Top 10 Glaciers in Georgia
The Greater Caucasus range, stretching across northern Georgia along the borders with Russia, is one of Europe's most glacier-rich mountain systems. High summits exceeding 5,000 metres, heavy precipitation driven by Black Sea moisture from the west and continental systems from the east, and deeply glaciated valleys carved over multiple Pleistocene glaciations together support a significant concentration of glaciers within the territories of Georgia, Russia, and Azerbaijan. Georgia's share of Caucasus glaciation is substantial, with glaciers descending from the peaks of the western and central Caucasus into the headwaters of the Rioni, Enguri, Kodori, and Aragvi river systems. These glaciers feed rivers that supply irrigation and drinking water across the Georgian lowlands and contribute to major engineering projects including the Enguri hydroelectric dam. Glacier research in Georgian territory has been conducted by Soviet and post-Soviet scientists since the early twentieth century, with modern monitoring efforts using satellite imagery and periodic field expeditions.
Find all these glaciers in context by exploring the map and locating the Greater Caucasus range along Georgia's northern border.
1. Chalaat Glacier, Svaneti Region
Chalaat Glacier descends from the high Caucasus peaks above the Svaneti highland in western Georgia, one of the larger valley glaciers in Georgian territory by length and area. The Svaneti region, centred on the medieval tower villages of Mestia and Ushguli, is surrounded by heavily glaciated terrain, with outlet glaciers from the Shkhara massif and neighbouring peaks visible from village towers that have stood for centuries. Chalaat has retreated measurably through the twentieth century, its terminus now substantially upvalley from the moraine ridges that mark its Little Ice Age maximum. Trekking routes in the Svaneti highlands pass below several glacier snouts, making this one of the more accessible glacier areas in Georgia for visitors.
2. Shkhara Glacier, Svaneti Region
Shkhara (5,193 m) is the highest peak entirely within Georgia (though the border with Russia runs through the massif's upper ice fields), and its flanks support extensive glaciers that descend toward the village of Ushguli — recognised as one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe. The Shkhara glacier complex feeds the headwaters of the Enguri River, whose flow eventually reaches the Enguri reservoir and hydroelectric dam. The glaciers here are among the most heavily crevassed and technically demanding in the Georgian Caucasus, and serious mountaineering expeditions to Shkhara's summit require glacier travel over challenging terrain.
3. Tetnuldi Glacier, Svaneti Region
Tetnuldi (4,858 m), a prominent pyramid peak above Mestia in Svaneti, has a moderately developed ski resort on its lower slopes operating in winter, but its upper glacier areas — a north-facing ice field descending from the summit — remain wild and remote. The glacier feeds streams that drain toward the Mestia valley. Tetnuldi is one of the easier high summits in the Caucasus from a technical standpoint and is increasingly popular with ski mountaineers traversing from the resort into the high alpine terrain above.
4. Lekhziri Glacier, Svaneti Region
Lekhziri Glacier, also known as the Lekzyr Glacier in Russian-language sources, descends from the high Caucasus watershed in the Svaneti region, flowing south toward the Enguri drainage. It is one of the longer glacier tongues accessible from the trekking routes above Mestia, visible from several trail sections as a pale serpentine of ice against the dark rock cliffs. Multi-day trekking itineraries in Svaneti, including routes between Mestia and Ushguli, provide views of Lekhziri from distances of a few kilometres.
5. Kazbek Glacier (Gergeti), Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region
Mount Kazbek (5,047 m) in eastern Georgia, near the military highway town of Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), is the most climbed high summit in the Georgian Caucasus, due largely to its relative proximity to Tbilisi (approximately three hours by road) and the well-established route via the Gergeti Glacier on the mountain's western flank. The Gergeti Glacier descends from the summit ice cap toward the Dariali Gorge and is approached from the village of Stepantsminda, with the route passing the medieval Gergeti Trinity Church dramatically perched on a hilltop at 2,170 metres. The glacier surface is accessible to guided trekking parties, and the route to the summit crosses the glacier above the firn line at approximately 4,200 metres.
6. Devdoraki Glacier, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region
Devdoraki Glacier on the northern flank of Kazbek has a documented history of catastrophic ice avalanches and debris flows, with events recorded in historical accounts extending back centuries. A particularly large Devdoraki collapse in 2014 blocked the Dariali Gorge road and military highway connecting Georgia to Russia for an extended period, requiring major engineering works to restore access. The glacier feeds into the upper Terek River drainage (which flows north into Russia) and is monitored for hazard assessment. It is not accessible for recreational glacier visits due to the rockfall and ice avalanche hazard.
7. Laila Glacier, Svaneti Region
Laila (4,008 m), a lower but prominently positioned peak in Svaneti between the Enguri and Tskhenistsqali valleys, retains permanent snow and small glaciers on its upper terrain. It is visible from several villages in lower Svaneti and is accessible by hiking trails that pass through the subalpine zone below the glacier. The area is less visited than the Mestia-Ushguli corridor, offering a quieter version of the Svaneti glacier landscape.
8. Ushba Glacier, Svaneti Region
Ushba (4,710 m) is one of the most technically difficult peaks in the Caucasus, its twin summits forming a dramatic double-headed profile visible across much of Svaneti. Its steep ice faces and glaciers are the domain of high-level alpinists; the standard routes involve serious mixed terrain. The Ushba Glacier descends from the main faces of the peak toward the Mulkhura valley below Mestia, contributing meltwater to the local stream system. Ushba's ice faces have been the scene of numerous first ascents and difficult expeditions by Soviet and international climbers from the early twentieth century onward.
9. Chalaati Glacier, Svaneti Region
Chalaati Glacier (distinct from Chalaat, above) is one of the most accessible glacier tongues in Svaneti, reachable by a marked trail of approximately two to three hours from Mestia. The trail leads through beech and pine forest along the Mestiachala river gorge, emerging at the glacier snout where visitors can approach the ice margin and the proglacial area of polished rock and glaciofluvial deposits. A wooden bridge across the proglacial stream and a viewpoint above the snout make this the most visitor-friendly glacier access in the Georgian Caucasus. The glacier has retreated from its Little Ice Age moraines, which are visible as prominent ridges on the valley sides above the current ice level.
10. Adishi Glacier, Svaneti Region
Adishi Glacier lies above the remote village of Adishi in upper Svaneti and is a key crossing point on the multi-day Svaneti trekking traverse from Mestia to Ushguli. Trekkers ascending from Adishi village cross the glacier's snout and the moraine terrain above it before descending to Iprari on the other side, with the glacier crossing typically requiring care on the morainic debris but not crampons in summer. The position of Adishi on a popular multi-day route means it is seen by a significant number of international trekkers each summer season.