Mount Kazbek

Mount Kazbek is a dormant stratovolcano on the Georgian-Russian border that rises to 5033 meters (16512 feet) and consists of trachyte rock. The two summit cones are connected by a saddle, while glaciers cover the upper slopes and snowfields remain visible even in high summer.

Yosif Buzurtanov reached the summit for the first time in the late 18th century, long before western European expeditions mapped the peak. The last eruption occurred around 750 BCE, and the volcano has been dormant ever since.

The peak carries the name of Prince Qazbegi, though local traditions call it Mkinvartsveri, meaning ice mountain in Georgian. Shepherds from nearby villages still use the lower slopes for summer pasture as they have for generations.

Plan your visit between July and August when weather conditions are more stable and base camps become accessible. Bring altitude gear, as temperatures drop sharply from valley to summit and snow persists even in summer.

The Betlemi Cave Monastery sits at 3800 meters (12467 feet) and housed religious treasures for centuries in an almost unreachable rock chamber. Today the peak ranks as the second-highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus after Mount Elbrus.

Location: Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Location: North Ossetia–Alania

Elevation above the sea: 5,033 m

Made from material: trachyte

GPS coordinates: 42.69694,44.51811

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:00