Ski & Snowboard Touring in Svaneti.

Svaneti is a high mountain region in north-west Georgia, on the southern side of the Greater Caucasus. Its main town, Mestia, sits at about 1,500m, surrounded by peaks over 4,000m; Shkhara (5,193m), the highest in Georgia, and Ushba (4,710m) dominate the skyline.

Two ski areas near Mestia — Hatsvali and the larger Tetnuldi — give lift-served terrain with off-piste alongside. Beyond them, touring routes start right from the villages: Koruldi Lakes above Mestia, tours around Ushguli high in the valley, and point-to-point traverses between villages.

Upper Svaneti is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its medieval stone towers.

The season runs from about December into April. January and February bring the deepest snow; March usually gives the best mix of settled weather, long days and good snow; April turns to spring snow on the sunny sides.

We don't publish snow depths or forecasts on this page — they go out of date within hours. These are the sources we check ourselves: Windy for wind, freezing levels and storm tracking, and the resort or regional forecast for snow detail. On a guided trip your guide checks them, plus the snow on the ground, every morning before any plan is set.

Windy — Mestia
Snow-Forecast — Hatsvali / Mestia
Snow-Forecast — Tetnuldi snow report

No formal avalanche bulletin service for this region — always go with a certified local guide. Georgia has no daily public avalanche forecast for Svaneti that we can point you to, so every slope is assessed on the day by guides who know the local snowpack.

⚠ Conditions change fast — this is for planning only. Always check the latest advisory where one exists and consult a certified local guide before heading out.

On our trips the guide assesses conditions every day. Beacon, shovel and probe are mandatory, and avalanche equipment and companion rescue are practised on the first ski day.

In Georgia, emergencies go through 112. Rescue resources in the mountains are limited and help can take time — mobile coverage is decent in the villages and poor beyond them, so carry a satellite device in remote terrain.

Travel and medical insurance with mountain rescue and helicopter cover is essential and is not included in our trips. We recommend Austrian Alpine Club (Alpenverein) membership, which includes mountain rescue cover.

Kutaisi (KUT) is the closest international airport, with budget flights from many European cities. From there it is around five hours by road up the Enguri valley to Mestia. Shared airport transfers and all local transport to and from the tours, including Ushguli, are included on our trips.

From Tbilisi (TBS) it's longer by road, or there are small flights to Mestia that depend on the weather.

Family guesthouses are the heart of a Svaneti trip: warm rooms, home cooking and generous hosts. Mestia also has a few hotels; Ushguli has simple guesthouses. Our trips stay in guesthouses in Mestia, with one or two nights in Ushguli at 2,200m, depending on the weather.

Rental exists in Mestia, but touring gear is limited — bring your own or ask us to arrange it.

Bring: touring skis or splitboard, boots, skins, ski crampons, poles, beacon, shovel, probe, 30–40L pack, helmet (mandatory on our trips), goggles, layers, spare gloves, headlamp.

Georgian food is a reason to go on its own: khachapuri, the local kubdari (a Svan meat-filled bread), khinkali dumplings and endless supra feasts with Georgian wine and chacha.

Climb a Svan tower, visit the Mestia museum of history and ethnography, or drive up to Ushguli to see the villages under Shkhara.