Tetnuld

Southern Central Caucasus. Georgia, Svanetia. Tetnuld, 4920 m.

Altitude: 4920 m
Program category: Mountain Climbing
Difficulty: advanced (SPECIAL SKILLS ARE REQUIRED)
Duration: 5 days
Season: June - September
First climb: Douglas Freshfeald, 1887
Program price from: 650 Euro

• 12.07.21 - 18.07.21Regular 650 EURO booking

• 01.09.21 - 12.09.21Regular 750 EURO booking

Classic climbs of Caucasus - climbing Tetnuld, 4920 m by the South West Crest - legendary climb of the world class!

Guided climb of Tetnuld - is the exclusive mountain program of MCS AlexClimb, one of the most interesting and beautiful programs.

Today, Mount Tetnuld has become a popular destination for ski holidays: opened in 2017, the Mount Tetnuld ski resort instantly gained high popularity due to the exceptional length of the slopes, developed modern infrastructure and the general sense of the most attractive mountainous region of Georgia - Svaneti. The infrastructure of the ski slopes of Mount Tetnuld greatly facilitated the task of mountaineering ascents to this most beautiful mountain of the Caucasus - a new road to the upper cable car station of Mount Tetnuld allows you to get by car to an altitude of 3200 m - almost to the level of the first camp.

I remember well my first ascents to Mount Tetnuld in 2005-2006, when there was no tourist infrastructure in Svaneti yet - crazy approaches on the crumbling UAZ to Adysh village, long and hard climbs without any trail along the mountain slopes overgrown with thick grass - it's all in the past. Now Svaneti has become la small mountain Europe - you can left your car in the parking lot and continue forward along the good marked trail. Due to simplified logistics, the total time required to climb Mount Tetnuld now  is only 4 days instead of 6-7 in the past . However, the route to the summit of Mount Tetnuld has not changed at all - it is the same ice ridge, which, depending on the condition and weather, can present a whole set of technical difficulties - overcoming deep and wide crevasses, smooth and hard ice requiring careful belaying, a significant peak altitude by Caucasian standards.

Mount Tetnuld  has not high technical complexity by the standards of sports mountaineering - but considering the high traffic on the classic route (the only working route to the top of Mount Tetnuld), the peak can be called quite dangerous. A large number of commercial groups, high competition among the organizers, many of whom benefit from low prices, a large number of clients in the group, and also, often, low qualifications of the local guides - all this inevitably leads to a large number of unsuccessful climbing attempts and even serious accidents. Taking into account the specifics of the route, I consider a ratio of 1: 4 to be the maximum safe group size when climbing Mount Tetnuld, but of course it all depends on the experience and physical condition of the participants.

Due to the combination of a fairly tangible altitude and moderate technical difficulty of the Mount Tetnuld route, this ascent is excellent as acclimatization and training climb before more difficult ascents to Mount Ushba, Mount Shkhara etc. In contrast to the popular classical Mount Tetnuld route along the South-W ridge, the ascent along the North ridge is a very interesting non-standard route that goes well with climbing Mount Gestola - such an alpine climbing program takes at least 12 days and is a real mountain expedition to a hard-to-reach, fantastically beautiful and untouched corner of the Caucasus - you can get the impressions of such an adventure on our Youtube channel

Tetnuld, Tetnuldi, or, as jokingly Svanetians call that mountain "The Bride of Svanetia". The existing of Tetnuld clearly proves the fact, that Nature can create the most perfect geometrical forms not only in micro crystals but in the overwhelming mountains as well. Not depending from which side you look at Tetnuld - from every side it looks like a perfect pyramid with four distinctive sharp ridges.

Tetnuld is located in the South spur of the famous Bezengi Wall and with a narrow bridge is connected to Mount Gestola in the Main Caucasian Mountain Range. During the times of USSR by that bridge there was a way to the base of Tetnuld route from Russia (4b Russian Grade), but now because of some geological changes - lowering and melting of Tetnuld glacier, that route is highly dangerous, and officially forbidden as is connected with crossing the Russian-Georgian border. From Georgia (Svanetia), there are two unbelievable beautiful routes to the top of Tetnuld, one of which, the Classic was climbed for the first time in 1887, in the year when the most famous European climbers conquered the most important mountains of the Main Caucasus. The first climb of Tetnuld was successfully done in 1887 by the Austrian team under the command of Douglas Freshfeald.

For today, climbing Tetnuld is quite interesting sportive ascent of moderate difficulty, more complicated than climbing Mount Layla, but much less difficult, than Ushba program or Shkhara program. Climbing Tetnuld can be recommended as medium link from the easy mountain programs for beginners to the next more technical level. The location of Tetnuld gives to the climbers the unique chance to enjoy all the power and magnificence of the famous mountains of Bezengi Wall, just to the opposite of which Tetnuld is located.

This 5-day program "Climbing Tetnuld, Georgia" is designed for people who have certain ideas about what they can expect in the mountains. Climbing route of Tetnuld has not many particularly technical difficulties, but nevertheless requires a certain coherence, good physical form and possession of basic skills in belaying and dealing with different types of mountain terrain. Regardless your climbing experience, we recommend the Course of general physical preparation and passing MCS AlexClimb Course of Mountain Technique (advanced level) before participating in this program.

The First Principle of MCS AlexClimb
The First Rule, by which we are guided in the development of our mountain programs - is safety. Professional Guides lead the group, the highest quality certificated equipment and the most modern navigation equipment are used. This guarantees the highest possible level of your safety in the mountains, which is the most important side of our work. As for Kamchatka programs - in addition to our climbing safety issues, the armed ranger accompanies the group to protect participants from too close contact with the wild life.

Program Schedule

The AlexClimb South Caucasus climbing schedule (Climbing Layla 2024, Georgia) 

Guided ascent of Tetnuld (4920 m) by South West Ridge, 2b Russian Grade
Moderate Climb, Advanced level

Day 1 - Transfer to Mestia (1.5 hours), fixing the border formalities, transfer to the beginning of the route to Tetnuld, starting to the route and reaching the Base Camp, overnight in tents, meals - breakfast at home, lunch and dinner - ration
Day 2 - Climbing to Tetnuld High Camp 3700 m, setting up tents, overnight. Meals - ratio
Day 3 - Climbing the Mount Tetnuld, descent to the High Camp, descent to the Base Camp, overnight in tents, meals - ration
Day 4 - Spare
Day 5 - Descent to the car, transfer to Mestia, hotel accommodation, overnight at the hotel, meals - breakfast ration, lunch and dinner in a restaurant (not included in the program price)

Prices and conditions

The price of the "Climbing Tetnuld 2024 Svanetia":

950 Euro * - group 5-8 participants
1600 Euro* - mini-group 3-4 participants
2550 Euro* - private program for 1-2 participants
* price per person

You have to be ready for:

• Climbing the route of the moderate difficulty. The risk and physical load levels are high enough;
• Camping life in the field conditions;
• Cooking your meals by yourself while climbing mountains;
• Carrying a 20-25 kg backpack;
• Air temperature can be down to -20°C on the altitude higher than 3000 m;

Conditions: previous climbing experience, good physical form. Acclimatization program on Mount Layla or Kazbek is highly recommended before climbing Tetnuld, the Brief AlexClimb course of mountain technique is recommended.
The price includes: Professional mountain guide services, rent of the communal equipment (ropes, belaying and navigation equipment, cooking gear), hotel accommodation, transfers from the point of the beginning of the program to its end (Tbilisi), using the communal basic medical kit, local registering and climbing permits, food for outdoor part of the program.
The price does not include: Georgian visa charges*, International and domestic flight expenses to and from the point of the beginning of the program (Tbilisi), obligatory climbing insurance, rent of the personal equipment, food and drinks while being in cities, using the satellite phone.
Group capacity: 8
Guides: 2

*Most European citizens do not need visa for entering Georgia, check that in Georgian consulate in your home country.

Detailed conditions and limitations on the program "Georgia. Climbing Tetnuld" can be read in the Offer section