Shoda
3,609 m
Georgia
Also known as შოდა, Шода (гора), +1Also known as
შოდა · Шода (гора) · Sjoda
- Elevation
- 3,609 m
- Prominence
- 1,204 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
No documented route
We found no published description of an ascent. Any line shown is an outline from maps only — not a route to follow.
Routes
1No documented ascent route — outline from maps only
We found no published description of an ascent. This line only joins features on the map; it is not a route to follow, so there is no GPX download.
Why? 5 check notes
- no documented ascent — outline only (research confidence 0.25)
- 90% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.25
- Patara Ghebi → Shoda: dem (snap_failed, 8.9 km)
- unresolved waypoints: St George's Church, Lagorula summer huts, Shoda bivouac, Shoda ridge saddle
The only described approach: from Ghebi in upper Racha through Patara Ghebi and forest to St George's Church (about 1,990 m), along the Lagorula valley past abandoned summer huts to the 'Shoda bivouac' (about 2,180 m), then 1,000 m up to a ridge saddle near 3,250 m and onto the small summit glacier. Everything above the bivouac is undocumented; the grade is an estimate.
Elevation Profile
outline from maps- Distance
- ≈ 9.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +2,382 m
- −153 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,609 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 9h 29m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 6h 31m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Cross the bridge from Ghebi to Patara Ghebi and head east through the village to the mobile-phone masts. Finding the start of the old track to the church is the hardest part: two independent accounts describe searching across meadows and copses before picking up a little-used road that climbs in switchbacks, then vanishes among gullies and gnarled hornbeams. Beyond a small stream the path improves and climbs steeply to a ridge; the rebuilt St George's Church (about 1,990 m), site of the Giorgoba and Elioba festivals, stands in a clearing 15 minutes further, about 3 hours from Ghebi. From the church the path drops to a stream and leaves the forest at abandoned summer huts surrounded by head-high nettles, then traverses the slopes high above the Lagorula river, crossing steep side gullies, to a grassy hill just beyond a large stream that comes down from Shoda. The area beyond is marked on maps as 'Shoda bivouac' (about 2,180 m), 1.5–2 hours from the church; flat tent spots are scarce. A guide service grades the out-and-back walk from Ghebi to here as a long day (900 m of ascent, 8–9 hours). Above the bivouac no route description exists. A solo walker in 2016 described Shoda's rock steps and a razor-sharp rock pinnacle, left of which a saddle at about 3,250 m gives access to the summit ridge, 1,000 m above camp. The summit carries a firn plateau and the only small glacier of the Shoda-Kedela range. Expect trackless grass, scree and boulders to the saddle, then snow and possibly ice to the summit.
Start
Ghebi1,380 m
- Marshrutkas from Tbilisi and Kutaisi to Oni; some summer minibuses from Tbilisi continue up the Rioni valley to Chiora, about an hour's walk below Ghebi.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Ghebi1,380 m
- Feature: Patara Ghebi1,386 m
Path starts near the mobile-phone masts east of the village; hard to find
- Summit: Shoda3,609 m
Key Passages
- Hard-to-find path start above Patara Ghebi
- Nettle-choked huts and steep gullies in the Lagorula valley
- Trackless 1,000 m climb from the bivouac to the 3,250 m saddle
- Summit firn plateau and glacier
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 25%No GPX or KML: an outline from maps is not a route to follow.
Overview
The 3,609 m high point of the Shoda-Kedela range in upper Racha, a two-topped, snow-capped shale massif above the Rioni headwaters and the Shovi resort. Its approach valleys are wild and overgrown, and no ascent route has been published.
Shoda rises on the southern side of the upper Rioni, in the Shoda-Kedela range that walls in the Shovi resort to the south, west and east. The mountain is built of the layered shales and sandstones typical of Racha, rich in quartz veins with rock crystal and albite. It has two summits, and its top carries a small firn plateau that feeds the only glacier of the Shoda-Kedela range; the Ossetian Military Road runs along its foot.
From Ghebi, the highest large village in the Rioni valley, an old path climbs through hornbeam forest to the rebuilt St George's Church and continues into the Lagorula valley, past abandoned summer huts, to a spot marked on maps as the Shoda bivouac. Above that point there is no published route: Russian trekkers have described the area as wild and unexplored, with approach and ascent routes unknown.
For most visitors Shoda is a mountain to look at from the Chiora ridge, Ghebi or Shovi, or an objective for a rough two-day walk to its base. A summit attempt is an exploratory undertaking.
Climbing Notes
Treat a summit attempt as exploratory: there are about 2,200 m of ascent from Ghebi, a trackless 1,000 m climb above the bivouac to a ridge saddle at about 3,250 m, and a final snow plateau and small glacier whose condition is unknown. Plan two to three days with a tent, carry crampons and an ice axe, and bring a rope if you expect crevasses. Locals in Ghebi and Patara Ghebi know the path to the church and may be able to point out the old geologists' trail beyond it.
The walk to the church and on to the bivouac is worthwhile on its own: allow 8–9 hours for the round trip from Ghebi to the bivouac. Paths are hard to find in places, nettles around the huts can be head-high in summer, and side-stream crossings are steep. Mobile coverage fades quickly once you leave the village.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; deep snow
- Feb
- Winter; deep snow
- Mar
- Winter; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring snow; ski touring only, for experienced parties
- May
- Spring snow; avalanche risk on the upper slopes
- Jun
- Snow above 2,500 m; high streams
- Jul
- Snow-free approach; tall nettles near the huts
- Aug
- Most settled period; church festivals bring locals up the path
- Sep
- Cooler, often clear; first snow possible late in the month
- Oct
- Early snow on the summit
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Border-zone permit (Georgian Border Police)Required
The Trans Euro Trail lists the Oni–Gona and Oni–Shovi roads of upper Racha, which pass Ghebi, as border-zone sections needing a Border Police permit for both Georgian citizens and foreigners. Apply in person or by email to the Border Police Central Office, 12 Simon Kandelaki Street, Tbilisi, with the route, a map and passport copies; email applications take 7–10 working days. Walkers' reports from Ghebi do not mention checks, so confirm the current rules with the Border Police.
transeurotrail.org
- Getting There
Oni
Kutaisi (KUT)
- Marshrutka from Tbilisi or Kutaisi to Oni; in summer some minibuses from Tbilisi run up the Rioni valley to Chiora, about an hour's walk below Ghebi (2016 report)
- By car or taxi from Oni up the Rioni valley road to Ghebi, about 4 hours' drive from Tbilisi
Hazards
- Glacier
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Remoteness