In September, British alpinists Graham Dudley and Simon Richardson made a brief visit to the little-known Chaukhi Mountains of the Eastern Caucasus, coming away with a new route on the South Face of Javakishvili.
Whilst making a classic ski ascent earlier this year of the nearby Kasbek (5,080m), Dudley noticed an attractive range of lightly glaciated mountains to the south east, and decided to investigate.
He discovered these peaks were the Chaukhi, a compact range of four separate summits known as the Dolomites of Georgia and rising to 3,820m.
His one-week visit with Richardson caused something of an excitement amongst locals, as this proved the first time that foreigners had climbed technical routes in the region.
Since they had little information on the area, the two spent the first day climbing the Normal Route on Javakishvili (3,650m), Chaukhi's second highest summit, with Georgian guide Tito Nadiratze. Given a Russian overall grade of 3A, the route was about Alpine PD in standard.
Next day they climbed the Normal Route on the highest summit, Asatiani. This followed a long couloir, and ascended four, long pitches up slabby terrain on a broad ridge.
Though the technical grade was no more than Hard Severe, this upper section was more or less devoid of protection, and descending the line proved quite serious. This route was Graded 4A and equated to Alpine D-.
They took a rest day, hoping next to tackle one of the harder lines on the North Face of Javakishvili, where routes give up to 600m of climbing. Unluckily, a run of eight weeks continuous fine weather suddenly came to an end, and their three separate attempts were thwarted by cold and rain.
However, in a brief interlude they managed to snatch a new line on the right side of the South Face of Javakishvili. pointed out to them by Nadiratze. The 320m route was climbed in around six pitches up to VS (not sustained), named Perseverance and given the grade of 4A.
The two climbers found the region exceptionally beautiful, with the main peaks surrounded by nice grassy hills rising to c3,500m (most of which they managed to climb during rainy days).
Although the area is virtually unknown outside Georgia, a one week visit to enjoy some of the fine rock routes on the north faces, followed by an ascent of Kazbek, would provide a great two-week mountaineering holiday.
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