Ski Touring in Svaneti — Five Days Beneath the Giants
Ski touring in Svaneti, where ancient towers meet untouched powder. Five days from Mestia to Ushguli, skinning between medieval watchtowers and 4,000 m peaks.
- Region
- Svaneti
- Duration
- 5 days
- Max altitude
- 3,200 m
- Total ascent
- 5,600 m
- Difficulty
- demanding
- Season
- February – April
Ski touring in Svaneti is not a resort with a backcountry zone bolted on. Svaneti is a highland region of Georgia so remote that its medieval watchtowers are still standing and its villages still feel outside of time.
Over five days you skin through landscapes that shift from dense forest to open alpine bowls, from glacier-fed valleys to ridgelines where the whole Caucasus unfolds beneath you. You'll base in Mestia and Ushguli — the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe — and wake each morning to a different wall of 4,000- and 5,000-metre peaks.
You'll sleep in family-run guesthouses, eat food made from scratch, and ski beneath Ushba, Shkhara and Mount Laila. This is ski touring as it should feel: wild, cultural and deeply personal.
Day by day
- Ascent
- +830 m
- Descent
- 1,550 m
- High point
- 3,170 m
- Overnight
- Mestia
We meet in Mestia and start with a gear check and avalanche safety protocols — beacon search, probe deployment, shovel technique. Then the cable car from 2,230 m to 2,710 m, and a run down the north side so the guide can see how everyone handles untracked snow. Once dialled in, we climb to 3,170 m and descend northwest — if the group is strong, all the way to Zhabeshi village.
- High point
- 2,640 m
- Overnight
- Mazeri
We drive to Etseri village and spend the day at the foot of Ushba (4,710 m), one of the most feared and beautiful mountains in the Caucasus. We skin north toward the cross on Meziri Mountain at 2,640 m, past snow-buried summer huts and open slopes, with Ushba on one side, Shkhara on another, and Tetnuldi on the horizon.
- High point
- 3,050 m
- Overnight
- Ushguli guesthouse
Ushguli is the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,200 m — a UNESCO-listed cluster of stone towers and slate roofs. We drop bags and head straight out for the Launvari (Lamaria) Ridge at 3,050 m, between the Shkhara Glacier and Zagaro Pass. At the crest the view detonates: the Svaneti Range and Enguri Gorge one way, Shkhara’s ice walls the other.
- High point
- 3,100 m
- Overnight
- Mestia or Latali
The morning starts with something you will not find in any other ski touring destination on earth: skinning between medieval stone towers. From Chazhashi we climb toward the Gorvashi (Latpari) Pass on the far side of the Svaneti Ridge. At 3,000–3,100 m we stop for the view — the main Caucasus Range from the south, a wall of ice and granite separating Georgia from Russia.
- Ascent
- +1,350 m
- High point
- 3,097 m
A drive toward the Tskhumari community brings us to Lezgara village. The route unfolds in chapters: tall quiet forest, then an alpine valley dotted with summer huts, then Mount Lahili (Laila, 4,000 m) filling the sky. We push to Chizhdi Pass at 3,097 m where, on a clear day, you can see Elbrus across the border — plus Shtavleri, Ushba, Asmashi and dozens of unnamed summits.
Group departures 2027
Join a scheduled group, or ask for private dates — the booking form takes both.
| Date | Participants | Duration | Deposit | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 – 24 Jan 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 27 – 31 Jan 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 3 – 7 Feb 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 10 – 14 Feb 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 17 – 21 Feb 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 24 – 28 Feb 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 3 – 7 Mar 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 | |
| 10 – 14 Mar 2027 | 4–6 (Available) | 5 days | €150 |
Deposit is per person and comes off the €800 trip price. Balance due before departure.
Questions, answered
This program takes place entirely in the Svaneti region — specifically around Mestia, Ushguli and the surrounding valleys. It is a different area from Kazbegi, further west, and arguably even more remote and dramatic.
Three things: the culture (medieval towers, ancient traditions, incredible food), the scale (you are surrounded by 4,000–5,000 m peaks on every side) and the solitude (you will likely have entire valleys to yourself).
You should be comfortable with 4–6 hours of sustained uphill travel. Day 5 is the most demanding with up to 1,350 m of vertical gain. Regular endurance training in the weeks before the trip will make a significant difference.
You must be a strong off-piste skier. We are dealing with untracked snow, variable conditions, forest skiing and potentially steep terrain. If you are only comfortable on groomed runs, this trip is not for you.
You should have basic familiarity with beacon, probe and shovel use. Your guide runs a refresher on Day 1, but this is not a beginner avalanche course. Prior knowledge is expected.
Svaneti guesthouses are family-run, warm and welcoming. Rooms are simple but comfortable. The food is exceptional — homemade bread, cheese, stews and local specialities. Not luxury accommodation, but authentic and memorable.
Yes. Rental is available for touring skis, boots and safety gear. Contact us before the trip to reserve your size and ensure availability.
February through April. March tends to offer the best combination of stable snowpack, longer daylight hours and manageable temperatures. January can work but days are shorter and conditions more unpredictable.
In Mestia, yes. In Ushguli and more remote areas, signal is weak or nonexistent. Plan to be offline for most of the trip.
The guide will adapt routes daily based on conditions. Svaneti has many alternatives, so even if one objective is shut down there is almost always a Plan B that is equally impressive.
Yes, you can join a group. If you prefer a private experience, custom dates can be arranged for solo or small private groups.
Travel insurance that explicitly covers off-piste/backcountry skiing, mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation. Standard travel policies often exclude these — read the fine print carefully.
Absolutely. Many guests combine both regions for a longer trip. Kazbegi and Svaneti offer very different terrain and atmosphere, making them a perfect pairing.
Still unsure? Ask a guide directly.
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