In the summer of 1969, Khergiani and a group of Soviet climbers including Vyacheslav Onishchenko and Mikhail Anufrikov travelled to the Italian Alps for a series of climbs, the last of which was the summit of Monte Civetta. During Khergiani's ascent of Monte Civetta, a rockfall broke his rope. Khergiani did not have a secondary rope, and plummeted approximately to his death.