The Svaneti Traverse
Seven days of solitude in the high Georgian Caucasus
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1 min read
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Danniel Roumian Booker
Svaneti is a land that time forgot, protected by stone towers and the highest peaks of the Greater Caucasus.
We set out from Mestia in late February, our packs heavy with gear and cheese. The goal: a complete traverse to Ushguli, the highest inhabited village in Europe.
The Storm
On day three, the wind turned. We spent 24 hours in a snow hole at 3,200 meters, listening to the mountain roar. It’s in those moments that you realize your “market positioning” doesn’t matter much.
The Reward
When the sky finally broke, we were treated to the most spectacular line of our lives—3,000 vertical feet of untouched Georgian powder, with the Shkhara massif guarding the horizon.