Rock climbing to the stunning Gveleti Waterfall near Kazbegi! Reliving Tolstoy's mountain experience

When I woke up in the morning and looked outside, the morning sun was illuminating Mount Kazbegi. I was moved by the contrast with the night world in the valley below.

Today, we will first head further north along the Military Highway, aiming for the Gveleti Waterfall located in the mountains.

The journey there is truly the Caucasus. It is said that this was once a dangerous road where even a single carriage could barely pass. In such times, great writers like Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Lermontov walked this very path.

Well, we have almost arrived at the mountain near the waterfall. As usual, the mountain road is unpaved, so it was a bumpy ride here as well.

We get out of the car, and from here, the climb begins with our guide.

I start to feel uneasy as soon as I begin walking.

I wonder if it is really okay to start walking so casually. Look at this mountain in front of me. Where on earth am I heading?

Looking back, it is already a real mountain. I have come to an incredible place.

Apparently, the waterfall is somewhere deep in front of us. The path itself doesn't feel dangerous for now. It feels like a pleasant, light hike. I pray it stays that way.

Oh, it's starting to look like a real mountain. And there is a river flowing. It must be flowing from that waterfall.

From here on, because we are along the river, we start walking on large, rolling stones. If I'm not careful, I could get hurt.

The current is quite strong. However, according to the guide, the water level is actually low. He says it's even more intense during the spring snowmelt.

Moving away from the river and passing through the trees, the waterfall appeared in my line of sight. A thin stream flows straight down from the cliff. It is beautiful. I definitely want to see it from closer up.

However, the path to the waterfall was just getting started. It is now full-on rock climbing. This is tough. The feeling of a casual hike is long gone. For someone like me who collapsed in Armenia, this is quite a hurdle.

I climb slowly and carefully, bit by bit. Just a little more.

When I take breaks and look back, the view is absolutely breathtaking. The Caucasus is stunning wherever you go.

Finally, we have arrived. This is the famous Gveleti Waterfall.

The effort of climbing up here makes the experience even more moving.

It looks as if water is suddenly gushing out from the top of the cliff. The flow of water, which hits the rock face here and there and changes angle slightly as it falls, is truly beautiful. It looks as if threads are intertwined and woven together.

We spent some time in front of this waterfall.

It was incredibly pleasant to just stare at the waterfall while feeling the mist of the water on my face.

And I kept following the way the water fell from top to bottom. This was nothing short of delightful. My eyes were glued to the movement of the water.

Then, when I suddenly raised my gaze to look at the top of the cliff, I felt as if the mountain people were there. Men who seemed to be looking down at us from the top of the cliff. Such an image suddenly floated into my mind.

Walking through these Caucasus mountains, I was struck by their grandeur. And a sense of respect for the mountain people who once lived here naturally arose. I realized that there were people who lived in such a harsh environment.

Tolstoy held exactly this kind of respect for the mountain people. And he believed that it was Russia that was attacking them for no reason. I think this is truly remarkable. Ordinary Russians never even thought about such things. Perhaps this is where Tolstoy's greatness lies. I was thinking about such things while looking at this waterfall.

The way back was also a descent while enjoying the superb view. It was quite nerve-wracking when climbing down the rocky mountain, but we were able to return safely.

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