Tetnuldi – part 1
After a few days of active rest and sightseeing Georgia I had to say farewell to my newly found friends coming back to Poland after climbing Elbrus. The other goal for this expedition – more technically demanding albeit not as tall mountain Tetnuldi was awaiting new conquerors. Such a task required a team. Apart from Agnieszka, who had been my companion on Elbrus, we were joined by Iza and Gosia from Olsztyn Mountaineering Club and our Georgian friend Vakhtang. From Tbilisi we travelled to a town Mestia in Svaneti region. Our ride by minibus took around 9 h. The last part going through winding mountain roads and tunnels carved in the rock was especially picturesque.
On the
following day we moved to the mountains. Using a hired 4×4 we reached 2700 m. There we left ski resort building site and began our trek. Burdened by our packs we were soon engulfed by green pastures. Shepherd paths lead us from one valley to another. After a few hours we made our camp nearby a brook at the edge of grass around 3000 m. having had some time left till dawn we scouted the way ahead. Among boulders and snow fields we found a Black Diamond ice axe, which we took as a good omen.
In the morning we left behind hidden among stones light approach shoes and some of our supplies and continued on. The route leads through a massive scree slope strewed with boulders of varying size – from a ball to a house. Any path was no longer visible. We navigated by heading for small cairns marking the route that had been left behind by previous mountaineers. Afterwards through a big snow field we reached a small pass at 3300m. We met there a group of Polish climbers descending after the climb. We exchanged information and after a short rest moved on. Steep scree gully proved challenging. Sliding stones made us tired and slow. Late afternoon we reached the edge of the glacier around 3700 m. We put up our tents on empty rock platforms and dug up a glacial water spring.
At dawn we made an early start while the sun had not weakened the glacier. Our group, connected by a rope, strenuously negotiated numerous crevasses and steep snowy slopes to reach the upper ridge in the afternoon of our 3rd climbing day. We dug up platforms in the snow for our tents. The weather was fine and we could admire the summit in the distance and the west face covered with huge seracs (overhanging snow and ice formation)whose parts were crumbling down every few hours with thunderous boom and creating small avalanches. Despite the altitude of 4300 it was quite warm – around 0 C. After lunch consisting of freeze-dried rations I went for a short walk in the vicinity of our tents. I followed tracks from the morning across the pristine snow field. Suddenly I lose my purchase on flat ground and fall down – in the blink of an eye I realize the danger – a crevasse!
















Dear Marek
My name is Antoine Charbonnier, I'm Student in fine art school and I realise a short movie about Tetnuldi mountain in Georgia. I need some comments, quotes, stories or alpinists experiences. If you have short document, texte, pictures… It's possible to share me please.
I hope your reponse
Cordially
Antoine Charbonnier
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