snow routes reach the main summit from the Nakra plateau and the North Kvish glacier in Upper Svaneti. They are long, remote climbs with a two-day approach from Mazeri or Nakra and no huts.
Do not descend to the Russian side; there is no legal border crossing on the ridge.
Climbing Notes
Technically modest for a 4,450 m Caucasus summit (alpine PD), but serious because of the remote approach, crevassed glacier and corniced ridge. You need glacier travel and crevasse-rescue skills, confident cramponing on steep snow and ice, and the ability to move together on loose rock. Acclimatise first, for example on 3,000–4,000 m walks around Mestia. Plan three to four days from Mazeri: up the Dolra and Kvish valleys to the round-boulder bivouac, a higher camp near the North Kvish glacier, summit day, and the walk out, plus weather reserve. Carry a satellite messenger; there is no mobile coverage on the glacier. A Svaneti guide is recommended.
History
The eastern summit was first climbed on 7 August 1888 by the British climber W. F. Donkin's party. The Soviet route table credits G. Merzbacher's party (1892) with the south-west slope and a party led by Helbling (1903) with the south ridge of the main summit. Soviet climbers opened the north-east ridge (Markelov, 1938), the north-east buttress (Vladimirov, 1957) and the north face (M. Khergiani, 1957; 5B), and the East–Main traverse was done in 1910 and 1947.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter
- Apr
- Avalanche season
- May
- Deep snow; avalanche risk in the Becho and Kvish valleys
- Jun
- Snow on the approach; unsettled weather
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Main season; streams highest in the afternoon
- Sep
- Stable weather, more open crevasses
- Oct
- Early winter
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The summit is on the Georgia–Russia border and there is no legal crossing of the Main Caucasus Ridge here. Climb from Georgia and return to Georgia.
- From the Russian (Baksan) side, the 2017 Kabardino-Balkaria register of routes in the border zone lists the West, Main and East summits of Donguzorun and Nakra among Main Caucasus Ridge peaks whose ascent is prohibited.
- The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Russia
- Getting There
Mestia (Upper Svaneti, Georgia)
Mestia (Queen Tamar, domestic flights) or Kutaisi (KUT)
- Marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia along the Enguri; get off at Becho, about 10 km before Mestia, and continue by taxi or on foot to Mazeri
- From Mazeri on foot up the Dolra valley (forest road, then path) to the Becho–Kvish confluence and into the Kvish valley
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Avalanche
- Exposure
- Weather
- Cornices
- River crossing
- Remoteness