SHKHARA MTAVARI: BY RIGHT COUNTERFORT OF SOUTHEASTERN SLOPE (BEKNU)

(5-B; UIAA)

Route

From the Jibiani Village (2100 m.) (Ushguli) we follow the road towards the Shkhara Glacier. We step on the glacier from the left and get to the steep snow-ice slope, from which we reach the right counterfort of the lower rocky belt. We pass the waterfall from the right and get to the ledge by 180-200 m height rocks of the higher then medium difficulty. After this, in about 8-10 hours from departing CAMP-1 2280 m. we continue ascending to the right and by the medium difficulty snow rocks (height - 250-300 m.) get to the camping place

From CAMP-2 3680 m. we turn to the right and by the snow rocks of counterfort we get to the rock triangle, which we bypass from the right and follow
to the couloir. We traverse the couloir to the right and continue for 250-300 by difficult frosted rocks, ice slopes and hanging rocks. Following this, we go by medium and high difficulty snow rocks till we reach 100-200 m long snowice ridge. There is a camping place at the ridge - CAMP-3 4200 m. It takes 8-10 hours to get from CAMP-2 3680 m. to CAMP-3 4200 m. From CAMP-3 4200 m. the higher then medium difficulty rocks of 400-600m height lead us to 100-120 m long snow-ice ridge. Here, at 6-8 hours climbing distance from the CAMP-3 4200 m. we can find camping place – CAMP-4
4720 m. From CAMP-4 4720 m. we shall climb 35-40 m high difficulty vertical wall, after which, by the higher then medium difficulty snow rocks and snow-ice slope, we get to the main ridge of Shkhara Massive. We follow this simple snow-ice ridge to the right and get to Shkhara Summit in about 10-12 hours after departing from CAMP-4 4720 m.