Tsalgmil
3,992 m
Georgia
Also known as ცალგმილი, ЦалгмылAlso known as
ცალგმილი · Цалгмыл
- Elevation
- 3,992 m
- Prominence
- 677 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: 3A (Soviet/Russian classification) (Gory Svanetii (Central Caucasus) guidebook, via skitalets.ru) · Fizkulturnik Pass 1B (Russian trekking-pass grade) (Turizm KBR reprint of a Soviet pass guide)
The easiest of Tsalgmil's six Soviet routes, first climbed in 1933: from Nakra up a side valley to the South Tsalgmil glacier and its gentle snow slope to the Fizkulturnik Pass on the peak's western shoulder, a bivouac on the ridge, then a long broken rock ridge with the 'Red Gendarme' and a 30 m corner to the 3,992 m summit. Soviet 3A; 2 days.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 15.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,805 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,992 m
- Time Up
- 11h 24m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7h 42m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Nakra village cross the Nakra river and either follow the path towards the Tavrida pass, turning left below it up steep grassy slopes, or go up the right bank of the Nakra to the first side valley and follow it east. Both lead to bivouac sites on the lateral moraine at the snout of the South Tsalgmil glacier. A Soviet pass guide describes the same valley: forest and a valley step give way to a broad moraine-filled valley closed by the 'battleship' of Tsalgmil, with good camps on the last grassy patches right of the peak's rock buttress, 5–6 hours up. From the moraine go up the left side of the glacier (stonefall) and a gentle snow slope to the first saddle of the Fizkulturnik Pass (about 3,340 m), a broad scree col on Tsalgmil's western shoulder. The pass guide notes slopes of 20–25° steepening to 45° below a possible cornice, a small bergschrund and frozen snow in the morning. Turn left onto the rocks of the south-west ridge and bivouac on platforms there; 5–6 hours from Nakra. On summit day follow the long, broken south-west ridge on easy rock, drop briefly down a steep snowfield below the Red Gendarme ('Ryzhy zhandarm') and climb it direct on steep, very loose rock of moderate difficulty with belays. Continue on easy broken rock, a 30 m corner of moderate difficulty protected with pitons, and finally solid rock to the summit; 4–5 hours from the pass. Descend the same way.
Start
Nakra1,220 m
- No public transport to Nakra; take the Zugdidi–Mestia marshrutka to the mouth of the Nakra valley and walk or hitchhike more than an hour to the village.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nakra → Fizkulturnik Pass | 14.5 | 2,258 | 18 | 9h 23m |
| 2 | Fizkulturnik Pass → Tsalgmil | 1.3 | 547 | 15 | 2h 01m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Nakra1,220 m
Elevation from the DEM
- Col: Fizkulturnik Pass3,459 m
First (western) saddle on Tsalgmil's western shoulder; the OSM node may mark the eastern saddle towards Lyadval
- Summit: Tsalgmil3,992 m
Key Passages
- Snow slope to the Fizkulturnik Pass
- Red Gendarme
- 30 m corner below the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 35%Overview
At 3,992 m the highest point of the Nakra spur in north-west Svaneti, a rock and ice ridge likened by Soviet guides to a battleship, facing Shtavleri across the Nakra valley. Six Soviet routes reach the summit; the easiest is a two-day 3A rock ridge from Nakra.
The Nakra spur runs south from the Dongus-Orun massif on the Main Caucasus Range, between the Nakra and Dolra valleys, over Ledesht, Leirag and Lakra to Tsalgmil, its highest summit. South of Tsalgmil the spur turns east over Lyadval and Bak towards Charinda. Small glaciers lie in the upper side valleys on the Nakra side, and the walls of Tsalgmil close the cirque of the South-west Kvish glacier to the east.
Seen from the Nakra side the mountain fills the head of a broad moraine valley with a long rocky crest. Its routes range from the Soviet 3A south-west ridge, reached over the Fizkulturnik Pass, to the 4A–5A north face, north-east ridge, north-west ridge and east couloir and rib. Most of these were climbed by Soviet club parties between 1933 and 1952; today the peak is rarely visited and modern information is very thin.
The approach starts in Nakra, a remote village with guesthouses but no public transport. Glaciers in the area have retreated since the routes were described, so expect more loose rock and scree than the old descriptions suggest.
Climbing Notes
This is a two-day alpine climb for parties comfortable on glaciers, 45° snow and loose rock of moderate difficulty with piton belays. Day one gains about 2,100 m from Nakra to a bivouac above the Fizkulturnik Pass (5–6 hours); day two is 4–5 hours to the summit and a long descent. Acclimatise beforehand, for example with a night or two above 3,000 m.
No guiding company advertises the route, and no recent report was found, so plan with care: study recent satellite imagery, carry a GPS, and allow a spare day for weather. Water is from snow-melt above the moraine. The Nakra valley runs up to the Russian border on the Main Caucasus Range, so carry your passport and check locally whether border-police registration is needed.
History
The Svaneti guidebook lists the east couloir (4A) as the first route, climbed by K. de Rham and O. Hug on 11 August 1910. A. Rozhdestvensky, A. Gerasimov, B. Zhuk and others climbed the south-west ridge (3A) on 10 July 1933; the north-east ridge (5A) followed in 1936, the north-west ridge (4A) in 1947, the north face (4A) in 1951 and the east rib (4B) in 1952.
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; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring snow; avalanche risk
- May
- Heavy snow on the approach
- Jun
- Lots of snow; cornice on the pass likely
- Jul
- Main season; first ascent of the normal route was in July
- Aug
- Main season; afternoon storms
- Sep
- Firmer conditions, more ice; first snow late in the month
- Oct
- Early winter
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts; guesthouses in Nakra for the night before.
- Rules
- The upper Nakra and Dolra valleys reach the Russian border on the Main Caucasus Range; carry your passport and do not cross the main ridge
- Getting There
Mestia
Kutaisi (KUT); Mestia airport has domestic flights from Tbilisi
- No public transport to Nakra: take the Zugdidi–Mestia marshrutka to the mouth of the Nakra valley and walk or hitchhike for more than an hour to the village
- By car or taxi from Zugdidi or Mestia along the Enguri valley road, then up the side road to Nakra
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Avalanche
- Cornices
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness