GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Chaukhi Pass

Where stone sentinels guard the sky

Chaukhi Pass

Why go

Chaukhi Pass (3,343m) slices between the iconic Chaukhi Massif and the Arkhoti valley, a raw corridor through the Greater Caucasus that has shepherded Khevsur shepherds and their flocks for centuries. The pass delivers the essential Georgian highland experience: seven distinctive volcanic towers rising like broken teeth, alpine lakes reflecting them in silence, and the faint trail of the Transcaucasian Trail threading through. This is not scenery made gentle for visitors—it demands effort, then rewards with isolation so complete you hear only wind and your own breath. The towers themselves, eroded basalt pillars, have witnessed millennia of seasonal migration.

On the ground See

  • The seven Chaukhi towers from the pass saddle at dawn
  • Abudelauri lakes: three colored alpine pools (green, blue, white) below the eastern approach
  • The abandoned stone village of Roshka, where the pass descends into Arkhoti valley

Practical Know before you go

Best hiked July–September; the trail from Juta village (2,200m) to Roshka is 15km with 1,100m gain, requiring 6–8 hours and a 4WD to reach trailheads.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly