Could You Survive Alone On This 130 Foot Rock?

Ain't no monk high enough at the Katskhi Pillar! A monk by the name of Maxime Qavtaradze wanted to get closer to heaven... literally, but he didn't want to die in order to get there, so he came up with a more interesting approach to reach up and touch the sky.

All it took was for him to scale a natural rock formation 130 feet in the sky, and then his amazing story went viral. Are you afraid of heights? Then you might never be able to visit Maxime! And we mean, NEVER EVER!

The pillar was derelict, and Maxime decided it was THE place to go on a quest for self-exploration.

It's known as the Katskhi Pillar and is a natural formation towering over the central Imereti region of the Republic of Georgia. It may not be Mount Olympus, but it's certainly the next best thing.

The holy revival ended up turning the pillar into a monastery.

Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 90s and the monastery building was restored within the framework of a state-funded program back in 2009. After its restoration, the monk decided he wanted to live there.

Some people love playing “Stairway To Heaven” while others, like Maxime, live on one!

Climbing to the top was no easy task, but Maxime Qavtaradze, a monk, scaled the pillar in 1993 to get closer to God and is today in charge of maintaining a small church up there.

Oh holy shrine! What mighty views you have!

The Christian shrine is maintained at the site of the former bygone stylite's worship and is accessible only through a 130-foot metal ladder.

A lot of people came before Maxime though, as climbers found their way and made it to the top!

The pillar was uninhabited since the 1400s. When climbers ascended the tower for the first time in centuries back in 1944, they found the ruins of a church and 600-year-old bones of the stylites.