Highlighted by a stop on the “Freeride World Tour” in the very recent resort of Tetnuldi, Georgia is well on its way to becoming a great ski country.
To discover
Partner stay in Georgia |
9 days |
Georgia differently
Certainly not by the size or number of its resorts (half a dozen and less than 50 ski lifts in total), but certainly by the quality of the welcome and the splendor of the Caucasus mountains, which occupy its entire northern flank and separate it from the big Russian neighbor with emblematic peaks at more than 5000m altitude.
A disconcerting ease
On the roads, cows are almost omnipresent.
Mathieu Ros / Le Figaro
Arrival at Tbilisi airport sets the scene.
We still feel completely in Europe, while meeting the first stray dogs.
They are everywhere, from the airport parking lot to the top of a 3000m hike, often with a pleading look, but never aggressive.
They are also on the side of the road, although much fewer in number than the cows, which are almost omnipresent (they even graze on the central reservation of the highway) or the pigs, which are more unpredictable.
To travel efficiently and everywhere in the mountains, you should choose a car with driver, or a rental 4x4, because the condition of the roads, which has clearly improved in recent years (thanks in particular to aid from China), can be quite problematic, especially in the mountains.
Apart from this prerequisite, coming to ski in Georgia is akin to an exotic adventure where everything seems disconcertingly easy.
The smallest family grocery store lost in a mountain village accepts contactless payment by card or telephone (preferable even to “big notes” of 100 Laris – around 30 euros), and there is a network on the most remote roads (one e-SIM unlimited internet costs less than 20 laris per week, or around €6).
The Georgians are always keen to ensure that we are well received and are ready to help at the slightest request (we were caught "hitchhiking" without having asked for anything on the way back from the restaurant to our hotel).
65% of Georgia's territory is mountainous, more than that of Switzerland, while the country's three major cities - Tbilisi in the east, Kutaisi in the center-west and Batumi on the Black Sea - concentrate more than half of the population. , which leaves quite a few of the 4.8 million Georgians in mountain villages who have managed to keep intact regional cultures rooted in fierce traditions for thousands of years.
Here to say health, we exclaim “gaumarjos” – for “victory!”
Packages at 15 euros per day
The occupation of this southern part of the Caucasus range dates back to the oldest traces of humanity on the continent, and numerous monasteries and medieval towers punctuate the landscape, even and especially in particularly remote places.
The stations are of two types: those which date from the Soviet Union with a history of more than 50 years (and recent modernization), and those of "second generation" which have been founded since the Ossetian war of 2008, with the help of European and American funds.
It must be said that the development of this tourist industry also has political significance for Georgia, whose bulky Russian neighbor occupies two "independent" territories, Abakhazia in the far northwest (a heavenly seaside and mountainous region in the south of Sochi) and South Ossetia in the center, 40km from Tbilisi (we pass near signs prohibiting access on the highway towards Kutaisi).
In Caucasian geopolitics, could skiing be a diplomatic weapon?
The country's half-dozen ski resorts are all under state control through the Mountain Resorts of Georgia agency.
Interest for the skier: the ski pass that you buy in one is valid for all the other resorts in the country, whether for a few days, a week, or even a whole season (count around 40 laris, or less of 15€, for one day).
We can therefore embark on an (accessible) adventure in Georgia with several objectives in mind, knowing that there are also different heliskiing or catskiing operations.
The most popular stations
Gudauri station, an hour north of Tbilisi, the capital.
Evgeny Eremeev / irimeiff - stock.adobe.com
As for resorts, Gudauri is undoubtedly the best known, the oldest and the most important with 70km of slopes.
Located a good hour north of Tbilisi, and renowned for its varied slopes and its accessibility, it looks a lot like an “average” French resort, with lifts located at an altitude of more than 3,200m and a view of the Stunning Caucasus.
The strong real estate development and the presence of a fairly large clientele must be taken into account, but it is worth visiting, and can serve as a base camp for exploring this region of the northeast rich in history, culinary traditions (especially Khinkali meat fritters).
For most urban residents of Tbilisi, Gudauri is synonymous with skiing.
Bakuriani, 200km from Tbilisi in the Borjomi region, is ideal for families with gentle slopes and plenty of children's facilities.
The three resorts grouped in this Trialeti chain in the “little Caucasus” have just hosted the 2023 freestyle ski and snowboard world championships, with slopes ranging from 1800m to 2700m in a very natural atmosphere.
Our favorite is the region of Svaneti-Migrelia, and more particularly the two resorts which surround the village of Mestia, a real little local Chamonix which we reach after 60km of a fairly strenuous mountain road.
The Tetnuldi resort, 15km north-east of Mestia, is in the heart of the Svaneti mountain range, dominated by Mount Tetnuldi (4854m, a few meters higher than Mont Blanc), with a view that extends up to the 'Elbrus in the distance (5642 meters and highest point of the Upper Caucasus on the Russian side).
It offers nearly 1000m of altitude difference with four ski lifts and major developments planned which will avoid the tedious road to get there (allow 40 minutes from Mestia).
Another resort, Hatsvali, leaves directly from Mestia and climbs into the forest, offering skiers stunning views of the small town.
Behind her, the sublime double summit of Mount Ouchba, the “Caucasian Matterhorn” (4710m).
The Mestia guides office, the only one in the country, brings together more than 30 high mountain guides who take interested parties on hikes, assisted or not by heliskis or snowcats.
Finally, Goderdzi, 100km from Batumi, was opened in 2015 and combines skiing and views of the Black Sea, offering a unique experience.
How to get there ?
After briefly operating routes to Tbilisi and Kutaisi from Marseille and Milan, Ryanair has stopped connecting Georgia since 2021, but projects are also underway there.
The national company Georgian Airways operates direct flights from Paris, and the Greek company Aegean Airways also offers the destination, with a stopover in Athens.
The airports of Batumi and Kutaisi should also be considered depending on the trip you are planning, but it would be a shame not to take advantage of your stay to visit the very European and joyful Tbilisi.