Gudauri, Georgia

Gudauri sits at 2,200 metres on the Georgian Military Highway, and it is the closest thing in the Caucasus to lift-served alpine skiing at scale. The resort is young, the terrain is open, and the snow — dry, deep and reliable from December — falls on slopes that were empty a generation ago.

Above the lifts there is more: guided freeride down the Sadzele ridge, snowshoe routes to the Jvari pass, and heli drops for the very few who ask. Non-skiers are not stranded — Kazbegi is forty minutes up the road and Tbilisi two hours back.

We build Gudauri around conditions and ability — certified guides, private transfers and a base hotel we re-inspect every winter, plus a flexible day plan, because powder days are never announced in advance.