I agree that those photos do not show the Caucasus Mountains, their civilian attire seems to show that they are elsewhere. The farthest East we know that he went to was Taganrog, Russia in 1942 (based on his photos). That does not mean he would not have followed his Division wherever they went, and they were in the Caucasus Region fighting. Unless further information shows otherwise, we can follow his combat route based on the Division's history.
Here is map of his combat route from June 1941 until November 1941 https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Oleszyc ... 015883!3e2; hopefully someone can correct the inaccuracies in the cities below, these are based on the following link. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... orps-R.htm
1. Oleszyce
2. Lviv
3. Vynnyky
4. Husyatyn
5. Vinnytsia
6. Bratslav
7. Haisyn
8. Ternivka
9. Synytsya
10. Podvyskoye (?)
11. Volodymyrivka
12. Battle of the Sea of Azov - Berdyans'k (?)
13. Donetsk
Surprisingly there is little written about 1. Gebirgs-Division's activities during the Caucasus Campaign in 1942 - I found this website, on page 8 it gives the only timeline that I can find. There is also a great picture on page 59 that gives the viewer a graphic idea about the nature and scale of the fighting. https://img.fireden.net/tg/image/1504/8 ... 078910.pdf
August 1942 / Chain of Command: Army Group A - 17. Armee - XXXXIX Gebirgskorps - 1. Gebirgs-Division
9 August - Armeeoberkommando (AOK) 17 captures Krasnodar.
17 August - 1. Gebirgs-Division captures the Klukhor Pass.
AOK 17 captures Krymskaya
21 August - 1. Gebirgs-Division raises the Nazi flag on Mount Elbrus.
10 September - Generalfeldmarschall List is relieved of command; Hitler/OKH takes direct control of Heeresgruppe A.
AOK 17 captures Novorossiysk
This is a separate website that states -
https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=2846 Sep 1942 The German 4.Gebirgsjäger Division of 17.Armee captured the naval base at Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in southern Russia.
I cannot find any information if 1. Gebirgs was involved in the battle to take Novorossiysk? If they were not there, where were they after 21 August?