Jvari means cross in Georgian, and the pass gets its name from a cross that, according to tradition, was raised here in the early centuries of Georgian Christianity, high on the saddle of the Greater Caucasus at 2,379 metres. This is the summit of the Georgian Military Highway, the road that the Russians built in the nineteenth century to link Tbilisi with Vladikavkaz on the far side of the mountains. For two centuries it has been the main route between Georgia and Russia, a road of armies, traders, poets and now, in summer, a rising number of motorcyclists.
The climb from the south starts in the broad valley of the Aragvi and rises through villages, with the Gudauri ski resort, perched on an open bowl of grass a few kilometres below the summit, as the last settlement. The road is paved, with a steady series of hairpins that climbs the slope toward the saddle, and at the top, a wide viewing platform and a huge circular monument, a Soviet mosaic from 1983 commemorating the friendship of Russia and Georgia, look out over a deep, green gorge. The mosaic, painted with scenes of national history, is a cheerfully faded piece of Soviet art, and the drop below it is dizzying. You can see the wind turning the clouds.
Be careful with the road. Surfaces vary, with potholes, patches of loose gravel and sections damaged by landslides and winter frost. Lorries labour up the slopes in a line, and overtaking on blind corners is a national habit, so keep to your side and watch the oncoming traffic. Cows and sheep wander across the carriageway. The pass is often closed in winter because of snow and avalanches, and conditions can change quickly even in summer, with cold fog and sudden rain. The best months are June to September.
The Caucasus here are young, steep and wild, with grass slopes dotted with wild flowers in July, and snow lingering in the gullies. Griffon vultures soar on the updraughts, and the air is thin and fresh. Over the pass, the road drops into the Kazbegi region, where the peak of Kazbek rises to more than five thousand metres and the Gergeti Trinity Church sits on a ridge above Stepantsminda.
Services are good for such a high place. Gudauri has fuel stations, small shops, cafés and guesthouses, serving khachapuri, the national cheese bread, and grilled meat, and it is the best place to fill up before the climb or after the descent. Carry a warm jacket, even in summer, because the wind on the saddle is cold.