Detailed description of the routes for freeriders in the surroundings of Gudauri and Kazbegi - Guidebook
About author of the guidebook...
Oleg Gritskevich - Gudauri Travel's mountain guide, living with his family in Gudauri Ski Resort from 2005. Vast experience of snowboarding in big mountains. Oleg is a member of the of Russian Mountain Guides Association, Diploma of professional avalanche training of the Canadian Avalanche Association.
Extensive experience of work with clients from Europe. Oleg has repeatedly worked as a mountain guide and photographer for famous ski magazines and pro-riders in the framework of the promotional tours organized by Gudauri.Travel.
Disclaimer of liability (by author) ...
I have ridden each of the routes described in this section with my friends and clients more than a dozen times. I share this information and experience with those who feel they have the strength, confidence and, most importantly, the necessary skills to follow these routes independently, without a guide. But, no matter how much information I share, I cannot guarantee the correctness of the information on this website. I am not responsible for any injuries you may incur by attempting any of the routes I post on this page or elsewhere on the site. Use common sense - stay within your abilities, and if you want to go beyond your limits, do it only under the supervision of an expert. In this case, by the term "limits" I mean not only skiing on steep slopes in potentially dangerous areas but also the limitations of your practical skills in reading the terrain, choosing a line of descent, navigation, your survival skills, level of physical training, your language skills, etc. If in doubt, enlist the services of a professional Gudauri-based backcountry guiding outfit.
Do not use this information only for route planning. At the very least, read the topographic paper map and use a compass. The lines on the map and the route tracks in the GPS files in this section may contain errors, may be incomplete, and may cause you to pass through a dangerous area.
In a nutshell, use the information on this page at your own risk.
Keep safe and enjoy every day in the mountains!
There are almost no places left on our planet that you can discover with the feeling of a pioneer. Every corner is already described in detail and marked on Google maps. Except for Georgia. As if it is a special gift to our generation – the discovery of Georgia, a unique country in the South Caucasus (in Asia, in the Middle East), which was hidden from the attention of travelers for almost the whole last century due to a combination of several factors - the Iron Curtain during 70 years in the last century when Georgia was part of the USSR, civil wars, high level of crime and the long post-Soviet period of the country’s formative stage.
A little more than 10 years ago, Georgia opened up in all its glory. Historical places of interest, many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, wide range of climatic zones, openness and hospitality of the local population, excellent cuisine of organic food, several hundred types of wine and untouched wild mountains - in this small mountainous country every curious traveler can plunge into an adventurous atmosphere and get a bright kaleidoscope of impressions during short vacation time.
Georgia is located in the south of the Great Caucasian Range. The mountains, the highest point of which reaches 5193 meters above sea level, form the entire northern border of the state and cover two-thirds of the country’s area.
Most of the mountainous areas are not inhabited, and in winter many mountain roads are covered with snow and are impassable.
Advantages of Gudauri ...
1. Dry climate and high altitudes allow the snow to stay dry for a long time.
2. Basic accommodation (Gudauri resort) is located at the altitude of 2000 meters above sea level and higher. And most routes start at the same altitude or even higher. This allows getting fast to the beginning of the route in the Great Mountains, without climbing through the forest zone and going to the snow line (spring).
3. Convenient logistics. It takes only 20 minutes to get by car from the airport to the capital of Georgia, the city of Tbilisi. And it takes only 2 hours to get to Gudauri, the distance is 125 km.
4. Hotel and resort infrastructure of Gudauri is by far the most developed, in comparison with other ski resorts in Georgia.
5. Huge potential for multi-day backcountry routes in the mountain regions to the north and north-east of Gudauri.
6. Proximity of the five thousand meter high old volcano Kazbek (5,047 m above sea level). The famous mountain Kazbek is located only in 35 km to the north of Gudauri.
When to go...
The best time for one-day backcountry: end of January – mid-March. The best time for multi-day backcountry with overnight stays in tents or huts: March - April. May is the best month for ski-touring to the top of the Kazbek mountain.
Mountain safety...
There is no avalanche service in Gudauri. Information on the state of slopes and the level of avalanche danger can be obtained at Travel Bar www.Gudauri.Bar.
Maps...
Topographic Geoland maps of the region can be bought at Travel Bar www.Gudauri.Bar.
Buy the first full edition of "Backcountry skiing in Gudauri, Georgia" (48 pages), as well as topographic maps of our region
can be in Gudauri Travel Bar, in New Gudauri area.