climbing in the Caucasus

Useful Tips for Climbing and Travelling in the Caucasus

TheCragJournal6 Comments

The Caucasus region is an amazingly diverse area, sandwiched between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is truly transcontinental, with an enormous amount of culture packed into a relatively small area of land. The ‘heart’ of the Caucasus consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. To the north is Russia, with Turkey in the west and Iran in the south, just adding to the areas impressive cultural diversity. The region is famous for mountains, climbers can find almost anything in the Caucasus, from peaks over 5000m to stunning canyons and abundant cliffs. We spent 10 weeks in the Caucasus and we genuinely loved it, it is one of our all time highlights – for the people, the culture and the climbing.

Silhouette of a climber on a pinnacle protruding from the left hand side of the tall sided canyon which is made from dark volcanic rock with long crack feautres.
Exposed climbing in Noravank, Armenia

In this article we will discuss hints and tips for travelling in the region to help you get the most out of your trip. Below is a map of the all the different crags we visited during our trip to the Caucasus region, as well as our favourite rest day activities. If you would like to read more about specific areas, please visit our individual posts about Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

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Climbing in Armenia: A Journey to the Caucasus

TheCragJournal5 Comments

Armenia is a real gem of a country, with a landscape that took us completely by surprise. Amazingly, the average elevation of Armenia is 1,792 meters above sea level, making it the 11th highest average elevation in the world. The country’s highest point is 4,090 meters and no point is below 390 meters. Anyone who loves mountains and being in nature is in for an absolute treat, Armenia is covered in stunning scenery and impressive geographical features.

Steep and narrow limestone valley with one side of the valley casting a shower on the other. There is blue sky with clouds.
Noravank in the spring sunshine
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Climbing in Azerbaijan: A Journey to the Caucasus

TheCragJournal11 Comments

Azerbaijan is an incredibly diverse country, often touted as having 9 out of 11 different climatic zones. When travelling through the country the variety is remarkable. In Lankaran, tea and citrus fruits are grown in the lush green landscape. By comparison the Abşeron Peninsular is a semi-arid climate with dry sandy soil and very little rainfall. For climbers, Azerbaijan is still quite unknown and we found very little information about the climbing here before our visit. Climbing aside we wanted to visit as the country looked both beautiful and interesting. We made contact with some local climbers before we arrived and we were very lucky to meet some others on our first day in Azerbaijan. Their help and information made this article possible. Climbing in Azerbaijan is still developing as a sport, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of some of the routes here.

Large limestone pillars with lush green grass at the bottom and bright blue skies
A beautiful spring day at Beşbarmaq
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Climbing in Georgia: A Journey to the Caucasus

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Before planning our trip to Georgia, we would often be asked ‘Is there climbing there?’ or ‘Why are you going there for climbing?’. The answer is yes, there is climbing here and that Georgia is worth visiting because it is a beautiful and interesting country. One thing you will hear about before you visit are the friendly Georgian people and you will certainly receive a warm welcome throughout your time in the country. The climbing here is fierce and is a test of your mettle, you will almost certainly leave stronger than you arrived.

Narrow limestone canyon of Katskhi climbing area. At the bottom there is a wooden tiled hut. On the right hand wall there is a climber on a vertical grey limestone climbing a route.
Butterfly 6c+, Canyon
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