We had continued into the mountains border yesterday in the late evening. A somewhat scary drive along the Georgian Military Highway and over the Jvari Pass (2379m above sea level) had brought us right into the heart of the Kazbegi region.

Our arrival in Stepantsminda (at an elevation of 1740m) had been well after sunset, so there was no opportunity, to actually get a glance of the mountain panorama before this morning.

I woke up early and was lucky, to get a somewhat OK view of Mt. Kazbek, at 5024m the highest mountain in the area (it was covered in clouds for most of the rest of the day).

While still a bit weak, I did feel much better than the day before. So ended up taking the decision, to join the rest of the group for the 1.5 hour hike up to the Gergeti Trinity Church (გერგეტის სამების ტაძარი) – a hike with an elevation gain of about 400m.

Gergeti Trinity Church probably is something like the symbol of Georgia, it probably is the most photographed site in the country. And it certainly is very photogenic – sitting isolated on a mountain, with Mt.Kazbek as backdrop and surrounded by nature.

It was that nature, that we were now hiking through. On arrival at the church we had a tour and also some time, to take in the superb views and get some rest – before hiking back into town for a well deserved lunch.