Is Georgia Safe?

Georgia is safe for tourists. We will be skiing very close to the Russian border as well as Russian occupied “South Ossetia” however we do not interact with any military personnel on this trip. The locals are friendly and are very excited to welcome tourists to their home.

Are there pre-requisites for this trip?

To maximize your experience, we recommend a minimum of 2 years of significant touring experience. You should be comfortable riding any terrain at a resort as well as challenging snow conditions in the backcountry. Avalanche education is not required but recommended and participants should be familiar with their avalanche transceiver. You should be able to climb 3000 feet in a day at a pace of approximately 1000ft/hour or 1mph. We highly recommend booking an avalanche course or a private touring day in New Hampshire to prepare for your trip. Winter camping experience is not required but recommended.

Do I need to purchase additional insurance?

Yes. The country of Georgia requires that you purchase trip insurance and rescue insurance to enter the country. Global Rescue is a wonderful resource for insurance. Should your trip get cut short or you are injured, this is how you will be reimbursed.

Do I need to bring extra medications?

Yes. You should bring basic medications in addition to any prescriptions that you need. Consider bringing a small kit with Ibuprofen, Tums, Ant-Acids, etc.

What is the lodging like?

Our backcountry basecamp features double occupancy heated tents for guests, a heated dining tent and an expedition banya (steam room) module with a hot shower. It also has electricity (socket outlets in the dining tent) and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Basecamp is managed by dedicated staff who are present at the location all the time and can help with any issues.

All tents are two-layer winter tents. They are heated individually with diesel stoves. For better fire protection, the tents are made of self-extinguishing fabric. All tents are fully furnished to be fit for the purpose and have everything that one would need for a backcountry experience.

The guest tents have beds and bedding, including bed linen, pillows and duvets.

The shared tent is fully equipped for dining and leisure activities, with tables, chairs, and dinnerware. It also has socket outlets to charge gadgets, cell phones, and radios.

The sauna module is a traditional expedition steam room (inside temperature is up to 95°C (203°F)) with benches and a wooden floor. A hot shower is also inside.

Are showers available?

Yes, our basecamp has a shower.

Should I bring any luxuries?

We recommend that you bring a designated change of warm, comfy clothes and slippers for lounging around basecamp. We won’t have a lot of down time but you will want to be comfortable when we do.