SVANETI, GEORGIA

GUIDED SKI & SPLITBOARD EXPEDITION

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For centuries, the Upper Svaneti region in northwestern Georgia has existed as one of the most geographically isolated regions in the world. With a turbulent history of kingdoms, annexations and wars, the medieval villages that dot the area are strategically situated on mountain slopes in the shadows of 3,000-5,000m summits. Ancient Svan architecture features castle-like tower houses built to serve in defense against invaders during the 9th-12th centuries. Today, the towers of Upper Svaneti are protected by UNESCO—reminders of the region's rich cultural heritage—and are perfect for scoping the insane mountain backdrops that envelop the valley in every direction.

Almost half of the highest peaks of the Greater Caucasus are located in Svaneti, making it the perfect base for exploring Eurasia's most impressive mountain range. The climate is heavily influenced by its proximity to the Black Sea and is characterized by mild temperatures and heavy snowfall. The timing of our expeditions is intended to nail the deepest and most reliable conditions for village-based touring.

AVAILABILITY & REQUIREMENTS

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AVAILABILITY

Max 6 - 5 SPOTS LEFT

EXPERIENCE

Participants must be advanced to expert level skiers or snowboarders, with at least 1 year touring experience. Participation does not require any formal avalanche safety certification or glacier travel or ski mountaineering experience.

GEAR

Splitboards are required for snowboarders. Participants must additionally be prepared with essential touring and avalanche safety gear. We will distribute a mandatory gear list closer to the expedition start date.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Participants must be in excellent physical condition, and comfortable touring for long distances carrying their own backcountry packs.

VISAS

Georgia offers a visa-free policy for most nationalities. See here for the full list of countries included in this visa-free policy.

2024 DATES

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FEBRUARY 6-16

7 DAYS RIDING/11 DAYS TOTAL

DETAILS

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Our 11-day guided ski and splitboard expedition begins in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, one of our favorite cities in the world. We’ll stay in Old Town at a beautiful hotel with rooftop restaurant and spend our first day exploring the surrounding cobblestone streets, historic neighborhoods and markets.

Our journey from Tbilisi begins with a ~5-hour drive through the Georgian countryside, past the birth place of Stalin, and eventually to the mouth of the Enguri River Valley, where the road begins its climb into the Caucasus Mountains. The drive from here is spectacular, winding and climbing alongside the river for another 2.5 hours before the valley opens up to reveal the famous defensive towers and towering peaks of Upper Svaneti.

Our first night will be spent at a family-run guesthouse in the townlet of Mestia at 1,500m/4,921ft elevation. Mestia is the “tourist hub” of Upper Svaneti, and while it offers a great selection of cafés and shops alongside its historic churches and forts, it feels far from touristy. Here, we’ll pull out the maps and assess our intended itinerary with the weather forecast in mind, as roads up and down valley often become impassable during big storms. If all looks good, we will stick to plan!

To kick things off: Day 1 touring from the upper boundaries of Tetnuldi Ski Resort, which offers lift-access to the foot of Tetnuldi Peak (4,858m/15,938ft). While riding lifts in Georgia may not be on your bucket list, our day at Tetnuldi will be a good warmup and the backcountry terrain is quite seriously too good to pass up. The atmosphere at the foot of the glaciers is amazing and will give us a taste of what’s awaiting us.

The following morning we’ll transfer down valley to Tskhumari village, at the foot of the Svaneti Range and Mount Laila (4,008m/13,150ft). From the village we’ll climb as high as the group would like with up to 2,000m/+6,500ft of vertical possible for the day. The Svaneti Range (pictured in the banner photo above) parallels the main Caucasus Range and offers spectacular views to the north.

On Day 3, we’ll tour up to Koruldi Lakes, high above Mestia, for a night beside the fireplace in a renovated mountain hut. The hut offers access to the Chalaadi Glacier, which provides some of the best powder skiing in Svaneti. After one night at the hut, we’ll ski the entire way back down to our guesthouse in Mestia and call it an early night ahead of our crack of dawn departure up valley the next morning.

The next two nights will be spent in the fabled "highest settlement in Europe”: Ushguli. At 2,100m/6,890ft in elevation, Ushguli is actually a cluster of 4 small villages, close to the border with Chechnya and home to ~200 people year-round. Here, we will eat like kings and will be treated to two full days of epic village-based touring at the foot of Shkhara (5,193m/17,037ft) and neighboring peaks—the highest in the Greater Caucasus.

The last zone we will explore is Detsili Mountain above the village of Etseri, which offers long, cruisy terrain and unreal views of Mt. Ushba (4,710m/15,453ft) and the Svaneti Range to the south. After 7 days exploring up and down valley and ticking off the best skiing that Upper Svaneti has to offer, it's back to Tbilisi for a final celebratory night out on the Old Town.

PHOTO GALLERY

To get a better taste of the adventure that awaits, be sure to scope our Georgia photo gallery as well as this collection of photos taken by clients and guides on our 2022 exped.

GUIDES

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Our 2024 Svaneti expedition will be led by the same dream team as in years past: ACMG guide Jessica Taylor and IFMGA guide and Svaneti local, Nick Phaliani. Jessica will also guide our Racha expeditions the weeks immediately before. Meet our guide team.

BOOKINGS

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USD $3,795/PERSON

7 DAYS RIDING/11 DAYS TOTAL

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS

Participants will need to arrive in Tbilisi (airport code TBS) on or before February 6. We will return to Tbilisi by late afternoon/evening on February 15 for departures on the 16th.

PRICE INCLUDES

40 Tribes Lead Guide with additional support from one local IFMGA guide; Airport transfers; Hotel accommodation in Old Town Tbilisi nights of February 5 (in case of early morning arrivals), 6 and 15; Private transport between Tbilisi and Svaneti (approx 7-8 hours each way); 4WD transport between all villages in Svaneti; 8 nights guesthouse/homestay accommodation in Svaneti; All meals in Svaneti; Lift ticket for day at Tetnuldi Ski Resort; 7 days of epic guided skiing/splitboarding!

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Airfare and baggage fees; Medical/evacuation insurance; Meals in Tbilisi and on transport days to/from Svaneti; Alcohol; Tips for guides.

BOOKING POLICY

A 20% deposit is required to secure your spot, with the remainder due 4 months prior to the expedition start date. Our cancellation/refund policies can be found here.