Mount Kazbek

5,033 m

Georgia, Russia

Also known as Казбек, Kazbek, +7

Казбек · Kazbek · Kasbek · Καζμπέκ · Kazbegi · Monte Kazbek · Mont Kazbek · მყინვარწვერი · მყინვარწვერი - Казбек

Elevation: 5,033 m
Prominence: 2,373 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Jul–Aug
Routes: 1

Routes

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AlpinePD-GlacierNormal route

Sources differ: PD (SummitPost) · 2A (Russian) (Armland Adventure Club)

The standard route from Stepantsminda: a long walk past Gergeti Trinity Church and the Sabertse Pass, across the lower Gergeti glacier to the Betlemi Hut (about 3,650 m), then a long, crevassed glacier circuit round the west side of the mountain to the col below the summit and a final 35–40° slope. Technically modest; length and altitude are the challenge.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: 12.7 km; one way
Ascent: +2,923 m; −85 m lost on the way up
High Point: 5,033 m
Time Up: 11h 30m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 7h 43m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From Stepantsminda (about 1,750 m) walk or take a 4×4 up to Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m), the last reliable water for several hours. A clear path climbs over the Sabertse Pass (about 2,940 m), where the Gergeti glacier comes into view, past the Altihut and Deka huts (about 3,000 m) and across a glacial river that can be awkward in the afternoon. The flat lower Gergeti glacier is usually crossed without crampons; markers show where to climb the chaotic lateral moraine to the Betlemi Hut, the former meteorological station at about 3,650 m. Allow 6–7 hours from the church; many parties split the approach with a night at 3,000 m and spend an extra day acclimatising above the hut. Summit day starts around 02:00. Cairned paths lead west through moraine below the mountain, past a metal cross (stay on the traversing path), with stonefall possible from the volcanic slopes above. Rope up where the moraine ends: the glacier is crevassed, but on this north-west-facing slope the snow is often hard. After a short crevasse maze the route makes a long circuit round the mountain, across a plateau to a col on the border and then traversing at 20–25°, to the small plateau between the subsidiary top and the main summit (about 4,900 m). A slope of about 35°, steeper with wind-packed snow and sometimes icy, leads to the summit; SummitPost describes the crux as about 100 m of easy ice of up to 40°. Descend the same way. Expect 11–12 hours for the round trip from the Betlemi Hut. The final part of the route lies on or across the Russian border; border police may be present.

Start

Gergeti Trinity Church2,194 m

Bus or minibus from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda (about 4 hours), then on foot (about 1–1½ hours) or by 4×4 taxi to Gergeti Trinity Church.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Gergeti Trinity Church → Betlemi Hut	9.1	1,531	58	6h 22m
2	Betlemi Hut → Mount Kazbek	3.6	1,392	28	5h 08m

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Gergeti Trinity Church2,194 m
Col:
Sabertse Pass2,940 m
Hut:
Altihut2,991 m
Hut:
Betlemi Hut3,668 m
Summit:
Mount Kazbek5,033 m

Key Passages

Glacial river crossing below the Gergeti glacier
Lateral moraine up to the Betlemi Hut
Crevasse maze where the route steps on to the upper glacier
Final 35–40° slope from the saddle to the summit

Equipment

0/12 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 80%

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Overview

A dormant volcano (5,033 m) on the Georgia–Russia border above Stepantsminda and the Georgian Military Road, with Gergeti Trinity Church at its foot. The normal route is a PD- glacier climb from the old Betlemi meteo station, popular as a first 5,000 m peak.

Kazbek (Mkinvartsveri, 'ice summit', in Georgian) is a stratovolcano at the eastern end of the Central Caucasus, its summit on or just across the border between Georgia's Kazbegi municipality and North Ossetia in Russia. It rises above Stepantsminda and the Dariali gorge, the Georgian Military Road's route to the Verkhny Lars border crossing, and its glaciers, among them the Gergeti glacier, feed the Terek river. The 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church on a ridge below the mountain is one of Georgia's best-known views.

The Georgian normal route, graded PD- (Russian 2A), is mostly glacier walking: a long approach to the Betlemi Hut at about 3,650 m, then a long circuit of the mountain over crevassed glacier to a final slope of 35–40°. The difficulty lies in altitude, length (an 11–12-hour summit day) and weather; storms can arrive even after a clear morning, and rescue can be slow.

Good access from Tbilisi, cheap huts and a short season of reliable conditions make Kazbek one of the most climbed 5,000 m peaks in the Caucasus. In July and August the track is usually broken daily, the Betlemi Hut is crowded and its surroundings have a waste problem. Newer huts at about 3,000 m (Altihut and Deka) offer better comfort lower down.

Climbing Notes

You need glacier travel and crevasse-rescue skills, crampon technique on slopes up to 40° and fitness for a 1,400 m, 11–12-hour summit day above 3,650 m. Acclimatisation matters: walking from Stepantsminda (1,750 m) to the hut in one day and sleeping at 3,650 m is a big jump. A common plan is church to the 3,000 m huts or the clean-water bivouac at about 3,200 m on day one, Betlemi Hut on day two, an acclimatisation walk to about 4,100–4,200 m on day three, summit on day four (02:00 start) and descent on day five.

Local guides and horse transport for loads are easily arranged in Stepantsminda. Register at the Betlemi Hut with the warden if you intend to go for the summit. Take a GPS track: the moraine path above the hut is confusing in the dark, and the upper glacier is featureless in cloud.

Carry your passport; the upper route lies on the Russian border and climbers have reported passport checks on the mountain. Mountain rescue is limited and relies on Border Police helicopters, which bad weather can ground for long periods, so carry insurance that covers helicopter rescue at 5,000 m.

History

Douglas Freshfield, A. W. Moore and C. C. Tucker with the Chamonix guide François Devouassoud made the first recorded ascent in 1868. The Georgian scientist Giorgi Nikoladze's ascent in 1923 is regarded as the start of Georgian mountaineering. The Betlemi (Bethlehem) cave monastery, reached by an iron chain, lies in a cliff near the Betlemi Hut at about 3,800 m and appears in Georgian chronicles as a repository of church treasures; local legend also places the chaining of Amirani, the Georgian Prometheus, on the mountain.

Season

Best Jul–Aug

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

Jan: Winter; very cold and windy, huts largely unstaffed
Apr: Ski-mountaineering ascents for experienced parties
May: Late May: season begins, heavy snow; Deka hut opens in May
Jun: Good snow cover over crevasses; unsettled weather
Jul: Main season; track usually broken daily
Aug: Main season; busy huts; glacial river crossing harder in the afternoon
Sep: Quieter; more open crevasses and icy summit slope
Oct: Early winter conditions; huts close for the season

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Deka books online through its website. The Betlemi Hut is run by wardens from Gergeti village; book through Stepantsminda operators or pay on arrival. Altihut takes bookings directly.

Fees

Hut fees (Betlemi Hut, Altihut or Deka); a fee also applies for tents beside the Betlemi Hut
Optional 4×4 transfer from Stepantsminda to Gergeti Trinity Church
Optional horse transport for loads

Rules

The upper route lies along the Georgia–Russia border; do not cross into Russia and carry your passport
The Verkhny Lars road crossing to Russia lies a short distance north of Stepantsminda; UK FCDO advises against all travel to Russia

Getting There

Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)

Tbilisi (TBS)

Bus or minibus from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda (about 150 km, roughly 3–4 hours) along the Georgian Military Road
By car from Tbilisi along the Georgian Military Road to Stepantsminda
From Stepantsminda walk up (about 1–1½ hours) or take a 4×4 taxi to Gergeti Trinity Church

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Altitude
Weather
Rockfall
River crossing

Huts & Shelters

AltihutHut
3,014 m
DekaHutStaffed
28 beds · Staffed May–October; self-service outside the season
Book Deka
3,020 m
Betlemi HutHutStaffed
Summer season; wardens from Gergeti hold the keys out of season
3,650 m