Words and photos by Bianca Germain
If you’re not exactly sure where Georgia is, don’t worry. I couldn’t find it on a map either.
We’re not talking about peanuts or peaches here. This Georgia, the country, borders Russia to its North and Turkey to its South. It’s home to the stunning and snowy Caucasus mountains. Delineating Georgia’s northern border with Russia, the Greater Caucasus range features peaks that tower to elevations over 16,000 feet. We’re talking glaciers, chutes, faces—and powder.
The country’s obscurity and dramatic mountains captivated me and my crew for seven days as we immersed ourselves in backcountry skiing and culture. However you plan your visit, you’ll probably feel blown away, too. To help get you started, here are five things you probably didn’t know about skiing in Georgia:
1. The Georgian Caucasus mountains are beautiful, huge and offer endless skiing opportunities—in-bounds and out.
If you’re looking for resort skiing, you’ll want to focus your efforts on Georgia’s four main ski towns. Infrastructure is hit-and-miss—this is an up and coming ski destination, after all—but that means you’ll see far more affordable lift ticket prices than you’re used to. You’ll also find excellent backcountry access and guiding services in each place. The biggest and most international resort in Georgia is Gudauri. It’s also home to a relatively new English-speaking ski school designed to bolster Georgia’s ski tourism scene by catering to westerners.
As with any worthy ski destination, though, there’s plenty of opportunity to choose your own adventure in Georgia. We opted to keep things rugged. After arriving in Tblisi, we transferred the northern region of Racha, past Gudauri and Svaneti and all their resort and backcountry ski opportunities. Racha is the kind of unexplored place that offers up many opportunities at first descents. We wanted obscure, and we got it. Our guide was based out of Ghebi, and while he certainly knew the area well, and knew the terrain, the guiding didn’t meet typical American or European standards. Luckily, our group were all avy savvy, with appropriate training and experience to offer our insights on snowpack.
2. Touring days can start from the horse barn, and a proper send off includes a few headbutts from the resident ram.
Ghebi served as our homebase in between ski tours and multi-day ski camp missions. We were either touring from the door of our barn/hostel or grabbing a ride from the Ghebian locals, shuttling in a 68′ Lada to a trailhead in a farther valley. The friendly and generous people of Ghebi are a wonderful reflection of the Georgian people. The people are forthright but hospitable. They will cook enough food for 15 persons, when your group is only 7. If you dare to cheers with your highly alcoholic Georgian chacha drink, you better be ready to chug the whole cup or else risk offending your host.
The Georgian lari is 3:1 with the USD, so when hotels are an option, expect $20 full-course meals and luxury hotels at a Motel 6 price
3. The terrain is vast and varied, with everything from mellow gullies to epic spines.
Film-worthy spines are not found exclusively in Alaska.
Like I said—we flavored our trip to Georgia with human-powered adventuring. Before you do the same, make sure you and your crew bring the proper experience, knowledge, and gear (and strongly consider hiring a guide to show you around and give you local insight). The payoff, once you’re got things figured out, is rich. And there’s plenty of mountain-wealth to share with your entire crew. Pick your flavor, and definitely go back for seconds.
4. Getting social is about more than humans.
Don’t be surprised if you pick up a furry friend or two along the way. There are friendly dogs everywhere in Georgia; it’s hard not to bring one home. That’s one appeal of venturing off the beaten paths in an agriculturally rich place. For decades, Georgia’s economy has been largely comprised of agriculture and tourism.
5. It may be far-flung, but the Georgia backcountry is still the backcountry. Embrace character-building, and enjoy the starry nights.
To lots of skiers, travelling to Canada sounds crazy. Let alone a small country on the other side of the planet. To skiers, though, mountains anywhere bring a certain degree of familiarity. Keep in mind: the Georgia backcountry is as wild and gritty as any you’ll find (that’s why a quality crew is essential!). But don’t let fear of the unknown deter you from possibly the ultimate ski adventure of your life. Once you dial in all the logistics and get your bearings, you’re likely to feel surprisingly in your element. Even in the middle of nowhere.
Bottom Line
The ski scene in Georgia is certainly in the early stages—but I think that is the draw. To be among the incredible mountains of the Caucasus without another party in sight, and ski a coulior that has never been skied before (yes we did this!), make up the ingredients for a trip of a lifetime. If your plan is to ski Georgia, go with an open mind, even if it’s a resort-based trip. Do your research, but be prepared for flat tires, broken snowcats, and a very small backcountry ski community. If you want true adventure, skiing in Georgia is your ticket.
For more content from Bianca’s Georgia trip and her other ski adventures, follow her on Instagram.
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