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Travertines on the Jvari (Cross) Pass: what are they?

White and orange rock fields by the Kobi-Gudauri road.

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Short answer

The Jvari Pass travertines are a natural monument in Kazbegi Municipality, in the Bidara River valley next to the Kobi-Gudauri road, at 2,197 meters above sea level. They form broad fields of travertine, white in places and orange where ferrous salts are mixed in. Travertine forms when calcium carbonate precipitates out of water.

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Why

  1. Travertine is a hard, porous, low-density, semi-crystalline rock formed from precipitated calcium carbonate.
  2. Here clear water descends in thin layers and leaves the rock behind.
  3. It is one of a few places in Georgia where travertine is found.

Details

Administratively the monument is in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, with Stepantsminda as the listed city. The largest inhabited place nearby is Gudauri, about 10 kilometers away. For the neighboring resort see where Gudauri is, and for the area see Kazbegi: where it is and what to see.

Tip

Do not climb on the travertine, so it can be preserved for future generations.

What may differ

The colour and look of the fields vary by spot, and road and pass conditions change with the season.

Common misconception

You can freely walk and take photos on the travertine.

What actually happens

Do not climb over the travertine, so it can be preserved for future generations.

People also ask

  • What are the travertines on the Jvari Pass?

Sources

Protect the rock: do not climb on the travertine. Check the way there before you go.

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