Trekking to Gergeti Glacier: A Guide

The route from Stepantsminda to Gergeti Glacier is full of quad-crushing uphill slogs, achingly gorgeous mountain vistas, territorial Georgian Shepards, and a surprise rest stop right before the final push. You won’t need technical skills to reach Gergeti, but you’ll need tons of endurance, good shoes, and some hearty snacks to power you through.

The Journey

You’ll start your Gergeti Glacier hike from the mountain village of Stepantsminda. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is by marshrutka from Tbilisi. Pick up your marsh near Station Square and prepare for 3–4 hours of bumpy ride and tight quarters. Generally, you can just show up, as the marshrutkas leave when they’re full.

Arrive the night before and stay in a guesthouse. There are plenty of options all over Stepantsminda that offer humble accommodations, warm beds, and friendly hosts. It won’t be anything fancy, but it will be good enough to get a few hours of sleep before starting off in the morning.

Gergeti Church

Even if you’re a relatively fast hiker and in excellent shape, you’ll want to leave yourself between 10–12 hours to get to the glacier and back. You can shave about an hour off the time by getting a lift to Gergeti Church. The hike from Stepantsminda to Gergeti Church is steep, and while some might consider it “cheating” to grab a ride up there to the trailhead, I considered it a wise move, a way to sleep an extra half an hour, and a play to preserve my energy for the remainder of the hike.

Even if you skip the church, you’ll need to leave super early- before the sun fully comes up. The last you want is to be scrambling down from Gergeti at night.

Preparing Yourself

While you can leave your crampons at home, Gergeti Glacier is still a challenge, even if you’re a seasoned hiker. The trail is popular but it’s not close to anything remotely resembling a store or first aid station, so you must carry everything you need with you. You’re on your own.

Bring more water than you think you’ll need. While your hike will likely start off cold, it gets hot quickly in the mountains. Sunscreen, shades, and ample water are musts. Bring some first-aid gear too. Sprains and strains are common, so an Ace bandage will be your hiking BFF. Did I mention there’s nobody to help you on this trek? Plan accordingly.

Carry all of the food that you need too. Imeretian khachapuri keeps well and has an ample dose of carbs and fat. Chocolate can help with altitude sickness and gives you energy. Nuts and portable fruits like bananas or oranges are good too. Bananas have potassium and will also help the lactic acid buildup in your legs.

Sabertse Pass

Gergeti Glacier is 1,600 meters up from the village. If you start from Stepantsminda itself, expect a heavy hour of climbing over shale, loose rock, and dirt up to Gergeti Church. Gergeti Church is well worth checking out, but you need to be properly attired with long pants and shirts and a head covering for women. If you time your hike right, you can check out the church on your descent.

Go left from Gergeti Church towards Mount Kazbek. You have two options to get to Sabertse Pass; the valley or the ridge. I found the valley route slightly easier, but the ridge has better views, especially if you’re starting (and you should) when the last few stars are winking out of the sky.

The route to Sabertse Pass is one of the toughest aspects of the trek, with a few rock scrambles and very steep areas. Intermediate hikers will probably need around three to four hours to get up, but less experienced hikers could require up to five hours, with breaks. This stretch is where you’ll gain the most altitude. You’ll bust your ass, see some utterly incredible views, and possibly run across a territorial dog or three.

Georgian Shepards

Mountain dogs can pose problems to hikers on Mt. Kazbek. These Georgian Shepards are massive, very territorial working dogs. Keep your eyes peeled for flocks of sheep and give them a wide berth.

If you accidentally stray too close or have no choice but to walk near or through a flock, call for the shepherd to help you pass safely. Although I’ve had some good luck fending off aggressive or territorial dogs in the Andes by tossing them bread, this trick doesn’t seem to work with Georgian Shepards, so err on the side of no contact.

The exception is at Altihut, your reward at the end of Sabertse Pass. The resident Georgian Shepard there is intensely friendly and may even climb all the way to Gergeti Glacier with you.

Altihut

Altihut is about an hour or so from Sabertse Pass, depending on your hiking speed. While it’s not utterly smooth sailing once you get through Sabertse, you’ll find that the climb is much mellower, and the scenery is astounding; full of flowers, gentle creeks, and beautiful sloping mountains.

Altihut itself is a super chill, relaxing place where you can grab tea, a snack, and some warmth before the final leg to the glacier. You can even stay there overnight with advance reservations.

Gergeti Glacier

After getting your restorative coffee and snack fix at Altihut, it’s time to tackle Gergeti Glacier itself. The glacier is roughly an hour away from Altihut, but the climb is tricky for several reasons. First, there’s a good chance that Sabertse Pass kicked your ass, so you’re not as on your game as you were in the beginning. Secondly, there are some tight squeezes and scrambles over slippery rocks. Third, and probably most importantly, most people start feeling the effects of altitude near the glacier.

Altihut sits at roughly 3,000 meters above sea level. The air is thinner up there, and the combination of reduced oxygen and exhaustion is enough to give some hikers mild altitude sickness. While not generally super dangerous at this elevation, it can affect your balance. Chocolate, hydration, and taking it slow all help. If you start to feel dizzy or very ill, you need to get down the mountain immediately. Use your best judgment.

Once you arrive at the glacier, take a moment to relax, have a peak beer, take a selfie, or do a victory dance! You’ve accomplished one of Kazbek’s most challenging day hikes. Now, you just need to get back.