Chitagvalashi

3,226 m

Georgia

Also known as Chitagvala, ჭითაგვალა, +2

Chitagvala · ჭითაგვალა · ჭითაგვალაში · Читагвалаши

Elevation: 3,226 m
Prominence: 694 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Aug–Sep
Routes: 1

Routes

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Approximate 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? 6 check notes

the line does not follow 'Tobavarchkhili', the route's namesake (564 m away): mislabelled
ascent 2057 m is 1.6× the net gain 1310 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
low confidence 0.4
Okhoje → Chitagvalashi: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 5.0 km)
unresolved waypoints: Okhoje Pass
waypoints not on the route line: Tobavarchkhili (181 m off the trail)

SACT5ScrambleNormal route

Sources differ: B-2 (scale not stated; probably Russian 2B) (Georgian trekking operators (Climbing Georgia, Wild Guanabana))

The highest top of the Egrisi Range, climbed as a side trip from a camp at the Great Tobavarchkhili lake (2,643 m). The approach is a two-day unmarked trek from the truck road end above Mukhuri; the final 600 m to the summit is rocky scrambling that operators offer only to experienced parties.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 13.9 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +2,057 m; −747 m lost on the way up
High Point: 3,226 m
Time Up: ≈ 10h 05m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 8h 20m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Chitagvalashi (Chitagvala) is almost always climbed as part of the Tobavarchkhili ('Silver Lakes') trek in the Samegrelo mountains. The usual start is the village of Mukhuri in Chkhorotsku municipality: a hired off-road truck (Ural or 6×6, 3–4 hours, 30–35 km) climbs the Khobistskali valley to the Natipuru area at about 1,900–2,000 m. From there a path crosses the Okhoje Pass (about 2,750 m) to camp at Okhoje, the Small Tobavarchkhili lake (2,545 m), in 4–6 hours; the next day a rocky traverse of 2–3 hours leads to the Great Tobavarchkhili lake at 2,643 m, the base for the summit. The peak rises about 1.4 km north-west of the Great lake, whose local name, Chitagvala's Toba ('Red Mountain's Lake'), comes from it. Operators run the ascent as an optional rock day on the lakes loop for experienced clients only and grade it 'B-2', without stating the scale. No published line, time or pitch description was found: expect steep, loose porphyritic rock and scrambling on the final summit block, about 600 m above the lake. Descend the same way. The area gets more than 2,000 mm of precipitation a year, fog can sit on the ridges for days, and snow lingers on north-facing slopes into late July. There is no mobile signal, no waymarking on the Mukhuri side and no refuge; all nights are spent in tents.

Start

Natipuru (truck road end)1,917 m

Marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mukhuri (09:00 from the station by the bridge, 2+ hours), then a hired off-road truck to Natipuru

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Natipuru (truck road end) → Okhoje	8.9	1,124	500	5h 52m
2	Okhoje → Tobavarchkhili	3.1	396	202	2h 07m
3	Tobavarchkhili → Chitagvalashi	1.9	538	50	2h 08m

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Natipuru (truck road end)1,917 m
Approximate: end of the 4WD truck track from Mukhuri near Natipuru peak (ნათიფურუ); basic shepherds' structures, camping
Feature:
Okhoje2,535 m
Small Tobavarchkhili lake; camp
Feature:
Tobavarchkhili2,648 m
Great Tobavarchkhili lake; base camp (not on route line)
Summit:
Chitagvalashi3,226 m

Key Passages

Okhoje Pass
Rocky traverse between the Okhoje and Great Tobavarchkhili lakes
Summit block

Equipment

0/9 packed

Technical

Short rope and a few slingsfor less experienced members on the rocky final sectionRecommended
Ice axeJune and early July, when snow lies on north-facing slopes and the passesRecommended

Safety

Helmetloose rock on the summit blockRequired
Satellite messengerno mobile signal anywhere on the routeRecommended

Footwear

Sturdy approach or mountain bootsRequired

Clothing

Waterproof and warm layersvery wet climate, freezing nightsRequired

Navigation

GPS with offline mapunmarked paths and frequent fogRequired

Hut & Camping

Tent, stove, sleeping bag rated to about 0 to -10 °Cwild camping onlyRequired

Other

Water filter or purification tabletsRequired

Downloads

Route confidence 40%

Overview

The 3,226 m high point of the Egrisi (Samegrelo) Range, a reddish rock peak above the Tobavarchkhili 'Silver Lakes'. Reached only after a two-day unmarked trek and climbed by experienced scramblers from a lakeside camp.

Chitagvalashi, usually called Chitagvala in English sources, is the highest summit of the Egrisi Range, a 62 km spur of the Greater Caucasus between the Enguri and Tskhenistskali rivers in Samegrelo, western Georgia. The range is mostly Jurassic porphyritic rock, with only remnant glaciers, and its south side is one of the wettest places in the Caucasus: more than 2,000 mm of precipitation a year, and 3–5 m of winter snow on the highest ground.

The peak stands above a cluster of cirque lakes at 2,500–2,700 m: Great Tobavarchkhili, known locally as Chitagvala's Toba ('Red Mountain's Lake'), Okhoje, Didghalish Toba, Kalalish Toba and Tsakatskarish Toba. The lakes trek, five to seven days of wild camping, has become one of Georgia's better-known off-the-beaten-track hikes, and Chitagvala is its optional summit. On a clear day Elbrus and the Svaneti peaks are visible from the ridges.

There are no huts, no waymarks on most of the route and no mobile signal. The climb itself is short from the lake, about 600 m of ascent, but on rough rock, and the weather is the real crux: fog can last for days.

Climbing Notes

Plan at least three days to reach the summit and two more to walk out. Most people travel with a Zugdidi or Tbilisi operator that arranges the truck from Mukhuri, horses for the bags and a guide; self-guided parties need GPS and offline maps, food for the whole trip plus a spare day, a stove (little firewood above the tree line) and a sleeping bag good to about -10 °C. Operators offer the summit only to experienced clients, so be comfortable scrambling on loose, exposed rock and bring a helmet. Allow a weather day at the Great lake. Mid-July to mid-September gives the best chance of snow-free passes; afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.

Season

Best Aug–Sep

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Not advisable
April: Not advisable
May: Not advisable
June: Possible
July: Good
August: Best (best window)
September: Best (best window)
October: Possible
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Deep snow; approach impossible
Feb: Deep snow
Mar: Deep snow
Apr: Deep snow
May: Snow on the passes; truck track not open
Jun: Trek season starts mid-June; snow on passes and high rivers
Jul: Snow lingers on north slopes into late July; thunderstorms
Aug: Best conditions, but afternoon storms and fog are common
Sep: Often the most settled weather; season ends mid-September
Oct: Cold nights and early snow; some operators still run trips
Nov: Winter
Dec: Winter

Access & Permits

Fees

Off-road truck Mukhuri–Natipuru about 300–400 GEL per vehicle one way; pack horses about 50 GEL per horse per day (2026 guide prices)

Rules

No huts or facilities: wild camping only
Locals regard the Great Tobavarchkhili lake as sacred; do not wash or swim in it

Getting There

Chkhorotsku (Mukhuri village); Zugdidi for supplies

Kutaisi (KUT)

Train or marshrutka Tbilisi–Zugdidi (5–6 hours), marshrutka Zugdidi–Mukhuri at 09:00 (2+ hours) or taxi (about 60–80 GEL)
Off-road truck from Mukhuri up the Khobistskali valley to Natipuru, 3–4 hours
Alternative approach from Skuri (near Jvari) up the Magana valley; a landslide near the Jolora campsite has affected the classic Mukhuri–Skuri link, check locally

Hazards

Rockfall
Exposure
Weather
River crossing
Remoteness