Georgia has moved on a long way since the days of the soviet union, but it’s still an adventurous touring destination. For this reason it’s best to join this trip with an open mindset for a true adventure. The last time we enjoyed this itinerary , Russia had just invaded Ukraine. Some of our flights were diverted a little, but all made it without any issues. Georgia was a very interesting place to be at this time, because they, possibly more than anyone understand what Ukraine are going through and feel a real camaraderie with them. That said no where we went ever felt threatening and the most we ever suffered was through multiple toasts to world peace with the families and local people! Geographically we go very close to the Russian border, but I can assure you that we go absolutely no where near anywhere that Russia could consider entry in to Georgia. Not that it appears they ever would in the near future. The Gov.uk travel advice supports all of this and I feel that it would be a real shame for the Georgian people to suffer as well, due to their unfortunate position of bordering Russia.
Dates 27th February - 7th March
Price ￡1900
Includes
8 Days Warm and professional ski guiding
9 nights BnB Accommodation in highly rated Guest Houses and Hotels
4 hearty evening meals at our guesthouse in Ushguli
Transport in Georgia. NB. This will be daily transport to our main ski destinations. Extra taxis for linear tours may be shared between guests.
Basic expenses for your guide
Trip organisation, bookings and administration
Advice on preparation, transfers and equipment
Excludes
Flights to Kutaisi.
Transfer to your hotel in Kutaisi. Although I will aim to meet you at the airport, if not during your flights
4 evening meals. (About 30 – 40 Gel / 10 pounds each including wine)
Personal snacks and drinks
Any Kit hire
Lift costs for you (about 40 gel / 10 pounds a day)
Getting Here
Direct flights to Kutaisi aren’t available at the time of writing. But there are plenty of flights from all major UK and European airports. The best of these often involve Whizz Air and total journey times start from 8 hours. Our first hotel will be located close to the airport, allowing a convenient meeting place.
It is recommended that you make sure you have one hold bag and one ski bag booked for all flights.
In Country Travel
The roads in the mountains of the Svaneti are of varied quality. They have potholes and can be blocked by slides on the roads leading to both Mestia and Ushguli. For this reason we will travel by 4x4 and need to be prepared for the chance of delays from time to time. This is of course all part of the adventure! Needless to say the roads are also windy, so if you get travel sick, then wrist bands and / or tablets are advisable.
Accommodation
Our hotels in Kutaisi and Mestia mostly align with Western standards. They have good central heating, drying facilities and ski storage, as well as a great breakfast buffet and constant supply of drinks. We are also placed a short walk from town with its restaurants and local amenities.
The family guesthouse where we plan to stay in Ushguli is a little more basic. There is a bathroom with (limited) warm showers available. The rooms have electric heaters in, but there is no guarantee that the dining room will be heated, so it’s essential to have a good down jacket or equivalent handy. A lightweight sleeping bag (2-3 season) is also recommended to supplement the bedding. Meals are wholesome and very tasty, delivering plenty of calories for our winter days spent on the hill! The last 2 trips we joined the extended family in the kitchen for one of the children’s birthdays!
Rooms are booked on a twin sharing basis. Please enquire if you would like to supplement a single room.
Warm showers should be available (considerately), but water has been known to freeze here, so it’s best to come with an open mindset!
Kit
Please check the Ski Touring Kit list via the link above. Let me know what you’re missing, as well as anything you’d like advice on. This is an adventurous touring location and it’s a good idea for us to be as self sufficient as possible. Boots and skis should be fitted and tested before the trip.
It’s also a good idea to bring a 2-3 season sleeping bag for Ushguli to bulk out the bedding. There are electric heaters in the bedrooms, but temperatures can be cold at this time of year. An extra warm layer, as well as spares of any equipment you may have doubts about is also recommended. Spare goggles are useful too.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re unsure about anything.
Snacks and Drinks
Freshly made breads and pies are readily available. We can stock up on any basic snacks in Mestia too. Specialist high energy foods / bars are unlikely to be available, so it’s a good idea to bring these from home.
A small and robust thermos flask is a good idea to warm ourselves on the hill. Wine is widely available, with a very long history of production in the Svaneti region going back thousands of years. Beer is available, but can be a little trickier in Ushguli. If this is a necessary constant for your holiday, then supplies can be taken from Mestia.
Insurance
Please buy your holiday, medical and rescue insurance at your first opportunity. Besides anything else this means if you need to cancel due to illness or injury, they will cover the costs you’ve already paid.
BMC provide very comprehensive insurance and come highly recommended.
Austrian Alpine club also provide pretty good cheap annual cover. This will require additional holiday insurance as well.
Terms and Conditions (General)
Deposit: 50% course fee to reserve your place
100% course fee >6 weeks in advance
NB. If we have to cancel for Covid lockdown or travel restrictions, then your booking will be postponed. If we are unable to re-arrange the dates then a full refund will be provided. This does not include you yourself contracting Covid.
If you wish to cancel please send me an email. Refunds without a replacement will be provided on the basis of the above timings. I. e, no refund will be given less than 6 weeks in advance. Your holiday insurance should cover this in most circumstances.
Occasionally courses may need to be cancelled due to lack of bookings. If this ever happens then notice will be given at least one month prior to the course and a reasonable alternative will be offered. This will normally take the form of a private guiding week for a small supplement. If this is not suitable then a full refund will be provided.
A booking is made in the agreement that decisions made by the guide for reasons of personal and group safety are final. For similar reasons the best course will be delivered with the mountain conditions which present themselves. This means planned itineraries will not always stay the same and may need to be changed. Costs incurred due to this are the clients responsibility.
Kit hired during the course is the clients responsibility. Loss or damage may incur a cost and clients’ are responsible for their own equipment.
Clients must understand that the mountains, skiing and climbing are all activities with risks involved. While venturing in to these environments with a guide should help to minimise these risks, it does not eliminate them. The chance of injury or even death is still present.
Mixed group courses reduce costs to the client, as well as increasing the social aspect. This means that the needs of the group as a whole need to be respected and may sometimes come at the loss of being able to attain your own goals. If this is something you wish not to accept, then please make a private booking.