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Katskhis Sveti Traditional Cache

Hidden : 7/28/2014
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is nearby old church which is located on a cliff 40 m above ground and only way up is by metal ladder. It's worth a visit.


The church complex is open from 10:30 to 18:00, but eventually it is open longer. It's not possible to go up to the cliff, only visit the other church down there.

The Katskhi pillar (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region of Imereti, near the town of Chiatura. It is approximately 40 metres (130 ft) high, and overlooks the small river valley of Katskhura, a right affluent of the Q'virila.

The rock, with visible church ruins on a top surface measuring ca. 150 m2, has been venerated by locals as the Pillar of Life and a symbol of the True Cross, and has become surrounded by legends. It remained unclimbed by researchers and unsurveyed until 1944 and was more systematically studied from 1999 to 2009. These studies determined the ruins were of an early medieval hermitage dating from the 9th or 10th century. A Georgian inscription paleographically dated to the 13th century suggests that the hermitage was still extant at that time. Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 1990s and the monastery building had been restored within the framework of a state-funded program by 2009.

Small note on cache maintenance:
There is a local cache guardian who will assist.
Name and contact info on file with geocaching.com.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nobhg 40 pz sebz gerr va fgbarf, pbirerq ol n fgbar.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)