!!!The high Caucasus
%%lang,english
The highest peak of the Caucasus is Elbrus (with 5642 m significantly higher than Mont Blanc with its 4810 m). Whether Elbrus is thus the highest mountain of Europe depends on the definiton of the border between Asia and Europe! Elbrus and large other parts of the high Caucasus are in Russia or in areas annexed with military force (like South Osetia) by Russia. However, the second highest mountain of the Caucasus is Kazbek (5023 m) is in Georgia, north of the capital Tbilisi.
The following pictures show a trip through the Caucasus with its extensive slopes of grass and hundreds of thousands of sheep. The road goes over the “pass of the cross” (pictures will explain the name) into the small village Kasbegi that is already located in a valley north of the main ridge.
From there one can see a mountain in front of Kazbek with a small church high up, and with luck even Kazbek [{GoogleMap location='Mount Kazbek, Mzcheta-Mtianeti, Georgien' zoom='10'}].
The church can be reached by a multi hour hike or with four-wheel drives over a road that almost beats the cars. The church itself is worth a visit, with a picturesque fountain a bit below and an impressive view of the village and the valley.
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%%lang,german
Er liegt mit seinem höchsten Gipfel, dem Elbrus (mit 5642 m höher als der Mont Blanc) zum guten Teil in Russland, bzw. in Teilen von Georgien wie Südosetien und Abchasien, die sich de facto von Georgien unter russischen Einfluss abgespalten haben. Der zweithöchste Berg des Kaukasus, der 5023 m hohe Kazbek liegt aber gerade noch in Georgien, nördlich von Tiflis, nur etwas westlich von der "Heeresstraße".
Die folgenden Bilder zeigen den Weg durch den Kaukasus mit seinen riesigen Wiesenhängen und hunderttausenden Schafen über den Kreuzpass (die Bilder erklären den Namen!) in das Dorf Kasbegi, das schon nördlich der Kaukuskette wieder in der Hochebene liegt. Von dort sieht man auf einem Vorberg die Dreifaltigkeitskirche und mit Glück (s.u.) ist sogar der Kazbek [{GoogleMap location='Mount Kazbek, Mzcheta-Mtianeti, Georgien' zoom='10'}] selbst zu sehen. Zur Kirche kommt man über eine mehrstündige Wanderung oder mit geländegängigen Autos auf sehr schlechten Straßen. Die Kirche selbst mit dem kleinen Brunnen ist sehenswert, auch der Blick ins Tal zurück beeindruckt.
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%%center
[{Image src='2450.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2452.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='321'}]
[{Image src='2454.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2456.jpg' caption='Huge Russian monument' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='390'}]
[{Image src='2460.JPG' caption='On the pass of the crosss' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2470.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2480.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2482.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2490.JPG' caption='Sheep' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2500.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2502.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='370'}]
[{Image src='2504.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasuss' class='image_block' height='250' width='317'}]
[{Image src='2520.JPG' caption='Kazbek' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2530.jpg' caption='Kazbek' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='334'}]
[{Image src='2531.JPG' caption='Holy Ttrinity Church at 2710 m' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2533.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='332'}]
[{Image src='2535.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='258'}]
[{Image src='2540.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2542.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='299'}]
[{Image src='2560.JPG' caption='At the church' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2562.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='297'}]
[{Image src='2563.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='188'}]
[{Image src='2564.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='184'}]
[{Image src='2565.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='188'}]
[{Image src='2567.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2570.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2572.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2575.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='178'}]
[{Image src='2610.JPG' caption='View down on village Kasbegi' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2620.jpg' caption='View down on village Kasbegi' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
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%%lang,english
On the return trip one can see once more the road-tunnel built by German prisoners of war in WWII to make the connection via the pass winter-proof. Also, there are some impressive brimstone (sulphuric) sinter terraces.
Back on the southern side of the pass there is the impressive holiday resort of [Gudauri|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gudauri] mainly used in winter with lifts and heli-skiing, but some hotels open year around for sports such as hiking, canoeing, etc.
Almost at the bottom of the mountain range we visit the Fortress Ananuri (built 15 th to 17 th century) [{GoogleMap location='Ananuri Festung Georgien' zoom='11'}] on lake Zhinvali. We continue to Gormi, a town best known as birth place of Stalin. (The are spectacular sights nearby but in this report are dealt with in a separate part.)
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%%lang,german
Am Rückweg sieht man nochmals die von deutschen Kriegsgefangenen gebauten Tunnels (die die Straße weitgehend wintersicher machen) und einige beachtliche Schwefel-Sinterterassen. Schon wieder auf der südlichen Seite des Kreuzpasses ist das beeindruckende Ferienressort [Gudauri|AustriaWiki/Gudauri], das wohl in erster Linie dem Wintersport gewidmet ist, aber einige der modernen Hotels sind das ganze Jahr in Betrieb und bieten eine Vielfalt von sportlichen Möglichkeiten.
Schon wieder fast in der Ebene besuchen wir die Ananuri Festung (15.-17. Jht.) [{GoogleMap location='Ananuri Festung Georgien' zoom='11'}]am Zhinvali See, bevor es nach Gormi weitergeht, eine Stadt die man meistens nur mit Joseph Stalin als dessen Geburtsort verbindet. Sehenswürdigketien in dieser Gegend finden sich in einem getrennten Block Zentralgeorgien.
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%%center
[{Image src='2630.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='359'}]
[{Image src='2640.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2690.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2700.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2720.JPG' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2722.jpg' caption='One of the canyons' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='330'}]
[{Image src='2730.JPG' caption='Hotel in Gudauri' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2735.jpg' caption='Church near Gudauri' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='331'}]
[{Image src='2740.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='2745.jpg' caption='' alt='High Caucasus' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='100.JPG' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='105.jpg' caption='' alt='Fortress Annanuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='316'}]
[{Image src='110.JPG' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='120.JPG' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='130.jpg' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='179'}]
[{Image src='140.jpg' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='247'}]
[{Image src='150.jpg' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='160.JPG' caption='' alt='Fortress Anuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='325'}]
[{Image src='170.jpg' caption='Local dressed up as old shephard' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='188'}]
[{Image src='180.jpg' caption='' alt='Fortress Ananuri' class='image_block' height='250' width='302'}]
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----
*[The capital Tbilisi (German: Tiflis)|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Tiflis]
*[Mzcheta|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Mzcheta]
*[The high Caucasus North of the capital|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/High_Caucasus] You are here!
*[The cave cities in central Georgia|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Zentralgeorgien_und_Höhlenstädte]
*[Kutaissi, famous for Gelati|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Kutaissi]
*[Batumi on the Black Sea|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Batumi]
*[The botanical garden of Batumi|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Botanical_garden_near_Batumi]
*[Ubisa monastery|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Ubisa_monastery]
*[Open air museum of old farmhouses near Tibilis|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Open_air_museum]
*[The wine growing region of Georgia|Geography/Asia/Georgia/Pictures/Trip_2014/Kachetien]
[{Metadata Suchbegriff='Kaukasus ' Kontrolle='Nein'}]