{"id":110825,"date":"2025-12-15T13:20:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T13:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/?p=110825"},"modified":"2025-12-15T13:20:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T13:20:36","slug":"first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/","title":{"rendered":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus"},"content":{"rendered":"

In late October, five Georgian mountaineers made the first ascent of an unnamed mountain on the remote eastern side of the Chaukhi massif in Georgia’s Greater Caucasus Mountains.<\/p>\n

The climbers \u2014 Giorgi Tepnadze, Bakar Gelashvili, Temur Kurdiani, Vakho Blagidze, and Tornike Tepnadze \u2014 established a technically engaging route graded 5B on the Caucasian scale (equivalent to M5+).<\/p>\n

The expedition’s main objective was to honor their late climbing partner, Archil Badriashvili<\/a>, who died in August 2024 from a lightning strike while climbing. The team named the mountain Archil Peak as a tribute.<\/p>\n

Three of the climbers, Tepnadze, Gelashvili, and Kurdiani, were Badriashvili’s usual rope mates. The trio formed the core of many of Badriashvili’s major expeditions, including multiple first ascents in the Himalaya and Hindu Kush that earned them international recognition. These include a 2022 Piolet d’Or for the northwest face of 7,300m Saraghrar Northwest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The

The Chaukhi massif. Photo: Exploregeorgia.com<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Local community supports the naming<\/h2>\n

The climbers noted that they are cautious when naming peaks or routes. However, the local Khevsur community encouraged them to name the peak after their friend.<\/p>\n

The Khevsurs are an ethnographic subgroup of Georgians living in the remote highland region of Khevsureti, one of Georgia’s most isolated areas. Historically renowned as fierce warriors, they developed a culture that emphasized courage, independence, and a strict code of honor. Their villages feature distinctive defensive stone towers and fortified dwellings, many clinging to steep mountainsides.<\/p>\n

Khevsur religious practices blend Georgian Orthodox Christianity with pre-Christian pagan elements. Over centuries of isolation, the Khevsurs have maintained close-knit communities, and their longstanding friendships with visiting climbers \u2014 dating back to the team’s 2016 expeditions in the area \u2014 reflect the region’s renowned hospitality.<\/p>\n

\"Khevsurs.

Khevsurs. Photo: Georgiaabout.com<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

This ascent builds on the team’s earlier activity in the area. In 2016, Badriashvili and Tepnadze completed the first ascent of the east face of nearby 3,842m Asatiani Peak. And in 2024, Tepnadze, Gelashvili, and Kurdiani added another new route there.<\/p>\n

The Chaukhi massif comprises peaks ranging from 3,400m to 3,858m. It is known as the Georgian Dolomites due to its dramatic rock spires.<\/p>\n

\"Archil

Archil Badriashvili. Photo: Piotr Drozdz\/Piolet d’Or<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d’Or winner Archil Badriashvili.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5778,"featured_media":110826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[16639],"coauthors":[137],"class_list":["post-110825","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caucasus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFirst Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Explorersweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheExplorersWeb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"828\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"469\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kris Annapurna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@KrisAnnapurna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ExplorersWeb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kris Annapurna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kris Annapurna\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/48e289c9e67fab6c5df5bd00d69efdb9\"},\"headline\":\"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\"},\"wordCount\":388,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Caucasus\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\",\"name\":\"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg\",\"width\":828,\"height\":469,\"caption\":\"The first ascent route of Archil Peak, marked in red. Photo: Facebook\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/\",\"name\":\"Explorersweb\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Explorer's Web\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/23234250\/Exweb.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/23234250\/Exweb.png\",\"width\":1409,\"height\":651,\"caption\":\"Explorer's Web\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheExplorersWeb\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ExplorersWeb\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/explorersweb\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCicVrtWv5xz64da1wb5FUPQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/48e289c9e67fab6c5df5bd00d69efdb9\",\"name\":\"Kris Annapurna\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/6590f00e8524a8c2d54853a763af6501\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/23231323\/KrisA-100x100.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/23231323\/KrisA-100x100.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Kris Annapurna\"},\"description\":\"@KrisAnnapurna reports about outdoor activities, current expeditions, and stories related to the history of mountaineering in the Karakoram, Himalaya, Tien Shan, and other ranges.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/@KrisAnnapurna\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/author\/krisannapurna\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb","description":"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb","og_description":"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.","og_url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/","og_site_name":"Explorersweb","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheExplorersWeb","article_published_time":"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":828,"height":469,"url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kris Annapurna","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@KrisAnnapurna","twitter_site":"@ExplorersWeb","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kris Annapurna","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/"},"author":{"name":"Kris Annapurna","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/48e289c9e67fab6c5df5bd00d69efdb9"},"headline":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus","datePublished":"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/"},"wordCount":388,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg","articleSection":["Caucasus"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/","url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/","name":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus » Explorersweb","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-15T13:20:36+00:00","description":"With the support of the local community, the five Georgian mountaineers named the peak after their deceased friend, Piolet d'Or winner Archil Badriashvili.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1939.jpg","width":828,"height":469,"caption":"The first ascent route of Archil Peak, marked in red. Photo: Facebook"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/first-ascent-of-unnamed-peak-in-caucasus\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"First Ascent of Unnamed Peak in Caucasus"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/","name":"Explorersweb","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#organization","name":"Explorer's Web","url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/23234250\/Exweb.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/23234250\/Exweb.png","width":1409,"height":651,"caption":"Explorer's Web"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheExplorersWeb","https:\/\/x.com\/ExplorersWeb","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/explorersweb\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCicVrtWv5xz64da1wb5FUPQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/48e289c9e67fab6c5df5bd00d69efdb9","name":"Kris Annapurna","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/6590f00e8524a8c2d54853a763af6501","url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/23231323\/KrisA-100x100.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/www.explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/23231323\/KrisA-100x100.jpg","caption":"Kris Annapurna"},"description":"@KrisAnnapurna reports about outdoor activities, current expeditions, and stories related to the history of mountaineering in the Karakoram, Himalaya, Tien Shan, and other ranges.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/@KrisAnnapurna"],"url":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/author\/krisannapurna\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5778"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110825"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=110825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}