Betlemi Hut (Meteo Station)
This is the old weather station building at an altitude of about 3675 meters on the slope of Kazbek. The devices have been silent for a long time, but the walls have found a new service: a shelter for climbers has been set up here, a kind of base camp before storming the summit.
Kazbek itself is a potentially active stratovolcano on the border of Georgia and North Ossetia, in the Central Caucasus. It last showed signs of life around 750 BC, so don't panic. The classic way here leads from the village of Stepantsminda past the Herget Church of the Holy Trinity and further up through the glacier: it is a full-fledged mountain climb, not a walk in sneakers.
It is most comfortable to go in August-September, in the off-season there is high altitude cold and snow. A little higher, at about 4,100 meters, the ancient cave monastery of Bethlemy is hidden in the rock wall, where, according to legend, monks climbed up with a suspended iron chain.
FAQFrequently asked questions
What kind of weather station is this?
The old weather station building at an altitude of 3675 m on the slope of Kazbek. The devices have been silent for a long time, and the walls themselves now serve as a shelter for climbers - that is, it is a base camp before storming the summit.
On which mountain does it stand and what mountain is it?
On Kazbek - a potentially active stratovolcano 5033 m high on the border of Georgia and Russia, in the Central Caucasus. The last time the volcano showed signs of life was around 750 BC, so don't panic.
How to get here?
Classically - from the village of Stepantsmynda (Kazbegi), past the Herget Church of the Holy Trinity and further up through the glacier. The road is not for walking in sneakers: it is a full mountain climb up to 3675 m.
When is the best time to go?
Summer months, most comfortable in August-September. In the off-season, it is cold and snowy in the high mountains, so the shelter is intended for trained climbers.
What is interesting nearby?
A little higher, at about 4100 m, the ancient cave monastery of Bethlemy (Bethlehem) is hidden in a rock wall. According to legend, church relics were kept there, and monks climbed up there with a suspended iron chain.