Mount Kazbek, Georgia, 11 Day Guided Splitboarding

Snow conditions were challenging and our guide did an excellent job finding the local powder! I would recommend this trip to anyone and I would highly recommend a LOCAL guide. They know the lay of the land and I think our trip was very successful due to their local knowledge compared to some of the other groups we saw with non-local guides.

Ilia together with his colleague Giorgi were the best guides we could have wished for. Not only showing us great skiing and ski touring spots but also introducing us to the Georgian life.

Excellent trip with Ilia. Found us some great snow, even though conditions in the area weren't the best. Svaneti is beautiful. Also provided a great cultural experience with great food and telling us all about Georgia. Highly recommended.

Le service Explorer fonctionne à merveille et me servira peut-être une autre fois. J'en parle également autour de moi

Svaneti is a great place. We had an excellent trip

I did a backcountry ski trip in Georgia last month; your site connected me to a local guide there, Ilia. His guiding service in Mestia was absolutely wonderful. They were organized, responsive, and passionate about their beautiful home country which they generously shared with us. Ilia connected us to one of his colleagues, Gio, who was top notch. We had a remarkable time and have them (and you!) to thank for this!

Absolutely stunning trip with Ilia as a great guide. We had a very authentic experience - a perfect mix of great powder tours and cultural insights. The organisation was flexibly adjusted to the conditions, but seamlessly. We always felt safe and well taken care of. We'll come back and can highly recommend a trip with Ilia, especially if you are looking for some adventures. Ilia, thank you for this outstanding experience.

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Pre-Trip: Service from Explore-Share could have been better. What should have been a simple request with payments was badly dealt with. Taking automatic payments is a strange and unusual way of booking a guide. This was eventually dealt with though I had to argue for some time. Pre-trip support from guide could also have been better - getting an E-mail response on queries about the trip was not easy. I suggest a shared E-mail between the guide team would enable a better response capability if some guides are on the mountain etc. Although saying that, once in Svaneti we found even the most remote villages have Wi-Fi.... During the trip: Guide service was brilliant. Airport pick up was spot-on. Accommodation and food was great. There were two challenging aspects - the weather and the start of the Coronavirus issue. Guide team dealt well with both curve-balls (E.g. restaurants closing, and arranging slightly earlier return transport to Tbilisi). We had a great week, I would strongly recommend these guys to anyone visiting Georgia.

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.

Excellent week! Ilia and his local guide Bequ did a fantastic job.

We spent a week organised by Illia and his team between Mestia, Ushguli, in Februar 2020. Our guide was Gogi. He was also driving us from Tbilisi to Mestia and in Mestia for the daily ski tours. We spent a fantastic week. Everything was very well organised. Gogi found very nice ski tours, that matched what we wanted, i.e. between 1000 and 2000m climbing per day in nice landscapes with good powder. Gogi was also always concerned with our security (avalanches) and we had always the impression to be in good hands. Thank you for this very nice week !

We don 't have Ilia !!! I have been desapointed We Had maro..very good and Nata: she is too strict and her level is low.

Ilia quickly became part of our noisy family of five (all adults) as we ski-toured about the Svaneti region on one of our best trips ever. Patient, adventurous, smiley, entertaining, quick-witted... a whole list of adjectives fit Ilia.

Communication was easy with Explore share And I particularly thank the agent Lupe. She was able to give me extra details and information when needed. As for the Georgian team, it was a real pleasure to meet them and spend time with them. It was a great experience to enjoy fresh powder and virgin slopes. A big thank to this team.

Bad communication with Explore-share. Did not get respons to my questions. Silence for two weeks even though i requested response. Terrific guide - Lasha.

Ilia is a very calm, considerate and helpful guide who goes the extra mile to provide his clients with exceptional and unique experiences in his stunning Georgian mountains. His calm authority is exactly what's needed when the going gets tough or plans need to change unexpectedly. Humble yet more than competent I strongly recommend Ilia for any Georgian adventure.

Guide Vano was very good. Proficiency in English would be beneficial. Trip to Mount Kazbek was good, but time schedule for eating would be useful. Because when reaching the top we discovered that we were starving. The food what they offered in the basecamp was awesome. The toilet in the basecamp was terrible. First, it was too far from the main house, because if you had to go at the middle of the night then you had to put all your clothing on. And second, the cleanliness. Someone should keep an eye for it. And at all the basecamp rooms where not that clean.

Hello Explore Share, Thanks for giving me the opportunity to rate your service. Here is a brief feedback : - Misha (our guide) was truly extraordinary : sincerely, he is a really top guide, not only technically, but also regarding his human qualities. If I could I would give him 6 out 5 stars ! - the trip was great : we had problems because of an accident that happened to another team the day before our ascent, but this is "mountain life", this can happen. - your service : I would rate it 2.5/5. It is not that it is not a good service - you link people like me with guides around the world, and the girl I had on the phone before the trip was really nice and perfectly answered my questions - but in our case we find it extremely expensive : we paid it 2900 euros in total, for a 2-day trip, which is more expensive than two guides and food and accomodation in the Alps for a trip this long. We were in Georgia, and life is way cheaper than in western Europe. If I do the calculus : - accomodation : two rooms for 2 nights (we were 4) : around 500 GEL ~ 160 euros - food : I don't know exactly, but knowing the prices there it was max 50 euros for 6 people (us 4 + 2 guides) for 2 nights - guides : there were 2 people, but 1 was not exactly a guide, in total for 2 days this would make maximum around 1200 euros => this makes a total of 1410 euros, which is half what we paid. I understand there is Explore Share's commission to pay the service, but I can't imagine it represents half the total price. Once again, globally the trip was good, but I think the price is really too high. Regarding what we had which was a 2-day trip, I would really expect a goodwill gesture from you, because without it I don't think I would recommend Explore Share to my friends. Best regards, Alexandre

Thanks for an extraordinary glimpse into the world of mountaineering in Caucasus Georgia. Guide Ramez was a perfect match for our family group of four to the summit of Kazbek.

Misha was a very good guide. Friendly, patient, helpful and knowledgeable.

Local guide Misha was excellent. Explore Share did not pay for sleeping bags as advertised, we had to rent these at location, not compensated, the sleeping bags and food were advertised to be transported by horse, this did not happen, also not compensated. One meal at mountain hut consisted only of one bowel of soup following 7 hour hike. Mountain it's self was great. Money also deducted from my credit card without prior authorisation by Explore Share. Disconnect apparent between Explore Share and guide regarding what trip consisted of.

A day before arrival Ilia appeared to be unavailable. He arranged national certified guide Tato Nadiradze for us. Ilia did not manage to arrange the trip well and much was not clear, also due to change of plans because of the weather after a few days. We were very lucky with Tato who arranged everything well and got the very best out of it for us. We used his Landcruiser to drive where ever we went. Tato is a bery good mountainguide with lots of experience, especially in the Gudauri and Kasbegi area. He is also a good and enthousiastic free-rider. Gudairi hut is a fine hotel.

We had a great week in Gudauri. Illia and David are great guides and organized a perfekt week for us. We can really recommend this trip and also the guides.

We had a amazing days in Gudauri. Ilia and David are great guides and made this trip unforgetable.

We spent an exceptional week in Svaneti. Ilia guided us safely all around the valley. The place is wonderful and exceptionally well preserved. Villages are just out of time and still protected from mass tourism. they should definitly be visited soon... We enjoyed extraordinary views and gigantic landscapes, followed by endless descents in superb snow... Ilia's reputation clearly precedes him among all the guides who consider him as a reference. One recommendation : Get there soon and enjoy this beautiful region!

We had a fantastic trip in Svaneti with our guide Ilia who is a very professional and nice person. We were blessed by his kindness. He is a very patient, experienced and passionate person. Svaneti is a really beautiful region, wild and remote. I would advice staying more than a week as it takes quite some time to reach the mestia valley. The villages are vey harming and accommodation is quite good. There are thousands of ski tour possibilities and we were most of the time alone. Georgian people are great..and the food is fantastic ! I would definitively recommend the trip and our guide Ilia.

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Mestia in the Svaneti region will not remain an idem gem for long. It's got it all: alpine descents, all-you-can-ski powder and remote villages charged with history. Illia was a great guide both in and out of the slopes; safe, fun and knowledgeable. And do not worry about the food, it is amazing!

Mestia and in particular Ushguli provided for a remarkable context to this amazing, off the beaten track skiing trip. The pictures speak for themselves: it is developing quickly but is nevertheless a place frozen in time, where cows and donkeys far outnumber cars and the Caucasus provides for an imposing backdrop. Georgian hospitality was fantastic and Ilia made sure we were well looked after at all times, on and off the slope. We felt very safe enjoying the copious amounts of powder that was falling the week we were there. We kept on bumping into groups of people who had been guided by him in prior seasons and felt compelled to visit again - and something tells me we might join those ranks soon too...

Very poor english is reason to poor guide rating. Not showing up at meeting location in the morning is reason to poor guide rating. ( lost 2h of guiding, with still full price charged) 2 start for trip rating also connected with poor english and late arrival. 2 start for trip rating also connected to additional cost for taxi when being brought back to resort. That was expected to be included. In general very slow responses from the guide during booking procedure, and also when being on the resort. All in all; did not meet our expectations. You can't sell guide services with guides not being even a little bit fluent in English, Best regards OIa

Absolutely loved our trip to Georgia. In short: incredibly pittoresque villages, wonderful people, amazing food, stunning scenaries, ridiculous powder (some of the best snow ever!), and a very friendly, professional and experienced ski guide. You will always feel safe with Ilia. What more does one need? I highly recommend a trip to the beautiful Svaneti region.

We loved the great professional work of our guide Tato, his smile, his big cooperation with the Italian guide and the group. Bravo!

We loved the great professional work of our guide Tato, his smile, his big cooperation with the Italian guide and the group. Bravo!

Would have been difficult To find those places without a good guide. Recommend.

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(1) We are all very happy with the experience. Everyone got a real feeling to at least some of the mountaineering life aspect. (2) Guides were all great and we had a great time + learned quite a bit in a very short time. (3) We got as far as each of us could this time. One of us reached the summit - others had to stop at different stages - but that is all part of the adventure. Overall very happy and definitely see a value in a service like Explore-Share.

Ilia Berulava was an exceptional guide. He was professional, incredibly skilled and knowledgeable, organized, and great fun to spend time with.

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Poor weather but nice guide

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Very great and save Skitouringdays in due consideration to snow- and weather conditions. Many thanks to your guide Giorgi!!

Febuary 2018: We had a great time skiing the pist and offpist in and around Gudauri ski resort. We had a bit of change of plans and the guide (Lasha) was really flexible and accommodating to our wishes and needs. Lasha our guide from explore-share was highly competent ski guide and great companion.

My goal was to go powder snowboarding. Due to weather we could not move up to higher ground and therefor main part of the time was spent in the actual pist. I guess that was a very expensive way of experience the normal pists (since mountain guide was the most expensive part on location). This is how it can be and no blame on your organisation. I did however, experienced a couple of really nice off pist/powder rides without the guide later that week so I am satisfied with the total experience.

Ilia was a wonderful mountaineering guide :-) I can't wait to climb again with him next year ! JL

Ilia is a great guide at every level you would expect from a guide when you are traveling abroad. He is very cautious, He takes time to explain and emphasis what are the safety requirements. He is young but knows already deeply the Caucasus mountains. He is friendly and fluent in English but most of all he consistently tries to find the best for his customers and to make them enjoy their stay. Long story short, I deeply recommend him to anyone expecting an unforgettable trip.

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.

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.

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

Dear Ilia, we had a great time with you and although the snow conditions were far from perfect, you planned some great trips, took us for some sight seeing and made sure we had a good time. We had a good laugh together and were surprised by our delicious cave-dinner the last evening. Thanks so much, we'll be back! Vera, David, Marlous and Gilbert

This January we were a group of 12 people coming to Gudauri for some touring and skiing and Ilia made sure we had the BEST OF TIMES! He was very flexible and listened to our every concern, and when he unfortunately had to deal with some other work stuff two of the days we were there, he set us up with two of his other guiding friends that also took wonderful care of us - Tato and Gio. The ski touring was great, the guides really took safety into concern and were both service-minded and had a lot of humour. In just the short time of a week we got invited into their culture and had an amazing time in Georgia, thanks to Ilia and his guides. I can not recommend them enough. Book now!!!

We had a marvellous journey with Ilia. He managed everything from airport to airport. As part of being a wonderful guide with a lot of knowledge about his country and his nature he is also a very kind person to deal with. The Kazbek ascend is a beautiful trip, I recommend to every mountain lover. The region, the mountain, the food and the kindness of the people makes it perfect.

The trip was great thanks and Ilia was amazing! Such a competent and knowledgeable guide. We actually got caught in white out blizzard near the summit and he led us out with great confidence. I would highly recommend him as a guide and he was great company to boot!

... Although we didn’t achieve what we intended to (due to limited time we had in Georgia and bad weather), we were happy. It was one of the most amazing experiences we had so far and without a shadow of a doubt, we will come back to complete our mission. We will climb the giant of dreams. If you are looking for an incredible, experienced guide, contact Explore Share and ask for Ilia. He studied mount climbing at university and he certainly knows his stuff.

We had the chance to climb Mount Kazbek in Georgia last July under a wonderful weather. It was a real pleasure to make this tour with Ilia, who was extremely professional, efficient and safety-driven all along the journey. It was also very pleasant to discuss with him to discover more about Georgia and the surroundings

I spent 4 amazing days with Ilia, the most skilful, experienced, adorable guide. He showed me many different places in Mtskheta-Mtianeti région. From Snow to rocks, we fully benefit the Caucasus mountains. It was an unforgettable experience !