An internationally certified mountain guide tragically died this week after falling during a climbing expedition on Mount Ushba, a highly technical peak in the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia, near the Russia border, news platform Front News Georgia confirmed. Nick Phaliani, a 29-year-old Georgian national and IFMGA-certified guide, was leading a four-person team on foot when he fell from a high elevation on the mountain’s south face. The incident occurred in Svaneti on Thursday, May 22, a remote alpine region roughly 150 miles northwest of the capital, Tbilisi, known for rugged terrain and alpine climbing.
Georgia’s Emergency Management Service reported the fall and dispatched a helicopter rescue team from Tbilisi. Three other members of the expedition were located and safely evacuated by air from an altitude of approximately 3,600 meters (11,811 feet). Phaliani’s body was also recovered and transported to the mountain town of Mestia.
Mount Ushba is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous and technically demanding climbs in the Caucasus range. Often nicknamed the “Matterhorn of the Caucasus” due to its jagged twin peaks, the 4,700-meter (15,420-foot) summit sees few successful ascents each year. Its notoriously unstable weather and complex routes have led to multiple fatal accidents over the past two decades.
Phaliani was one of only a small number of IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations)-accredited guides operating in Georgia, a country increasingly known for high-altitude tourism but still lacking the robust mountain rescue infrastructure found in places like the Alps. Authorities have not released the names of the surviving climbers, nor have they specified the cause of the fall. Weather conditions at the time of the incident have not been detailed, though the region is known for sudden storm systems and strong alpine winds.
Faliani was considered a leading figure in Georgia’s growing mountaineering scene, with years of experience guiding international clients on peaks across the Caucasus. Tributes from the climbing community have described him as humble, highly skilled, and deeply committed to the safety of those he led. The accident is a somber moment for Georgia’s outdoor industry, which has seen rising interest from American and European climbers in recent years. To this day, Mount Ushba, located in the Greater Caucasus range along the border with Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria region, remains one of the region’s most respected—and feared—summits.
