To the mountains of Georgia - Tetnuld (4858 m)!
The group is full!
Georgia is calling, the mountains are calling! At the end of June we are going to the Caucasus Mountains. The goal is to To be transported to the top of Mount Tetnuldi, at an altitude of 4858 meters. Tetnuld is located in the beautiful Svanetia region of northwestern Georgia and is one of the highest mountains in the Caucasus mountain range, the seventh highest in Georgia. A few dozen meters higher than the highest peaks in Western Europe.
The climb is steeper than on neighboring Kazbek or the Alpine magnet Mont Blanc. It's not really a "walk to the top" mountain - climbers need to know the ropes and pickaxes, belay and belay, and if necessary, ascend and descend along a support rope (we practice all of this beforehand). So At least once or twice, every participant should be on higher, easier mountains (on snow and ice, with crampons and a pickaxe) before. And don't be afraid of heights! The slopes are steeper and the summit ridges sharper than on regular hiking mountains - there we encourage each other if necessary to be safer.
Let's start with preparation before the trip to Estonia - we try out the equipment and practice climbing:
We will be holding two ice climbing practice days at Rannamõisa in the winter to remind you of the use of crampons and improve your skills.
In the spring, we will also do two rock climbing and rope work practice days to get a feel for climbing, belaying, and knot tying.
In addition, we will practice important mountaineering techniques for moving on snow and ice and belaying once more on site in real conditions before climbing to the summit.
Read more below and come along!
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: climb Mount Tetnuldi in Georgia (4858 m)
Dates: 24.06-03.07.2025
Activity: mountain hiking and climbing on snow and glaciers
Adventure guide: Marko Aasa
Technical difficulty level: 3/5 (previous experience required)
Route difficulty: PD+
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (moderate effort)
Group size: min 6, max 10 (final number depends on participants' mountain experience)
Early registration (until 31.01.2025) — €1250
Late registration (from 01.02.2025) — €1450
Please note: For community members discount -5% applies (1190 € / 1380 €)
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
The price includes - THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN PROGRAM and the accompanying
Entire trip organization and on-site guidance
Preparation in Estonia (ice and rock climbing practice days)
With experience climbing Tetnuldi Elamus+ mountain guide
Local transportation in Georgia and all transfers from the airport to the bottom of the mountain and back
All overnight stays throughout the trip (hotels or guest houses in Mestia village and Kutaisi city, with breakfast)
Breakfast and dinner on the mountain (high-quality Tactical food pack/MEKI camping food), gas cylinders for cooking
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, other glacier equipment)
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy (including high-altitude medications) and health assessment
Elamus+ mountaineering preparation package (valued at €200)
Access to online mountaineering webinars
Winter mountaineering training day
Summer trial hike/training
Price does not include - Flights, personal items and optional activities
Flight tickets Tallinn-Kutaisi-Tallinn (approx. €500)
Insurance (travel insurance and mandatory sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can also be rented if necessary) Elamus Pluss)
Tents and cooking equipment (a set per tent)
Drinks and snacks (i.e. lunch) on the mountain
Meals off the mountain
Coming down the mountain earlier (due to weather, health, etc.) will incur additional costs (accommodation, meals, etc.)
Transfer costs if you arrive/depart separately from the rest of the group
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
🌋 DAYS 1-2: FROM SEA LEVEL TO MOUNTAINS
First, you need to get from Estonia to Georgia. The best way to do this is to fly to the city of Kutaisi in the eastern part of the country. From there, an exciting 4-5-hour bus ride follows to the mountains of northwestern Georgia, in the Svanetia region, to the village of Mestia. Mestia is the largest center of Upper Svanetia and our local base camp. From there, we begin our journey towards Tetnuldi. Svanetia is a very interesting region for mountaineers - there are several famous peaks such as Ušba, Šhara, Tetnuldi; it is also possible to do mountain hikes of varying difficulty.
The first night is spent in a guesthouse, and dinner and breakfast are spent sitting at the table for the last time. On the second day, we drive to the beginning of the route at an altitude of 2700 m and hike from there for 2-3 hours to 3000 m, where our first intermediate camp is located.
🌋 DAYS 3-5: GETTING ACCURATE TO THE ALTITUDE
The Tetnuld climb is characterized by the fact that we spend at least 5 nights in a tent on the mountain. This includes both acclimatization and the summit climb. So we have to carry our equipment up the mountain ourselves with large backpacks for a few days. Including tents-mats-sleeping bags and cooking utensils-pots-pans. We set up intermediate camps at 3000 m and 3700 m - we adapt to the altitude, get a headache and practice the mountaineering techniques necessary for the summit climb on snow and ice.
🌋 DAY 6: Summit day
Early at night we set off towards the peak of Tetnuldi. It will be a long day, about 12 hours. We will climb up the easiest, or standard route, which is South-West Ridge or southwest ridge. The summit ascent is not overly difficult in terms of climbing technique, but a lot depends on the weather conditions. There are steeper sections in some places, and depending on the snow and ice conditions, you may need to turn ice drills, climb with your cat's front teeth, install support ropes, and belay each other. If there is a lot of snow, the steps may be inside and the going will be easier.
Beautiful views open up from the top, we take a picture too! Then we slowly descend the same path, and by evening we reach the upper camp.
DAYS 7-10: Weather and back among people
We pack up our tents and descend back down to the starting point of the route at 2700 m, where we will be picked up by transport and taken to Mestia. We unpack at the guesthouse, wash up and enjoy civilization. In the evening we clink glasses and celebrate. We sleep in bed at night, yes!
Since the weather in the mountains is changeable, we have 1-2 extra days to maximize our chances of reaching the summit. However, if we manage to reach the summit quickly, we can spend time in the beautiful natural places of Svanetia or enjoying the city of Kutaisi.
Then a slightly gloomy return flight and pondering new mountain thoughts!
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Trip highlights
🐅 Dazzling sunrise on the slope of Mount Tetnuldi
🐪 Staying in a tent without electricity, wifi, or sewage
🐓 The last chacha of the graduation celebration
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
pass (visa is not required for Georgia);
sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page)A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption, baggage, medical assistance).
In addition, some specific features of mountaineering:
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read more also travel conditions or feel free to ask the adventure locomotive!
Don't worry, let's do it!
Is this mountain hike within my reach?
Tetnuld is a slightly steeper and more technical mountain than Kazbek or Mont Blanc, and therefore requires previous mountaineering experience (at least on these or other similar mountains). Write to us about your skills and experience in the registration form and we will let you know if you could join the Tetnuld trip or if one of our other mountain trips is a good place to start.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. Hiking and climbing equipment can be rented for a very reasonable price, and you can also borrow some from friends. In addition, you can use any kind of clothing you have - for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountain. The more resourceful can manage almost without additional expenses.
Will I survive?
It's an extreme sport/hobby, but you shouldn't be too afraid here. Of course, there are certain dangers in the mountains and you have to take that into account, but at the same time, you could get hit by a bus walking across the street tomorrow. The most important thing for the group leader is to ensure the safety of the participants - to do this, we learn and use correct mountaineering techniques and turn around if the weather gets too bad. The point is still to have an enjoyable experience and not let this mountain go away. ;)
Okay, I registered. Now what?
To make your mountain hike more enjoyable, we recommend that you participate in our preparatory events before the trip - it's also part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheap equipment, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
