Bezengi Wall (; ka, ბეზენგის კედელი; , also known as the ''Khalde Wall'') or Pitsrula is a long

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

of the

Greater Caucasus The Greater Caucasus, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains. It stretches for about from west-northwest to east-southeast, from the Taman Peninsula of the Black Sea to the Absheron Peninsula of t ...

, in the

Svaneti Svaneti (Svan language, Svan: შუ̂ან, ლემშუ̂ანიერა; ''shwan, lemshwaniera'', and Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia (country), Georg ...

region of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria (), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in ...

region of Russia. Highest section of the

Central Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia (country), Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Cauca ...

. The highest point of the Bezengi Wall is high mount

Shkhara Shkhara ( ka, შხარა; ) is a mountain peak and the highest point in the country of Georgia. It is located on the Georgia–Russia border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in ...

, the highest peak of Georgia. Notable peaks include Janga (), Katyn-Tau (), Shota Rustaveli Peak (),

Gistola Gistola ( ka, გისტოლა; ) is a peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range on Georgia–Russia border. The elevation of the mountain is above sea level. The mountain is made up of paleozoic The Paleozoic ( , ...

(),

Lalveri Lalveri ( ka, ლალვერი) is a peak of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in the Svaneti region of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in th ...

() and Esenin Peak (). Bezengi Wall surrounded by ice cliffs on either side. The geologic makeup of the mountains consists of grey granitoids. Bezengi Glacier lies on the northern slopes of the range and the Khalde Glacier and

Shkhara Glacier Shkhara ( ka, შხარა; ) is a mountain peak and the highest point in the country of Georgia. It is located on the Georgia–Russia border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in th ...

located on the southern slopes.

Avalanches An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

occur each year.Bezengi Wall , Great Russian Encyclopedia
(in russian)

Geography

The Bezengi group is a group of some of the highest mountains of the Caucasus in the central Caucasus mountains. Of the 14 mountains in the Caucasus higher than , 11 are located here. They form two large steep walls on the Russian side of the border, the Dychtau-Koshtantau ridge (Entirely in Russia) and the Bezengi wall on the border between Georgia and Russia, however the Bezengi wall is on the Russian side.

Climbing history

On August 23, 1931, three Austrians, Karl Poppinger, Karl Moldan and Sepp Schintlmeister, set out to traverse the top of the ridge from Shkara to Lalveri, a journey which was around . It was in total including the start and end locations before and after the ridges. Although many people had climbed most of the mountains along the ridge, they were the first to cover all of it and the first to cover large stretches of it. They finished their journey at the Zanner Pass.

References

{{Reflist Mountain ranges of Georgia (country) Mountain ranges of Russia