Hiking to Gergeti Glacier Kazbegi, Georgia (with six dogs)

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Subtitles are available in English and Georgian. Thanks to Bacho Kartvelishvili for the Georgian translation.
სუბტიტრები ხელმისაწვდომია ინგლისურად და ქართულად
Join us on our Caucasus Mountains hike from Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) to Gergeti Trinity Church (that famous one on the hill) and Gergeti Glacier. It's a full day hike, with a climb of over 1600 metres to the glacier at the foot of Mt. Kazbek at 3300 m.
We start at 6am from Kazbegi, happily picking up 3 dogs on the way who join us for the hike to the church. Here we meet ANOTHER 3 dogs who are well up for an adventure, and set off for the glacier with all 6 dogs in tow. I was delighted, and Del was glad that I had something else to talk about besides the questionable weather.
We climb on up through the mist and rain with Red, Silver, Tawny, Piebald, Pups, and Frank. The views aren't what we hoped for, but at least the mist is 'atmospheric' and there's no spoilers when you can't see 20 feet in front.
We stop by swish mountain hut Altihut for a chat with the owner and staff who have just finished building a new deck. We munch our sandwiches under the watchful eyes of Frank, and promise to pop in on our way back down for some homemade chacha produced from a rare Georgian grape that the owner is particularly proud of.
I'm a bit out of puff by the time we reach the glacier, 8.5 hours after setting off. I probably should have done some exercise over the previous 10 months, but eating cheese and drinking wine is more my thing.
We are so close to Mt. Kazbek, the third highest peak in Georgia and the country's most iconic mountain, but the weather just isn't on our side and we barely get a glimpse through the mist and clouds. Still, the landscape is spectacular and the atmosphere ethereal. That's what we tell ourselves anyway.
Del continues to maintain that the sun is due to come out, but apparently it didn't get the memo. After 4 hours spent retracing our route, we're back in Kazbegi, enjoying a well earned glass of wine and calorific Adjarian Khachapuri.
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#Hiking #Caucasus

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Take a hike in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia with us, to Gergeti Glacier sitting at 3300m at the foot of Mt. Kazbek. Despite some pretty questionable weather, this turned out to be one of our most memorable hikes, largely thanks to the 6 dogs who decided to join us on the trail! As usual, our accompanying guide is over on the blog to help you plan your own Gergeti adventure > www.goingthewholehogg.com/hiking-to-gergeti-glacier-and-gergeti-trinity-church/ Cheers, Kim & Del

[@davitgurjiani3043]

You are awesome!!!!I - i am georgian- never Seen this before!!!A huge thanx !!!!!!!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks so much 😁

[@martinforrester8249]

Stop it ! That cheesy whatever, looked delicious, made me feel hungry. I love your videos, sooo relaxing and you are a lovely couple, quiet, gentle and very watchable. I've been a keen hiker for many years but gout in my left foot is currently holding me back ! Stay safe, I need more nourishment from future videos please.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Cheers, Martin! Very glad to hear you're enjoying the videos and find them relaxing. I'm often drooling while reliving the food during the edit! Shame to hear you can't get out hiking yourself for now, hope it's possible soon enough. Cheers! Kim

[@Harkart59]

Dogs are the best hiking partners. They can pack little back packs for themselves too. What a wonderful hike😺

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

They sure are! I wish we had dogs with us on every hike, they keep me going!

[@sim-sam]

Great Hike, 6 Dogs - theres nothing better on the net like this!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

The dogs made it for me! Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed their company too : )

[@WayNorthDrones]

Great looking video, and nice flying with the drone; thank you for sharing and all the best to you from the far North

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video and seeing the drone view of the hike. The glacier looked so different from above, the colours really shone through.

[@talullahlabelle]

Thank you, just a magical video! 👍

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching! Very glad you enjoyed it : )

[@stefeniedavidmusic]

Beautiful! I like the cloud. Gives it a errie Hound of the Baskervilles look. The music really suits too.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Oh yeah, you're right! That's the first drone footage we've shot in clouds actually and we love how it turned out. Maybe I shouldn't turn my nose up at cloudy hiking weather so much in the future ; )

[@cameronsbradley]

I actually lol'd at Kim trying to cross that sketchy bridge with the dog in the way.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Frank is like Doorie. You love him and hate him at the same time. Especially when pulling moves like that 😅

[@vargaborbala5202]

Those colours... that red soil♥️ Thank you for "walking" with you.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!

[@IanTupmanOutdoors]

Perfect Sunday afternoon viewing. Great filming and editing once again. Show a dog a little kindness and you will be repaid ten fold. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks Ian, we're chuffed to read your comment. Couldn't agree more, I was so happy the doggos chummed along, they made my day!

[@FebTechEngineering]

One of the best video of Nature. I enjoy it a lot. Thank you.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂

[@joannawinterdelgado]

Wooow, I honeslty wouldn’t have cared about what views I might or might not have had, since everithing else was already so beautiful. And hot damn.. 6 gorgeous dogs.. heaven. Also, very sofisticated bread tasting at the end 😂

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Ahhh the bread 😂 I'm looking at Del like, 'Are you still filming this?! Quit it!' If it wasn't for the dogs Del would definitely have had a harder time convincing me to keep going when we still had another 11 hours of drizzle and cloud and the hardest hiking I'd done in months. Needless to say, I'm very glad I continued!

[@miszced]

Ifrinn, you guys should be way up on the Subs & eyeball hits! Simply bonnie vid! Watching it on the big screen w/ earphones.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Glad to hear it! Wish we had a big screen to enjoy it on, stuck with a tiny laptop which disnae do the 4K justice!

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

I'm so glad I was recommended your channel! I used to live in Georgia back in 2021-2022. I miss it dearly. I'm hoping to be able to move back next year! You guys are definitely an underrated gem on KZbin, beautiful cinematography and a slow pacing that I appreciate so much. I'm on a journey to watch all of your Georgia videos. 😊🇬🇪❤

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Hey, thanks very much! Always great to hear from someone who appreciates the style of videos, especially from someone who knows Georgia so well. You must’ve been there when we were there too - we were in the country for nearly two years, from March 2020 to Feb 2022, and we also miss it so much. Thanks again, happy your enjoying our videos 😃

[@nohedes]

Awesome, we’ve been joined on hikes by random dogs before and it’s so nice. I hope you managed to find something for them to eat 😃🐶👌🏻

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

I love it when we are joined by random trail dogs! Usually we're too slow and they leave us for other hikers, but in this case we were the only people on the trail so we got lucky ; )

[@The_Arby]

Cool Walk...Cool Views...Cool Dogs...Beautiful :-)

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Agree, agree, agree, agree! It had the potential to be a total washout, but the dogs and ethereal mist saved the day.

[@nicoli8437]

Such a small country and so many amazing places

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

So true, Georgia has so many amazing places and such great variety too 😃

[@farahtamkin1365]

Brings back good memories, dogs are really friendly here, always good to buy sausages from stores.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Yeah, as long as they aren't sheepdogs we've found dogs in Georgia to be really good natured and definitely the best hiking buddies!

[@karolf7477]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg have you met any sheepdogs during your hikes in Kazbegi?

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@karolf7477 no, I don't recall meeting any sheepdogs hiking in the region, only friendly dogs

[@skymanhaliluya]

What a nice view

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching!

[@leoncbb69]

Un espectáculo para los sentidos....bellas imágenes dan ganas de viajar a Georgia

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thank you, Diego, we are glad to hear this makes you want to travel to Georgia! It's a beautiful country with so much variety of scenery and landscapes. Thanks for watching and appreciating our work : )

[@DivandBenny]

The view throughout this video just got better and better! It's not somewhere that's really been on my radar but I think I'm going to have to look in visiting Georgia at some point!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Yeah, it's got a lot of varied and spectacular scenery, especially up in the Caucasus Mountains. Great for hiking, or just chilling and enjoying the views. This turned out to be an awesome day hike, even with the mist and rain!

[@jurismagone3887]

It is atmospheric, informative, human, and very well shot. The use of different views and the clarity of your footage makes it very present. I have been dreaming of visiting Georgia for some time, even more so after watching this video.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

What a lovely comment, thank you Juris. We're glad to hear that this is getting you even more excited for a trip to Georgia some day. Thanks so much for watching and appreciating our work. Kim

[@irinatkeshelashvili4172]

Great views , scale, story.. thanks for keeping going... გაიხარეთ

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching Irina! Glad we completed the hike too, it would have been a mistake to turn around and miss all those atmospheric views up at the glacier.

[@irinatkeshelashvili4172]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg thanks a lot for sharing this beauty and smiles

[@NickandRachel]

Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it : )

[@NickandRachel]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg you're welcome! We really enjoy filming outdoor content also

[@daniellealishah4505]

Can't believe you are still in Georgia! This was epic. Loved the music, the views and of course the dogs.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Yeah! Been here nearly a year now, and will probably be here for another few months. This hike was from last summer, just getting around to editing our various Georgia hiking videos now! Those doggos made my day, the best guides out there ; ) Kim

[@jesusizquierdo3831]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg so this was around july-august? or more around june? I'm planning a trip and heard june can be pretty rainy

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@jesusizquierdo3831 Hi, yes this was in early July. We spent about 5 days in this part of Kazbegi and had about 2 lovely sunny days, and 3 rainy/cloudy days.

[@Andreawilja]

you make the best vlogs, i love it!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thank you! We really appreciate it, and very glad to hear you enjoy our videos : )

[@CoastalBird]

Amazing landscape! Thanks for sharing such great hiking journey! You really had very good six guides, found it really interesting. Finally stunning drone footages 👍👍. It's really difficult to go completely in a new place like this and find the real spots to shoot. Enjoyed and best wishes 👍

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

They really were the best guides ; ) Thanks for watching and appreciating! Figuring out where to drone, and the best angles, dealing with changing light conditions and so on makes us so slow on the trail. Thankfully our guides were happy to wait!

[@SpurenAmWeg]

Fably photographed... many thanks..!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you 🙏

[@twiglet2214]

Another beautiful creation to enjoy,the dogs look like they enjoyed it too ! Hats off ( or on ) to Kim and Del for another memorable experience that you share with us and i hav'nt tried the cheese meditation yet but you could possibly be enlightened now ? Bliss and rapture you do capture.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Ahhh, the cheese meditation 😂! It shall forever be known as this now. I can highly recommend it, although Del prefers a vegetable meditation or something equally healthy.

[@twiglet2214]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg I have a plan for you to consider ! Since the cheese meditation was such a cathartic moment for all to share i could almost see that few seconds of unspoken bliss beginning the next video for the sake of continuity - think it's a winner ! Del could donate a vegetable to the local library - which would be a turnip for the books ? Possibly.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@twiglet2214 😂 good one. And that's a great idea, if only I hadn't finished editing the next video this morning! Don't worry though, there's more cheese meditation to come in the one after that.

[@twiglet2214]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg Look forward to it.I bought a bulk consignment of Welsh black cheese recently to make into tyres and asked QuickFit for advice - they replied " You need to tread Caerphilly "...

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@twiglet2214I am genuinely eating khachapuri right now and nearly spat the cheese all over the laptop splurting with laughter

[@cosicave5179]

Love this!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thank you!

[@starshuskies4040]

Yay! You guys posted! I'm so happy. I just love the content you 2 produce. Outstanding quality! Maybe one day I'll be able to travel to some of these places. Love from Colorado 💜

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Ahh, thanks so much, it makes us excited that you're excited we posted! We really appreciate the support, thanks for watching : ) Kim

[@davitgurjiani3043]

I am georgian...and i love Colorado!!! The most beautifull State in USA!!! Really....From a deep of my heart...

[@002codename]

thanks for sharing such an amazing experiance 🥰

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching and appreciating!

[@alexandermenzies9954]

Wonderful. I'm about to hit Google Earth to orientate myself. The dogs looked very companionable. Something surreal about that landscape.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

The Caucasus are really beautiful, and plenty of friendly (and some not so amiable!) dogs here who like to tag along for a hike. I think the mist made the landscape even more surreal than usual.

[@starshuskies4040]

I would have had a hard time leaving the doggies behind. So cool that they took you to the top!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Totally! We went back to the town a couple of months later and bumped into Red again, I was so happy!

[@joannawinterdelgado]

I would have cried.. no joke 😅

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@joannawinterdelgado I was tearing up when we saw him again!

[@rezokapanadze9965]

Tobavarchkhili also will be great for cinematography

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Yeah, I bet it will! It was on the list for last year but we didn't get round to hiking it in the end. Maybe this year!

[@abdullahmarei-karate3225]

..Wooow.. Really amazing and breath taking i would like to try it with my kids to altihut, is it safe to reach there with kids??

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks for watching and appreciating! I guess it depends on the weather, the age and experience level of your kids, etc. Honestly, we have zero experience hiking with kids so it's hard for us to say. The trail is in good condition generally speaking, the ladder over the river section just before Altihut would require great care, and there are some steep sections which could be tiring. You'll know best if your kids are up to the challenge!

[@abdullahmarei-karate3225]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg thanks alot.. Really deserve every minute of the challenge.. If the weather forecast help, will let them step in and proceed with this adventure :).

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Good stuff, hope you all enjoy it!

[@LiamMaynard]

Hey! Love the video! What was the song at 1:46!? Been trying to find it for so long haha

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks! That song is 'Behind Every Decision' by Yehezkel Raz through Artlist.

[@lameesrajab8315]

Hello, thank you very much for posting this video. I have watched it so many times! I am planning a visit to Georgia end of August and will be spending 4 days in Kazbegi. I have read your detailed guide a couple of times and it was truly helpful, so thank you for that as well. I have one small question if you don't mind answering... I have read a few blogs that rated this trek as challenging. Is this because it is long? Or is it technical? From watching the videos, I didn't find it too technical. I would really love to do it, but I am afraid of narrow paths on steep heights. I got the impression that this hike doesn't have such paths, it is mostly on wide plains. Thank you!

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed the video and found our guide useful. We would say the challenging nature of the hike is the elevation you have to ascend and the length of time it takes. It isn’t technical as you say, and as long as you have a reasonable degree of physical fitness and you start early enough then you should be capable. Hope that helps 🙂

[@lameesrajab8315]

Thank you so much for responding! I was looking forward to hearing from you. 😊 I am going there next week and can't wait to experience it all.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@lameesrajab8315 that’s great! Best of luck 🤞

[@snoo333]

those dogs were nice enough to escort you guys.

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Haha, the best trail guides!

[@bridgeteleanorwoolley2862]

Did you do this trek with a local guide, or just the two of you..?

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

We did it by ourselves

[@olih.4344]

Very nice Video, I went to the church in 2012 :) Whats the song at 2:34?

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Thanks! Bet that road to the church wasn’t around in 2012! I don’t have access to my laptop for the next few weeks to check the song name and I can’t remember off the top of my head, sorry!

[@olih.4344]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg do you have acces to your laptop? I would still I like to know the song at 2:34. I like this video soooo much, good work! :)

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

@@olih.4344 Hi Oli, Yes I've just checked and it's a song called North by Laurel Violet. It's from Artlist. Cheers! Kim

[@olih.4344]

@@GoingTheWholeHogg Thank you so much :)

[@gonzalogonzalez-nu3we]

How much was the cost to stay in the hotels$

[@GoingTheWholeHogg]

Hey, the prices vary and there’s something to suit all budgets. You can check out our Kazbegi guide for more info: www.goingthewholehogg.com/kazbegi-travel-guide/#WhereToStayKazbegi