Climbing Ararat and Kazbek

Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Borjomi - Akhaltsikha - Akhaltsikhe Rabat fortress - PPC checkpoint Vale -  Dogubayazit - Eli (2200 m) - Base camp (3200 m) - Сamp (4200 m) – Summit Ararat (5137 m) - Base camp (3200 m) - Eli (2200 m) – Dogubayazit - PPC Checkpoint Vale - Borjomi - Stepantsminda - Weather Station (3600 m) - the peak of Kazbek (5033.8 m) - Saberza glade - Stepantsminda - Tbilisi

Service Package cost - from 1650 dollars US *

Included:

• All transfers
• Accommodation in hotels (guest houses)
• Ararat (breakfast on the mountain, one lunch on the mountain, 2 liters of water per day, horses, a tent, cats, sleeping mats, a certificate of climbing, cook services, permission (permit) to climb)
• Kazbek (transfer to church, horse)
• Guide services

Not included:

• Flight, road to / from Tbilisi

Brief information on the area and route

Mount Ararat is a mountain, stratovolcano and the highest volcanic massif of the Armenian Highland in eastern Turkey. About 30 (20) km from the border with Armenia (Iran) is located. The massif consists of two cones of sleeping volcanoes merged by the bases: the Big Ararat (5137 m) and the Small Ararat (3896 m). The summit of Big Ararat is the highest point of Turkey.The distance between the peaks of the Great and Small Ararat is 11 km. Volcanoes are separated by the Sardar-Bulak saddle. The base of both peaks has a length of about 130 km in circumference. Big Ararat from 4250 m and above is covered with eternal snow. There are about 30 glaciers in the massif (the largest is the glacier of St. Jacob, more than 2 km long).

Local names of Ararat:

• The traditional Armenian name of Ararat is Masis (Armenian Մասիս), or Black Mountain
• The Turkish name of Ararat is Agrydag or Agra-Dag (Turkish: Ağrı Dağı), “mountain curve” or “mountain of pain”
• The Persian name of Ararat is Kukhi-Nuh (Pers. وه نوح), “Mount Noah”
• Ararat's Arabic name is Jabal al-Харāreṯ, “the mountain of the plowman”
• Ararat’s Kurdish name “Agri” (Kurd. Çiyayê Agirî - translated from Kurdish as “Mount of Fire” indicates volcanic origin) or the second name “Chiya Grie” is translated from Kurdish as “Weeping Mountain”.

The first ascent of the Great Ararat was made on September 27 (October 9), 1829 by Professor I. F. Parrot, Professor, University of Derpt.

The first ascent alone, in 24 hours, was made by James Bryce on September 12, 1876.

The first winter ascent alone was made by the former chairman of the Mountaineering Federation of Turkey, Bozkurt Ergör, on February 21, 1970.

Kazbek Mountain (Georgian Mkinvartsveri (or Mkinvari), translated from Georgian ice (th) peak (top) - an extinct stratovolcano, the most eastern five thousand meters of the Caucasus, height 5033.8 m. It is located in the eastern part of the Central Caucasus, on the border of Russia and Georgia

The first ascent to the peak of Kazbek was made in 1868 by the British, 23-year-old D. Freshfield, Tucker and Moore (from the southeast slope).

Currently, it is a very popular mountain among climbers and tourists from all over the world.

• Article "Meet Ararat. Where is it located and how to get there?" - read
• Read our publication about Kazbek and its environs - Read

Climbing routes from 2A to 3B category of complexity, from Russia and Georgia.

During the ascent of Kazbek from the village of Stepantsminda, you will visit: the Temple of the Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba). The temple is located at a height (2170 m). This is a cross-domed temple, built in the XIV century in Georgia. The only temple of this type in the Kazbegi district. Further, Sabertse pass (Arsh) (2,930 meters), the Gergeti glacier, meteorological station (3,600 m) and approximately at an altitude (3,800 m) on the 80-meter rock wall in the cave is the ancient monastery Bethlemy (Bethlehem).

Additional Information

• Children under 14 years old are allowed on the route only if accompanied by adults.
• The host party has the right to change the route according to weather conditions and the state of the group
• The cost of the voucher does not include: optional excursions, transfers outside the program, environmental fees, etc.
• It is possible to provide additional services by prior arrangement: additional transfers, personal equipment hire, hotel booking, recreation, etc.