Mestia-Chalaati Glacier

Information about the Route

The route starts in Mestia with a 20-minute drive that stops at a wooden bridge, where you will continue on foot for about seven kilometers. The bridge crosses over the source of the Mestiachala River, where rivers flowing from the Lekhziri and Chalaati Glacier join each other.

After crossing the Mestiachala River, you will follow a beautiful valley and see the icy tongue of the Chalaadi Glacier, cascading down from 1,960 meters above sea level. The glacier is fed by streams flowing down the slopes of Ushba, Chatini, and Bzhedukhi. There are three frozen waterfalls on the glacier’s surface, the largest of which is 300 meters high and 700 meters wide.

Chalaati Glacier is constantly melting and rocks continuously fall from it, making it dangerous to approach the icy tongue. You will need mountain-climbing experience and proper equipment to go to the icy tongue. 

The frozen waterfalls are nevertheless impressive from a safe distance.