Ski & Snowboard Georgia
Everyone knows that the skiing in Georgia is awesome, right? "Is there skiing in Georgia" you ask? Of course, we aren't talking about the state of Georgia in the US! We are talking about the country of Georgia located in the Caucasus west of the Black Sea and south of Russia. Georgia is a land of high adventure, an ancient culture, a few challenges, wonderful food & hospitality, but more than anything else it has high mountains & loads of snow.
Skiing & snowboarding in Georgia is going through an exciting period of expansion. Entirely new ski resorts and ever improving lift and piste infrastructure is creating new opportunities for powder hounds to explore this fascinating part of the planet, and at some of the cheapest lift pass prices in the world. But the ski resorts are only one part of the ski Georgia equation. The backcountry ski touring is second to nowhere. Replete with remote mountains, there are still a multitude of places that will never have been skied before. Reason enough to find out what it is like for ourselves. Lets go....
[AdListings Filter="Georgia Tours"]
Georgian Ski Resorts
Located in the Caucasus range south of Europe's highest mountain, Mt Elbrus (5,642m), ski resorts in Georgia have some impressive statistics. Georgia's largest & most popular ski resort is Gudauri in the Greater Caucasus, just north Tbilisi. Gudauri ski resort has a top elevation of 3,250m & a 1,250m skiable vertical. A modern lift infrastructure, 60km+ of piste, a longest piste trail of 7km, massive freeride terrain & a lift ticket price less than 20USD make it a serious prospect. Gudauri has recently expanded its terrain again ....... must get there to check it out. Be quick though. It is expanding exponentially & may soon no longer be the 'next big thing'.
Georgia can boast about having the newest ski resorts in Europe. One of them is a 6hr drive north of Kutaisi near the historic town of Mestia in the remote Svaneti region. Below the 4,858m Mount Tetnuldi, the Tetnuldi ski resort has long piste trails, brand new lifts, 950m of skiable vertical in high alpine terrain, a top elevation of 3,160m, abundant freeride powder & very few people skiing it. The backcountry ski touring from the resort & surrounding valleys is epic & includes amazing villages with fortified tower houses like Ushguli. Opposite Mestia is a tasty ski resort morsel called Hatsvali with fun tree skiing possibilities too, and often overlooked by visitors. Seems to be a perfect recipe for an epic ski adventure.
To the south of the country in the incredibly snowy Lesser (or Little) Caucasus, the resort of Goderdzi has new lifts servicing luscious, mellow, alpine terrain and forests, plus a low-key cat-skiing venture too. Also in the south, Georgia's resorts are rounded out by the countries best kept secret, Bakuriani. Located mid-way between Tbilisi & Kutaisi, it has modern lifts serving nearly 30km of trails on a decent 1,060m vertical coupled with superb powder riding in steep trees, the country's best 'learn to ski' slopes and a typically ridiculously cheap ski lift pass. There is some awesome terrain here for anyone that takes the time to explore.
Cat Skiing in Georgia
Even more exciting than the ski resort developments, is the cat ski operation that has established itself in the Lesser Caucasus mountains at Bakhmaro. Run by a professional crew utilising fabulous local talent, Powderproject's Cat Skiing Bakhmaro delivers an exceptional experience for more adventurous skiers & snowboarders. Having run its first season in 16/17, it has quickly come to terms with its superb terrain & is expanding every year.
In season 19/20 a more remote cat-ski offering, perfect for expert riders, opened at a new high mountain base in nearby Adjara. The mountain hut is gorgeous and sits high on a mountain ridge with freeride powder direct from the door.
And just for the adventurous that want to be the first to ski in a new part of the world, for season 22/23 a new catski area called Project X is opening. Come and discover its secrets and perhaps get to name your own ski run!.
Heli-skiing in Georgia
Heli-skiing is undertaken in Georgia at two main locations in the Greater Caucasus in the country's north. In the remote north-west the remote heliskiing in Svaneti above Mestia provides a vast, almost limitless playground on peaks nearing 5,000m altitude. In the north-east, the Kazbegi area has several well-established heliskiing operations that are able to be experienced as day trips from Gudauri ski resort.
Where is Georgia?
Georgia is in the Caucasus region on the east coast of the Black Sea, wedged between Russia to the north and Turkey & Armenia to the south. It is about 3,000km east of Munich!
Main gateway airports are the capital Tbilisi (TBS) & the second largest city of Kutaisi (KUT). The airports are at opposite sides of the country, nearly 4hr drive apart (270km). Your final destination will dictate your choice of airport. For Gudauri, Tbilisi is your best entry; for Bakhmaro & Adjara or Tetnuldi & the Svaneti, Kutaisi is the most convenient. Tbilisi is far & away the easier of the airports to fly to, with regular flights from most major European origins. Kutaisi is somewhat more problematic. Flights are 2 to 3 times a week from a handful of major & several secondary European airports. Working the flights into a short duration itinerary is difficult, but certainly not impossible.
Once in Georgia, getting around the country is not as easy as one would hope either. Buses, marshrutkas (minibuses), taxis, rental cars & even trains can be utilised in the country. Unless you are a sadist, trying to catch an overcrowded marshrutka whilst laden with ski gear & trying to decipher signs in the local language is a task best left to travel professionals. For the moment, the easiest mode of travel for mere mortals is with an organised tour or via a pre-arranged private transfer direct to a ski resort or town. It’s no surprise that all of the listed tours for Georgia on Powderhounds have transfers included!
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For more information on getting there, see the Getting To & Around Georgia page.
Accommodation in Georgia
Away from the big cities & towns (and parts of the largest ski resort at Gudauri),the most popular, accessible form of accommodation in Georgia is in guesthouses. Generally run by local families, the experience of staying in a rural guesthouse (or even one in a city!) adds layers to a journey through Georgia that one simply cannot get when staying in a hotel. And of course they are affordable & can present the most fabulous dining experiences imaginable.
For anyone looking to stay in hotels, they are certainly available. Most travel into Georgia starts or finishes in either Tbilisi or Kutaisi and at some point requires an overnight stay in either city. Search & book Tbilisi accommodation or Kutaisi accommodation.
[AdListings Filter="Georgia Packages"]
Reasons to Ski & Snowboard Georgia
For something completely different, ski and snowboard Georgia. It has great snow & terrain, is culturally intriguing, has awesome food, is incredibly cheap & still comes with that whiff of high adventure that we all crave.
More Information & Reviews
More information on skiing & snowboarding in Georgia is coming soon. The Powderhounds intend visiting Georgia next season. Yeh ok, we should have gone there years ago, but events have conspired against it ....... better late than never right?
See how European ski resorts compare on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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