There are no ambulances in Ushguli, Georgia, the highest continually inhabited settlement in Europe, at 7,000 feet. Here, against the snowy backdrop of Mount Shkhara, the third-tallest mountain in Europe, medieval stone towers stand at attention like an immovable brigade. Cool, thin air whips across the hills. The nearest town, located 30 miles away, is cut off by snow from October to April, which puts the Charkselianis and 30 other local families in virtual isolation for most of the year. Out of meat? Hunt for wild boar. Have appendicitis? Prepare for the equestrian adventure of your life.

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