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Kazbek Summit Ski and Splitboard Tour

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Kazbek Summit Ski and Splitboard Tour
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Huayhuash trekking
Kazbek Summit Ski and Splitboard Tour

This amazing Kazbek summit ski and splitboard tour will take you to explore the spectacular ski areas in the Gudauri region of Georgia, and also to the top of the famous volcanic summit of Mount Kazbek, from where you will enjoy an unforgettable ski descent.

Private

Caucasus

8 Days

Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun

Open to everyone

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Discover a spectacular ski descent from a 5054m volcanic summit!
  • Enjoy a combined skiing and mountaineering program in the Caucasus.
  • Join an experienced local guide on an unforgettable Kazbek and ski adventure.

Description

Mount Kazbek (5054m) is one of the most popular mountains in the Caucasus Mountains and a must-go for mountaineers visiting Georgia. Kazbek is the second-highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus and the third highest peak in the country.  On this 8-day program, you will enjoy first some ski touring in the Gudauri region, and then climbing Kazbek, from where you will discover a spectacular ski descent that will take you down from a 5054m volcanic summit!

We will begin this adventure in Gudauri, which we will get to from Tbilisi (2 hours) or from Kutaisi (5 hours). Gudauri is 2100 meters above sea level, and a location from where we can easily and quickly get to miraculous ski areas. We will spend a few days exploring the region, and then cap off our adventure with a Kazbek climb and ski descent. You can find an outline of the itinerary below.

Keep in mind that the day-by-day program will depend on the weather, period, and snow conditions. The guide will decide on the best mountains to visit each day to prioritize the group’s safety and enjoyment.

Some options include:
Mt. Chrdili
Miliona
Kobi-pass
Bidara
Lomisa
Dedaena
Sioni
Arakhveti
Khada valley
Miketi
Mt. Gogebashvili
Chaukhi
Gergeti viewpoint
and I’ll keep other options a secret!

In terms of preparation, some prior experience and skills are required. This trip is suitable for off-piste intermediate, advanced, and expert-level riders! If you think you have the experience listed below, then you are welcome to join:

  • A few months of experience off-piste skiing, possibly with guides/instructors.

  • Can link several turns in light powder snow on a uniform base.

  • Can handle a variety of conditions including lightly crusted and wind-affected snow.

  • Can put turns in through heavier snow and on icy 35-degree slopes.

You will also need to be able to walk between 2 hours to 8 hours a day, and you will experience a minimum vertical ascent of 700 m, a maximum of 1400m, a minimum vertical descent of 700m, and a maximum of 4000m+.

For off-piste skiing in the resort area, we will use a ski lift and gondola to reach the best skiing spots.  The total vertical ascent will be 4500m and the total vertical drop will be 4700m+.

The tour is not limited to a specific number of people. One ski guide can take a max. of 6 people (on days 1, 2,3), and one mountain guide can take a max. of 3 people (on days 4-8). The number of guides will depend on the size of the group. In case of need, my colleague GMGA/IFMGA guides will be happy to join us!

I have been guiding for 6 years in Gudauri and more than 10 years on Kazbek. It has given me enormous experience and I always know where to find best skiing spots. I have been on top of Kazbek more than 60 times, I have seen it in all conditions, I know this mountain very well and I promise you an unforgettable and safe expedition. During our ascent, we will train for avalanche safety, take measures for proper acclimatization and I will teach you the alpine techniques required for the summit day. Additionally, we’ll practice how to use the necessary technical equipment(ice ax, crampons, and ropes).

Contact me if you are coming to Georgia and are thinking about this 8-day trip. I will be happy to guide you on a unique experience in the Caucasus Mountains!

Or, if you prefer, I also offer other great programs in the region. You can find them here.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Accommodation included

- Lift tickets

- Transportation start and back

- Transport during the trip

- Luggage transfer

- Mountain guide expenses

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

Price details

Price does not include

- Snacks

- Alcohol

- Flight tickets

Other charges:

1) In case you would like to transfer from Kutaisi/international airport or any point in Kutaisi and transfer back, you will be charged for additional 260 EUR

2) Luggage transfer:

At Day 4. We can rent porters on the spot to carry your luggage to Betlemi hut, it costs 100 EUR per porter and each porter can carry up to 10-15kg.


Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Gudauri

– We will drive you to Gudauri from the Tbilisi and Kutaisi international airports or from any point of Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
– 2 hour from tbilisi, 5 hour from Kutaisi
– Introduction with guides, check the personal equipment, rent the equipment in case you miss something.
– Off-piste skiing within the resort
– Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 to 3: Ski touring days

Day 2-3. Ski touring days
– Over these days, we will choose the best skiable variants
– Duration: 3-5 hours
– Drive back to Gudauri. *Optional – after ski touring you can spend the rest of the day on ski resort
– Overnights at the hotel.

Day 4: On our way to Kazbek

– Drive to Stepantsminda
– Hiking up to Bethlemi hut (3650m)
– Walking 6-8 hour
– Night in Betlemi hut.

Day 5: Acclimatization

– Acclimatization hike to Bethlemi church (4000m) and back to Bethlemi hut 3650m
– Walking 2-3 hour
– Training
– Night in Betlemi hut.

Day 6: Summit day

– Mount Kazbek summit (5054m)
– 8-12 hours, ascent and descent
– Night in Betlemi Hut.

Day 7: Extra day

Reserve day in case of bad weather at day 6

Day 8: Return to Stepantsminda, transfer

  • – Ski down to the village Stepantsminda
    – Final dinner in a restaurant
    – We will drive you back to airports or any point in Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

 

Details

Accommodation

Hotel/Guesthouse, Mountain hut.

Meeting point

Tbilisi and Kutaisi international airports or from any point of Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

Equipment you will need to bring

Poles

Helmet

Ice axe

Goggles

Harness

Backpack

Crampons

Sunglasses

Watter bottle

Ski equipment

Climbing skins

Avalanche equipment


About the guide

I am Mikheil Nadiradze Professional Mountain Guide. I was born in 1991 and live in Tbilisi, Georgia. I started mountaineering from an early age and have not stopped since then. Since 2011, I was studying in ATS (Adventure Tourism School) and at the same time working as a mountain-Helliski-ski tour guide and ski teacher in Caucasus Mountains-Resorts. I was a member of the Georgian Climbing National Federation for many years and have a lot of achievements in competitions. After 2020 I'm fully certified IFMGA/GMGA mountain guide. Please read the programs down below, which I and my colleagues IFMGA/GMGA guides offer to you. for more information, please feel free to contact me. We can discuss your wishes and organize suitable tour options for you. I would be glad to be your guide and share great and unforgettable moments with you! I am always happy to help groups to climb summits in safe ways and in an enjoyable atmosphere.

Languages

Georgian | English

Certificates

IFMGA | GMGA


What people are saying about Mikheil Nadiradze

Elín Hrefna Ólafsdóttir

5.00

September, 2023

Our guide Misho was amazing. He was super helpful in advance - he answered all questions we had regarding the tour and helped us with final preparation. During our trip he was super cool. Had nice energy, made us feel safe and was in all regards a super good guide. We (our group of three) all agree that Misho was everything that we could ask for in a guide. Made our experience perfect and we will never forget our trip up Mount Kazbeki.

Gunnar Dofri Ólafsson

5.00

September, 2023

Misho was perfectly professional and I felt safe with him the entire time. I am not an experienced mountain hiker but Misho made sure everything went perfectly.

Búi Steinn Kárason

5.00

August, 2023

Mikheil was very profesional and very fun to be around. Knew the area like the back of his hand made us feel very safe despite challenging conditions

Jonathan Weck

5.00

July, 2023

I am from Sweden have been taking guided mountain tours for the last 5 years, mainly in alps and Mikheil is by far the best guide I’ve ever had. He is friendly, experienced, gives good information, lets you know all possible options, and does everything he can for you to have the best experience possible. Next time I go to Caucasus I will definitely go with Mikheil again.

Axel Bringel

5.00

July, 2023

Misho was nothing short of exceptional - an absolute 10 out of 10. His amicable nature and clear communication instilled a sense of safety and ease in us throughout our journey. His generosity in sharing not only his profound knowledge but also insightful tips was truly commendable. Whether it was expert advice on mountain climbing or invaluable suggestions about things to do in Georgia, Misho was always prepared to lend a helping hand. He executed his role as a guide to perfection. In fact, it's hard to imagine anything he could have done differently to enhance our experience. Misho left an indelible imprint on our journey, turning it into an experience to remember. I wholeheartedly offer my highest recommendations for him. His dedication and expertise are a true testament to what an exceptional guide should be.

Aleksandra Miszczak

3.00

September, 2022

Food: + very good food in the hotel in Stepantsminda - a lot of missing items in the menu in Bethlemi hut - no soft drinks in Bethlemi hut (only water and beer) - little bit lack of organisation between guide and people in the kitchen in Bethlemi hut (one evening we asked to have breakfast at 9am next day and we said that it would be nice to have scrambled eggs and when we came to restaurant next day at 9am we were told that due to fact that we didn't specify what we wanted previous evening, we need to wait 1.5h (!) for breakfast and we got standard breakfast anyway) - bread in the Bethlemi hut was super old and they didn't cover it with anything so got harder and harder to eat everyday Guiding: + guide knows the Kazbek mountain very well - guide made me feel uncomfortable by saying thay I need to push my boundaries and go faster downhill even when I told him that I do not feel safe by doing it (he apologised for it afterwards) - guide supported one person from the group who was going first (eg during jumping though craveses or crossing streams) and didn't pay much attention on other group members which made us feel uncomfortable and not 100% safe Training with crampons: - guide was challenging the way how we were taught to walk in crampons by previous instructors who had significantly more experience in high mountains Additionally: + quite nice hotel in Stepantsminda + guide organised shower for us when we went down from the mountain + guide dropped us to the airport

Chris Jeppson

5.00

January, 2022

Misho was the best guide I’ve ever hired. He’s knowledgeable and extremely concerned about his clients safety yet at the same time, he ensures they are getting an exciting and fun adventure. I loved how much he knew about the area we were in and always felt like we were so lucky to have couch an inside track on the routes and best views and assurances that we would be successful

Ania

5.00

January, 2022

I extremely recommend Mikheil as a guide! He is super professional and has huge experience. We managed to reach the summit of Mount Kazbek with him despite initial problems with the acclimatization of one of our friends. He is a very friendly and calm person and created a comfortable atmosphere for the whole trip.

Thad Roller

5.00

July, 2022

Our guide Mikheil (Misho) was absolutely amazing! Having experienced many different kinds of guides around the world, I can truly say that Misho's deep and personal knowledge of the mountain, his passion for the wonders of the outdoors, and his kind-hearted hospitality combined to set Misho apart as one of the best guides I have ever been privileged to have. Even though extremely high winds prevented us (and all other teams) from reaching the summit, we had a sterling experience on Mt. Kazbek, gaining valuable mountaineering experience both through off-glacier skills practice, and through the portion of actual summit route we were able to experience before turning back. Despite not reaching the top of the peak, we were fully satisfied with our experience, and grateful to Misho's ability to recognize risk and make the tough calls necessary to not jeopardize safety. Book Misho, if you can, you won't regret it!

Nikolay Kurtov

2.00

July, 2022

Explore-Share - fees are too high Trip rating - finished the trip 1.5 days earlier Guide - A lot of focus on keeping me safe, but no focus at all on keeping me happy and entertained

Bogusz Biedrzycki

5.00

January, 2022

Very cool and experienced guide. Speaks English very good. Helped us on every step of this tour: organizing, preparation, finding transport, etc. Tour was well planned and we also had a short training before summit.

Shana Vranken

5.00

June, 2022

We recommend Mikheil 100% as guide for this amazing adventure! He's very professional and has more than 10 years experience guiding people on Mt Kazbek. Before take off, he makes sure your equipment is well adjusted to the weather conditions and physical challenges you'll encounter. He checks in regularly during the hikes to see if you're okay and gives straightforward instructions, you simply have to listen! With all his care he got us safely to the summit and back down, we were more than okay. At first, Mikheil seemed to be a quiet guy but when you get to know him better you'll discover fast enough that he's super nice, really funny and if you're lucky, he might sing you a couple of songs during the hikes.. Madloba Mikheil for this crazy experience, we'll be back ;-)

Jean-Frederic

5.00

January, 2022

Misho is a good, positive, patient and knowledgeable person. He was especially skilled in dealing with younger / less experienced members of the group. Highly recommended!

Brendon

5.00

November, 2021

Fantastic guide, fantastic trip

Vyacheslav Gantsev

5.00

November, 2021

Great guy, very friendly and competent, we had great fun. Besides that, he's a photographer, so we had some other subject to talk about. Highly recommended!


 

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