Dariali Gorge

The Dariali gorge is the defile where the Terek has cut through the main range of the Caucasus, granite walls rising sheer for hundreds of metres above a river running fast and grey with rock flour, and for two thousand years it has been the only practical crossing of the central Caucasus, named in classical sources and fortified repeatedly. The road through it is the northern end of the Georgian Military Highway. A large monastery complex with a tall church was built at the gorge mouth in recent years and is the usual stopping point. Rockfall and debris flows close the road periodically; a major flow in 2014 destroyed parts of it.

What you actually see

• Sheer granite walls - the defile the Terek has cut.
• The gorge as a historic crossing - the only route through the central range.
• The monastery at the gorge mouth - the modern complex and its church.
• The grey glacial river - the Terek running out of the mountains.

When to go

May to October; the road is subject to closure in winter and after heavy rain. Two hours as a stop. The gorge is in shadow much of the day, so midday gives the best light.

Honest expectations

It is a working international road with heavy lorry traffic and few places to stop. Rockfall and mudflows close it without warning. It ends at a border crossing and photography near the checkpoint is not allowed. Carry a passport.

Nearby

Gveleti waterfalls are south; Kazbegi lies beyond them.