Georgia - Svaneti, a ski touring jewel

Flights to purchase

Flights to buy: round trip to Tbilisi (TBS) Georgia. About 250€ roundtrip.

Due to price variations, this ski touring trip in Georgia is sold without flights. We highly recommend Turkish Airlines: good company, very good ski/bike baggage handling (ski transport included in baggage allowance). Alternatively, you can find low fares on booking platforms such as MisterFly, Opodo, Kayak,...

Please note: Don't buy flights for this trip until we've confirmed that departure is guaranteed!

Group size

How technical does it get ? How fit should I be ?

• Skill level

You should be at ease with skiing on all types of snow. We ski at a good pace all day long. Slopes may include short steep sections. Skinning involved will be no more than 45 min to 1 hr per day. No previous ski touring experience is expected.

• Stamina level

Good physical condition is required, skinning or short ascents on foot will not exceed 45 min per day. You should be prepared to ski all day long at a good pace.

Good to know: if you don't have the level required, the guide will be able to ask you to leave for the well-being of the rest of the group if necessary. If any doubt, please do not hesitate to ask us !

Pricing and insurance

Price

The price includes

• Trip logistics & organisation upon arrival
• Minibus and taxi transfers upon arrival at the airport on day 1 until day 9
• 6 nights in a hotel in the mountains on half-board basis
• 2 nights in a hotel in Tehran including breakfast
• Safety & rescue equipment training/reviewing
• Certified and expert mountain guide services (all his expenses are included: meals, accommodation, transportation, ski lift fares)
• Safety & rescue equipment sets are provided (tracking device, shovel and probe), if you don't have your own gear

The price does not include

• Flights to/from Iran
• Visa costs (€ 75)
• Transportation to/from the meeting point 
• Ski lift fares
• Equipment rental if required
• Your personal insurance

- Drinks (including those with meals at the hotel) and personal extras, and any other expenses not mentioned under the above section “the price includes”

A 30% deposit, as well as the insurance cost if you choose to subscribe the latter, is required to secure your booking. You will receive a reminder email 35 days prior to departure for the outstanding balance that is due latest 30 days prior to departure.

We strongly recommend you to be properly insured for the chosen activity. You should be covered for medical expenses, personal accident & liabilité, third party risks and rescue (helicopter), as well as trip cancellation or curtailment.

Repatriation and research insurance are mandatory when booking a trip with Azimut. We have a full range of insurances on offer to suit the trip you select and the risks that it may incur. 

Tipping is no obligation. However participants usually hand round an envelope for those who wish to tip the guide.

- Depending on the size of group, you may share a room with someone of the opposite sex

- Hotel with breakfast in Tbilisi (1 night). (subject to availability)

- Accommodation in a refuge in a shared room (1 night)

- Accommodation with local people on a half-board basis (6 nights)

- Lunches are on your own, leaving the group free to choose between different options or locations. 

Bed linen and towels are provided. Please only bring a meat bag.

The currency is the Lari (GEL). 1 Euro = 3.66 Lari. 

Credit cards are accepted, but cash is required in the more rural parts.

Passport and Visa

Passports valid for 6 months after the date of return for French, Belgian and Swiss citizens. For other nationalities, please contact the consulate or embassy.

French nationals are exempt from visa requirements for stays of 360 days or less in Georgia. If you are of another nationality, please check with your embassy.

Please note: If you are travelling with your children, please note that minors of all ages must now also have an individual passport.
Minors travelling alone do not need authorisation to leave the country if they have an individual passport.

Telephone: The areas we visited in Georgia are generally well covered by telephone networks.

WiFi: There is WiFi in all the accommodation we visit. It normally works well, but there may be interruptions. 

Electricity: 220V, same plugs as in France.

- Freeride skis (or freeride rando skis) with touring bindings, ski skins, ski poles, ski boots. We advise you to opt for freeride skis on order to make the most of powdery descents and skiing on all types of snow

- Padded ski bag for transporting your skis

- 2 long slings to possibly attach your skis on a taxi's roof top during a transfer from the airport to the hotel and back

- Backpack: capacity of 30 liters

- Avalanche kit: transceiver, shovel and probe (please let us know if you have your own, if not we lend them for free)

Security advice: avalanche airbag backpacks are strongly recommended for your safety and security.

They help to stay on the surface in case of avalanche and minimize the risk of burial. Our guides all use airbags. We highly recommend you to opt for high quality and reliable gear. If you don't have an avalanche airbag we rent them out at a very competitive price.

If you don't have the adequate equipment for the trip, don’t worry and travel light: we rent out the required gear and hand it over at the start of the trip ! Our equipment is relatively new, if not new, of good quality and adapted to your choice of activity.

Prices of rental equipment during the entire trip (these competitive prices only take into account the number of days of the trip, also includes excess bagage fare - your rental gear will be handed over on site):

You can choose to rent equipment when booking your trip, or lateron by clicking on “my account”. If any of the equipment that you’ve chosen is out of stock you’ll be notified and reimbursed.

Clothes

This list of clothes is designed to give you an idea of clothes it may be a good to have with you. By no means do you need to have the latest brands or the latest gear, but if you need to renew your wardrobe, this guide would be a good start.

Headwear

- Warm hat or buff / scarf

- Ski goggles (2 pairs) and sunglasses: UV factory 4 protective lenses. Photochromic glasses adapt to light intensity and are very useful

- Helmet (strongly recommended)

Bodywear

 - Under layer: breathable long sleeved tops to maintain heat. A tip: merino wool is breathable and has anti-bacterial properties and is therefore less likely to smell as opposed to synthetic fabrics. Take this into consideration if you need to update your wardrobe.

- Middle layer: a light polar or synthetic jacket for an extra layer of heat during breaks

- Outer layer: a Gore-tex or similar type of jacket with a breathable waterproof membrane. Make sure it's lightweight and compact so it doesn't take up too much space in your backpack

- Bottom layer: trousers with a breathable waterproof membrane (Gore Tex or similar) with long side zips allowing air to flow, recommended on climbs

- Hands: light fleece or soft shell gloves, a pair of silk glove liners to go underneath, warm gloves with a breathable and waterproof membrane. Mittens are always a good idea for really cold days of for those of you who feel the cold !

- Swimming gear: it takes up such little space, it would be a shame not to bring it just in case. Avoid swimming shorts or bermudas, they are not usually allowed.

Footwear

- Ski socks: merino wool socks are breathable and have anti-bacterial properties and are less likely to smell as opposed to those made of synthetic fabrics. Think about them if you need to stock up.

- Slippers / Crocs recommended for evening wear. 

Odds and ends

• a 1 litre flask (Thermos or Camelback)
• a pocket knife
• duck tape
• factor 50 sun cream
• a duffle bag holding up to 110 litres to leave at the hotel or in the vehicle. No suitcases.

Toiletries and first aid kit

- Personal toilet bag

- To make up a first aid kit, please find all relevant information on the Ifremmont website. 

Our guides use the following brands for their gear and you'll have the opportunity to test them during the trip:

• SCOTT
• Arva
• Fitschi swiss bindings

Don't forget to

- Leave contact details with your friends and family

- Bring your papers and I.D. (passport and visa if necessary)

- Bring your contract number and documents related to your insurance (if you've chosen not to have insure coverage with us)

- Bring your “carte vitale” and your European health card (EU member states) - if you don't have one you can order one for free online  www.ameli.fr

- Check that you have the right equipment

- Take spare batteries and a charger for your electronic devices (camera, video recorder, tracking devices etc)

- Bring some cash and your credit card

- Leave in a good frame of mind: we're going to have a great time even if we may not happen to not make it to the summit !

- Before leaving: water the plants, empty the rubbish bin, turn off the water and gas, and tell your partner that you're going to have a good time (not by text message), that you well deserved... If you don't follow the latter recommendation, you'll most probably kick yourself when you get back !

See you on the slopes ! Have great runs with AZIMUT !