Arakhveti Magic Forest, N (north), 6,3 km., ⎋ 5 h., ⇡ 04:00 h., ↑ 927 m., ↓ 927 m., ▼ 1440 m. - ▲ 2364 m.

Arakhveti Magic Forest

Loop routes, Trees Skiing, Day trip

Forest skiing in a fairy forest of Arakhveti. Quite a safe route with a small height gain, ski-tour option for the days of snowfall, and poor visibility.

F: Easy (Facile)

N (north)

6,3 km.

⎋ 5 h.

⇡ 04:00 h.

↑ 927 m.

↓ 927 m.

▼ 1440 m. - ▲ 2364 m.

S2 : Wide slopes which are easy to manoeuvre, maybe fairly steep (25°).

Very remote: Little chance of being seen or helped in case of an accident.

Low Exposure (E1): Exposure is limited to that of the slope itself. Getting hurt is still likely if the slope is steep and/or the snow is hard.

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This and others (more than 30 routes) are in the printed version of the backcountry guide to the Gudauri and Kazbegi region from the "Still Wild Georgia" series.
You can buy a book at the Travel Bar in Gudauri - https://www.instagram.com/gudauribar/ or order mail delivery: https://gudauri.com/shop/category/gudauri-guidebook/1.html

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A lot of visual landmarks (forest, bushes, trees), relative avalanche safety, and northern exposure justify the characterization of this route as the best one to take when visibility conditions are poor (whiteout), there is a high level of avalanche danger, and there is a lack of quality powder. Moreover, this route is remarkable for its views, excellent snow, and virgin forest.

Starting point

The route starts near the Arakhveti village along a wide ravine starting from the road.

Access

Since the beginning of the route is a couple of kilometers away from the start of the previous route to the ”Lomisi Monastery” on page 66, it takes the same half an hour by taxi from Gudauri the same 70-100 GEL per roundtrip car.

Ascent

After a flat start – ascent along a steep spur (up to 27 degrees), quickly passed with long kick-turns on the ski-tour. Then, after going out on a large open flat glade – a good place for having a rest, ancient stone cross-khati (sacred place for prayers) at an altitude of 1830 meters (42.41753, 44.51952). Then, after crossing a flat section – ascent though the thin, well-viewed low forest..

Descent

In the days of increased avalanche danger, the descent is not far away from the ascent traces – the safest option; if the snow cover is stable, you can descend on the sidelines of the ascent line through the forest and ravine.

Safety statistics for the route are good. So far, there have been no cases of avalanche initiation or involvement in them. Nevertheless, the absence of incidents on this slope should be attributed to the fact that this route is still rarely taken by freeriders, as it is not well-known. Despite the fact that the relief is quite safe here, there are several places where avalanches happen (marked in red on the map).

Clarify the level of avalanche danger before setting off for the route! Daily updated information on the level of avalanche danger can be found in the Gudauri Travel Bar (www.gudauri.bar).

Skins, Standard avalanche equipment (beeper, probe, shovel)

Mobile communication is on the itinerary

Yes

No

January, February, March

Trekking Map # 4: Khevi, Stephantsminda, Gudauri, Truso. Skale 1 : 50 000.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11IK1uWLoFrDbqq9P0Bt45AGTJUariXgs/view?usp=sharing

You can find information about the level of avalanche danger in the region, buy maps of the route, join an organized group, or order a professional mountain guide on this route in the Gudauri Travel Bar (www.gudauri.bar).

Rescue service: +995 790 211 100
Fire service, police, medical assistance: 112
Helicopters: +995 32 2243 503, +995 595 350 900, +995 595 404 606

Copying any fragment of this guidebook is acceptable with active link to the source www.gudauri.travel.