Janga Tau (5085 m)
In 2005, I first came to the Caucasus of Georgia. The place captured me instantly, like no other had before. Soon, the idea to climb and ski all three 5000 m mountains of Georgia was born: Shkhara (5193 m), Janga-Tau (5058 m), and Mkinvartsveri (Kazbek, 5034 m). In 2006 and 2008, Deon Louw, Andreas Riesner, and I made two first ski descents from the summit of Mkinvartsveri. In 2010, Boris Avdeev and I stood on the summit of Shkhara, the most difficult and dangerous of the three. Before I started the difficult ski descent from Shkhara, I saw in the distance the east flank of Janga-Tau emerging from the clouds, and I imagined skiing it one day.
In June 2012, I finally reached the summit of Janga-Tau, after numerous adventurous trips to the Caucasus, years of preparation, and training, alongside Robert Koschitzki, and then skied down the east flank of Janga-Tau. This finished the 5000ers of Georgia project, with great Shkhara looming in the background….
(Published as Leica Fotografie International Photo Story)
