
Discover the snow
Weather and snow in Svanetia
Surely we also like to ski in best powder, possibly most of the times. But to get good powder we also need regular dumps of fresh snow. Like in most places Heliskiing is been done, bad weather days can also be part of your trip. In an average we find 2 – 3 days of snow fall within 7 days. Heliskiing highly depends on weather, snow and avalanche conditions. The situation on the mountain is characterized by forces of nature, of which we mostly have no influence. Therefore, this sport is not always perfect and you should prepare for this accordingly. Heliskiing in Svnetia is skiing in high mountain regions which are not controllable. Nobody can say what you will expect during your week. It might be the most fulfilling skiing experience in your life, but it might also become a disappointment if the weather and snow conditions do not meet with your expectations. On overcast days with light snowfall, we always have the possibilty to ski below 2400 meters in open forests. But also on those days the flying conditions will always be the decision of the pilot. And as I always say ” no ski run on earth is worth taking a huge risk in approaching by helicopter”.
Runs and terrain
The runs and the terrain in Svanetia is very rich in variety. We ski from the high alpine glaciated peaks down to gladed open forests. Our landing spots vary between 2300 meters and 4100 meters, depending on snow and weather conditions. If the conditions are with us runs of more than 2000 vertical meters are part of our daily skiing program. If weather and avalanche situations do not allow to ski in the alpine regions above 2300 meters we find very nice runs below in open trees back to the valley floors.
- Guiding
Your accommodation
- Families
- Couples
- Solo Travelers
- Groups
- Steep and Deep Riders
Our Hotel
In season 2014 we will stay at the Tednuldi Hotel. This is sure No. 1 Hotel in Mestia. The Hotel is newly built and just opened 2 years ago. All rooms meet with international Hotel standards, with very nice bathroom facilities, large and welcoming rooms. Further the Hotel has 2 Restaurants with delicious local as well as international cuisine. We also have a very nice bar, with a large selection of famous Georgian wines, in a spectacular setting. The owner of the Hotel is also a very good and keen skier, I am sure he will do everything to make our stay as comfortable as possible. All information about the Hotel you can find here.
What awaits you
4 reasons to choose Heliskiing Svanetia Caucasus:
- Heliski in a new destination for an affordable price and far from the crowds.
- Easy travel - only 3.5h flight from central Europe!
- Immerse yourself in beautiful Georgian villages.
- This is a limited-time trip so it is an exclusive experience you shouldn’t miss!
Trip to the beautiful Caucasus Mountains of Georgia
One of the newest heliskiing destinations in the world is just a short flight from central Europe in the beautiful Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. From this secret skiing spot, Svanetia, you can ski some of the highest peaks in Europe, at more than 5,000 meters tall and stretching across an expansive terrain of 1800 square kilometers. In Svanetia, you can ski dry and deep powder along the Layla Range, or some of the best spring corn below the massive peak of Tednuldi.
Heliskiing in Svanetia is a great choice for skiers who want to explore new terrain, just 3 and ½ hours from central Europe, while learning about the vibrant culture of this undiscovered region. During this week-long ski trip, you’ll stay in a new hotel and enjoy the amenities of the recently renovated area with many new additions added to boost tourism.
Ski dry and deep powder along the Layla Range
You’ll ski in small groups of just 4 people, with a maximum of 12 clients throughout the trip to ensure that you have the best service. A special highlight of the trip is when you may have the chance to ski down into a local village and visit with the people.
The opportunities in Svanetia, one of the newest heliskiing destinations in the world, are practically endless, and with just a short flight from central Europe, there’s no reason not to go to Svanetia this year!
Package includes
- 7 overnights at Tetnuldi Hotel with full board (rich breakfast, packed lunch and delicious dinner)
- 7 days accompaniment by UIAGM guides of our Heli Guiding Team
- 6 skiing days guided by UIAGM guides of our Heli Guiding Team
- 14 hours of helicopter flight time, or min. around 35.000 vertical meters (11 hours of flight time are guaranteed)
- Packed lunch on heliski days
- Liftpass on downdays
- Safety equipment (avalanche device, shovel, probe, Scott Alpride avalanche airbag systems)
- All permits for the heliski operation
- All Transfers on place as well as from and back to Batumi airport on Saturday
- Premium insurance by Hanse Merkur
Not included
- Airfare from home port to Batumi (starts at 450 Euro)
- Activities besides our program
- Alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks in the restaurant and bar
- Additional helicopter flight hours at 2300 Euro per hour, divided by the number of guests flying (usually 12 people)
- Single room supplement 50 Euro per night
- Travel cancellation insurance approx. 239 Euro
We are always in search for new and great Heliski destinations all around our globe. And again last winter we did a scout trip to an incredible place, and even not far away form central europe. The place is called, Svanetia, in the heart of the Coucasus Mountains on the Georgian territory. Already in 2008 we did a trip to that region but straight after political unrests made further trips almost impossible. Meanwhile the situation has gone back to normal, even several local projects are set up to increase tourism in the country. So the idea of heading back to the “pearl of Coucasus ” and establish there a heliski destination with highest standards in quality and safety came into our minds last fall.
With our scout trip in early April 2013, we discovered some of the finest Heliskiing we have ever seen. Skiing at it´s best in between the highest peaks of Europe rising more than 5000 meters into the sky. 1800 square kilometers of best skiing terrain is just ours. While we still ski dry and deep powder on the more than 30 kilometer long Layla Range, best spring corn can be skied on the almost endless runs below the looming peak of Tednuldi.
Svanetia an unforgettable Heliski destination
If you look for a very special heliski experience in 2014, we are sure Heliski Svanetia will be your destination.
We are relay looking forward to share with you some of the best skiing and an unforgettable time in beautiful Svanetia
7 good reasons why to Heliski with us in Svanetia
- only 3 1/2 flight hours away from central europe
- best skiing terrain reachable within a very short helicopter flight time
- very high snow guarantee
- brand new and very nice Hotel with famous Svan hospitality
- A client to Guide ration of 4 : 1 with a maximum of 12 clients and 3 Guides per week
- Landscape and culture of Svanetia is just unique
- a very high price performance ratio
How a Heliskiweek / Heliboardweek in Svanetia will run for you
During our Heliski season in Svanetia, every Saturday there will be a flight from various cities in central Europe with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul to the black sea recreation town of Batumi / Georgia, total flight time 3.15 hours. From Batumi there will be a shuttel service taking you in roughly 4 hours up to Mestia, the distance is 250 km. The ride will take you along the beautiful black sea coast to Zugdedi, from there you will enter the foothills of the coucasus range and then following the Ingury River until you reach Mestia. With a nice welcome dinner in our Hotel Tednuldi we will enjoy the great views over Mestia and its enchained towers. With a nice glass of georgian red wine we will set you up for the week and give you all information about our daily program. Further we will introduce you with all our safety standards and regulations. The next 6 days will be yours. Skiing and exploring some of the finest heliski terrain in the highest mountain range of europe. Like with all our heliski trips, the focus will be on your experience and quality of your skiing counts way more than the number of vertical meters. Our target is to show you as many different runs as possible and get to know Svanetia and its great people. Very often after a great day of skiing we ski down into one of the unique villages where locals will welcome us in their tradition, that could be testy bread and cheese followed by some strong Chacha, a georgian type of Grappa.
After 6 unforgettable days of skiing for us time will come to say good bye. Our shuttel bus will bring you back to Batumi, where you can relax for some days and enjoy the great climat with the first signs of spring or you fly back home to central europe.
Our Base
Our Base will be in Mestia, the capital of Svanetia, with its roughly 4000 inhabitants, living on a sea level of 1300 meters. The very pictures k center of town has a few shops, a bank and everything that is needed for daily life. Sure things move here a little bit slower, traffic on the main road is not so frequent. the number of bars and restaurants is in a good overview. Still after a great day of skiing we can enjoy a nice cup of coffee on the plaza of town. Further there is a lot to discover in Mestia, like a very nice mountain museum and a visit of one of the towers is a must. From our hotel most of the attractions are reachable by foot in less than 10 minutes.
Requirements
In order to be able to enjoy a heliski adventure in Svanetia to the full, you should have a very good skiing technique in every terrain. Good physical condition and endurance for up to 10,000 vertical meters of skiing per day are required. Heliskiing in Svanetia is reserved for the advanced freeride skiers and snowboarders, not least because of the very long runs in altitudes up to 4200 meters. Flory Kern – Ski Berge Abenteuer – has the right to not allow participants to ski if they hold up the group or show conditional weaknesses.
Material and Skis
Freeride skiing equipment (min. 90 mm under the binding) and safety equipment, consisting of shovel, probe and LVS device are compulsory. All skiers will also be equipped with an avalanche safety system backpack, RAS System Scott – Sports. The safety equipment can be hired from us free of cost. It is recommended to wear a helmet. You will receive a detailed packing list from us about 30 days before the journey. Every participant is responsible that his gear is in reliable and good condition. Renting skis on spot will be not possible, although we alwyas carry one extra pair of skis with us in case of a loss of a ski.
Vertical meters / helitime
We would like to provide you ” A destination from riders for riders ” Therefore we also developed our own philosophy when it comes to vertical meters or helicopter flying time. It is our target to offer you the best possible riding within our package. 14 hours of flying time are included per week with a number of 12 clients, flying in 3 rotations. This comes up to roughly 35.000 to 40.000 vertical skiing or riding meters.
If we exceed the 14 hours per week, sure we can continue to ride at the price of 2100 Euro per flying hour. When it comes to extra flying time it will be divided by the number of clients riding. In our package we are able to guarantee 11 heli hours per week, that means if we fly, due to bad weather ec. less than 11 hours, the unused hours will be reimbursed with 175 Euro per hour each client. If you can not use up all your flying time due to sickness or lack of condition, we are unfortunately not able to reimburse you.
No. of clients per week
We are very proud to offer you great skiing in a spectacular landscape. We are not the type of company that is keen to run huge number of clients per week, therefore Svanetia is too unique and unspoiled. A maximum of 12 clients per week will keep our operation nice and small and make your stay more comfortable.
Bad weather days / downdays
Like in all other Heliski destinations on earth, in Svanetia there will be also days with strong snowfalls and poor visibilities, were safe flying with a helicopter is not guaranteed anymore. Sure on those days our helicopter will stay on ground. Your advantage of Svanetia will come up then. Just 15 minutes away from Mestia, we can ski in the newly built ski area of Hatsvalli. A brand new 4 seater chairlift will take you 700 vertical meters up. A lot of great runs through open forests are easily accessible from there. We are sure on a heavy snowy day you will have lots of fun skiing the glades of Hatsvalli.
GT&C
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Your personal expert for this trip

Martin, LUEX's Head of Travel, started out skating in the UK, before escaping to the powder of Canadian mountains. He found his way to LUEX through years of chasing snow in winter and waves in France during summer. These days, he manages our surf and snow teams, while squeezing in surf trips to his favorite right-handers at Cokes and Kasabu in the Maldives, or powder missions to the tree-lined runs of Revelstoke. At LUEX, he combines his love for board sports with making sure every trip runs smoothly.


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