Peak Shkhara

Shkhara — the highest peak of Georgia. In Upper Svaneti, on the border of Georgia and Russia (Kabardo-Balkaria).

In the Svan language, Shkhara means "nine" and refers to the many peaks on its ridge. It is the highest point of the Main Watershed Range of the Caucasus and shares the second highest place in the Caucasus mountain system with the peak Dikhtau, after Yalbuz.

The height of the main Shkhara is 5203 meters above sea level, it is built of granite and crystalline slate. From the north, the Bezeng glacier, from the south — the Shkhara glacier. The border between Georgia and Kabardino-Balkaria runs along its ridge.

According to some sources, the height of Shkhara is 5208 meters. Its western and central peaks are also above 5,000 meters. The southern side is considered one of the highest walls in the Caucasus and Europe, reaching 2,300 meters from the base of the mountain to the summit. There are no low or medium category routes for climbing and descending on Shkhara. On average, there are routes of category 5A - 6A on the Caucasian rating scale, which indicates its particular difficulty.