Discover Gudauri, a 50 km ski area of incredible pistes in the Caucasus region. Ilia, a local GMGA certified mountain guide, will take you there on an amazing freeride and ski touring trip, suitable for all levels.
Private
Caucasus
8 Days
Jan - Apr, Dec
I invite you to join me on a 1-week guided freeride skiing and ski touring trip in Gudauri, suitable for all levels.
This ski center is located in the Southern plateau of the Caucasus Mountain Range in Georgia. The area is characterized by its high slopes, completely above the tree line. Gudauri is also famous for being a place free of avalanches, giving freeriders the safest ski experience.
Gudauri offers a good system of hotels and lodges where you can rest and relax after intense freeride skiing and ski touring days. All of them are equipped with a bar and some of them offer a sauna and gym.
Moreover, the ski resort has 7 chair lifts and a gondola to take you to the top of the best ski runs. Besides, as if it wasn't enough, heliskiing is also available in this region.
If you're interested in this trip, please find below a day-by-day program I have prepared for you. Any item can be adapted to your wishes and expectations.
The trip I propose has a wide variety of routes and activities. Adding all my experience and my training as a professional guide in Georgia, I can guarantee one of the best ski experiences of your life. We can adapt the trip to all kinds of clients.
Please get in touch with me if you want to join me on this freeride skiing and ski touring trip in Gudauri. You can send me a request and we can start planning for an unforgettable ski tour.
If I'm not available to guide you, one of my 3 teammates, all of them GMGA mountain guides, will be happy to do so.
You can also hire me for one or several days to go exploring the best spots of Gudauri and its surroundings. You can check this tour here: Gudauri freeride and ski touring with a guide.
You’ll arrive to your hotel in Gudauri after driving for 2 hours from the airport of Tbilisi. Overnight staying in that hotel, which will be our base during the trip.
After a brief introduction, we will take a ski lift and do some freeride skiing around the best spots of the resort: Mt. Kudebi, Mt. Sadzele (3.300m) and Mt.Chrdilebi (2.800m). At night, return to the hotel in Gudauri.
Freeride skiing day on Kobi Pass, 3.200 meters high. Freeride also on back and front sides of Bidara, at 3.100m. The first part of the ascent includes lifts and a 30-minute hike. At the end of the day, we’ll go back to Gudauri by car. Night in the hotel.
On our 4th day we’ll enjoy more freeride skiing in Mt. Miliona (3.200m). First part, with lifts and hike of 1 hour. Then, we’ll go down to 2.000 meters and finally we’re back at the hotel to rest (Gudauri).
I’ll guide a ski tour on the 2.300-meter-high Mt. Lomisa 1. We’ll get there after a 30-minute drive and 2 hours of hiking. After that, we descend to 1.400 meters high. Night in the hotel.
Another ski touring day, this time on Mt. Lomisa 2 (2.400 meters). We’ll get there after a 30-minute drive and 2 hours of hiking. After that, we go down to 1.400 meters high. Night in the hotel.
Ski tour on Mt. Dedaena (3400m). It’s a 20 minutes drive. Hike for 3 hours. Descent to 2.300 meters high.
Departure and end of the program.
What is the max number of people per group?
The max size for one guide is 6 people. If you are more than 6 we just need to organise and add tail guide, so no problem.
What's included in the price?
We will meet at Tbilisi airport and then we'll take care of everything else, including the transport back to the airport the last day. The price also includes:
Guiding fee
Accommodation
Lifts tickets
Transport during the trip
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?
4.5
(60)
Mountain Guide
I'm a fully certified IFMGA / UIAGM mountain guide from Tbilisi, Georgia. I have the GMGA (Georgian Mountain Guides Association) certificate and I'm a member of the Austrian Mountain Guide Association.
I'm a professional mountaineer, national team member of Georgian Mountain Federation. I am actively climbing in the Caucasus mountain range.
The programs I guide more often are:
- Mountaineering = Mt. Kazbek, Mt. Tetnuldi, Mt. Ushba, Chaukhi region.
- Ski Touring = Gudauri, Svaneti, Kazbegi regions.
I also manage large expeditions and base camps for Caucasus Mountains.
Please get in touch with me if you plan to come to Georgia. It will be my great pleasure to help you and to guide you in our awesome mountains.
I am leading a Guide Office in Georgia, and work together with my colleagues George, Lasha and Leri (National certified Mountain Guides). In case I'm not available, one of them will be your guide.
Languages
Russian | Georgian | English
Certificates
GMGA | IFMGA
Thomas
4
All in all we had a really great time with perfect weather and snow conditions. However, we had some „problems“ with the organization of Georgia Guide Office. It started when we arrived: The driver was obviously expecting 6 instead of 7 people. Seemed like Ilia got the booking wrong, as we initially booked 6 to start with the booking and then added the 7th person later. So apparently he booked a car and accommodation for 6. The driver was a bit confused and we followed him to his car. It was way too small for all of us and all the luggage. He somehow managed to put everything on the roof and in the trunk. It was super small and uncomfortable with our backpacks on our laps. We could only go max. 80 km/h on the highway due to the overweight. It took about 12h until we finally arrived in Mestia. Next, we specifically asked for a hotel with sauna, which Ilia confirmed beforehand (Grand Hotel Ushba). Except one night in Ushguli (which was great), we stayed all nights in Guesthouse Ushba. When we asked our guide about sauna, he referred us to a sauna that we had to pay for. It was really nice, but also quite expensive with 20€ per person for 2h. We used it 3 times during the week. Our guide was a nice guy but couldn’t meet our expectations at all. He was doing his „normal“ ski touring program, which for him included 1000-1200m a day. Every day we had discussions with him about the program as we wanted to get the maximum out of our trip and the day. For him it was take it or leave it. We had the impression that he wanted to return early afternoon to drink beers with his colleagues. One time we left him behind and kept on by ourselves. Another day he also left us after 800m and we followed another guide to the peak. Turned out our guide had severe physical problems, so it seemed like he couldn’t make more than that. The last day they gave us a different guide which was fine. After two days we talked to Ilia about the situation and he said they will try to meet our expectations but nothing much changed really, except the different guide for the last day. For us it was quite unfortunate as we specifically asked for alpine tours and 1500-1800m per day. All in all we still had a great time. We just didn’t get what we asked and payed for. The service and contact through Explore-Share was really good, Lupe was very supportive and answered really quickly.
Matthew
5
Ilia is a great guide both on a professional and on a personal level. He knows the Caucasus region like no one else. Very safe and committed to find great virgin slopes at the same time. He is friendly, dynamic and attentive to his clients wishes/desires. I warmly recommend him to anyone looking for a safe and groundbreaking adventure.
Andreas
5
We had a amazing days in Gudauri. Ilia and David are great guides and made this trip unforgetable.
Nathan
5
With a constant eye for safety, he made us enjoy the purest snow of the domain thanks to his knowledge of the mountains. His communication skills are very good and his sense of humour only gets better with a glass of chacha. I highly recommend Ilia for any group of people wanting to combine great ski and safety.
Ryan
5
Ilia is a great guide! He took into account our expectations and managed to fulfil them completely. He speaks English fluently. At the beginning of our trip, he gave us a nice training on how to react in case of avalanches. I had a few similar training before, but this one was much better and practical
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