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2 day Cat Skiing, 2 day Heliskiing, & 2 day Skitour in Bakhmaro

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  • 6 Days
  • 1:12 Guide Ratio
  • Technical Difficulty: Intermediate - Advanced
  • Available January-March

Dive through breathtaking landscapes, virgin snow, and backcountry terrain that will make your heart race. Bakhmaro, which is typically a vibrant and lively mountain resort in the summer, becomes completely abandoned in the winter. Residents flee their wooden houses from the heavy snowfall each year, making way for deep snow chasers and alpine adventurists.

This winter ghost town becomes covered in 3-5 meters of snow, leaving just the roofs of the cabins to peak out from below. Uninhabited and free of tourist infrastructure, Bakhmaro is the ultimate ski destination, entirely free of ski-lifts or ski resorts. To reach this winter paradise, you need to take a catski from the bottom, as the snow barricades regular cars and 4×4’s out from the village. 

During the tour, you’ll ski through picturesque walnut and fir trees that densely populate the terrain surrounding Bakhmaro. Above the tree line, you’ll plunge through endless open alpine bowls, with the deepest and softest snow you’ve ever touched. You’ll drop off and glide your way down through serene Bakhmaro alpine landscapes, while simultaneously viewing the beautiful Black sea on one side, and the iconic Central Caucasus peaks on the other. 

This unique location on the Northern slopes of the lesser Caucasus benefits from a unique air mass (from the nearby Black Sea) which produces some of the lightest, driest powder snow in the world. This region receives endless snow storms, granting us a long season for catski, ski tour, and helisking from December to March. 

Surrounding Bakhmaro are mostly North facing terrain with steep couloirs and pillow lines.  The wide space to steep tight tree lines sometimes exceed 1000m in a single vertical drop, leading you down through the village houses below. There are endless variations and ranges of deep powder lines to be discovered and pioneered by those with the adventure spirit.

Because of our access to both heliski and catski, and the combination of alpine terrain, opportunities are endless here in Bakhmaro. On low visibility storm days, you can except to take the catski up and drop into majestic pine tree forests. When the storm clears, the heliski takes us up beyond the treeline to drop into the most desirable lines and pristine alpine bowls.  No matter what the weather conditions present, you’ll be able to enjoy full days of freeriding adventures.

After exceptional days out on the slopes, we’ll rest in warm cottages with a relaxing sauna. Each day we’ll enjoy delicious Georgian dishes accompanied by Georgian wines and brandy, celebrating our fantastic runs out on the slopes together.

Experience Recommended

You should have good off piste ski skills. You should also be efficient in skiing through multiple types of snow terrain. (Deep powder, heavy snow, crusty snow) 

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival to Kutaisi or Tbilisi airport where a small bus will transport you to Chkhakoura (5 hour drive from Tbilisi and 1.5 hour drive from Kutaisi). To reach the village, we will ride the snowcat for about 1 hour.  After we check in to the accommodation, you will be introduced to your guide. We will arrange any necessary ski equipment needed for you at this time.

Day 2 - Day 7

 Full days of catski, heliski, and skitouring. 

2 days of unlimited catski, with no limit to the descents. Depending on the physical or mental capacity of the skier, the catski can drop you on an average of 8 runs a day, with a combined 3500-4500 vertical meters. On these days, we will start in the morning and end in the evening. For lunch, we will eat a lunchbox in the snowcat, getting the most out of our ski day without having to return to the cabin. These days will not be disturbed by bad weather, as the snowcat can operate in low visibility and drop us into alpine forests, where visibility is clear through the line.

2 days of heliski with daily 1.5 hours of flight time. Depending on the physical or mental capacity of the skier, you can expect about 6-8 runs. The helicopter needs good weather and visibility, so we will pick the best weather days for these runs. We will take a lunchbox with us during these days to save time.

2 days of skitour. Each day we will go through a different route from the village, enjoying the captivating wild landscapes and deep powder snow around us. We’ll take our lunch with us and eat while we ski tour. These tours are incredibly exciting, as most of these lines have yet to be pioneered and discovered. We will sometimes venture into new territories together, making the tour more adventurous.

Depending on which activity we choose on Day 7, we will end in the early afternoon and be transported to either Tbilisi or Kutaisi. Check in to the hotel and rest for the night.

Day 8

Departure day. Driver will transport you from hotel to the airport. 

Pricing

3990 EUR per person

*Must be at least 8 people in group 

Price Includes

  • 2 days of unlimited catski with no limit to the descents
  • 2 days of heliski with daily 1.5 hours of flight time (with option to purchase more)
  • 2 days of guided ski tour
  • 6 days with IFMGA/GMGA certified local mountain guide (English and/or Russian speaking)
  • Airport transportation to and from hotels
  • Local transportation throughout the entire trip
  • Accommodation - Hotel Tbilisi or Kutaisi (1 night) & Bakhmaro Cottage (5 nights)
  • All meals from Day 2-Day 7 in Bakhmaro. Breakfast and dinner will be in the cottage which is traditional Georgian cuisine, and lunch will be packed lunchboxes for the slopes.
  • Breakfast in Tbilisi or Kutaisi hotel
  • Skis or Snowboards, Snowshoes, Poles, Avalanche Safety Equipment

Price Excludes

  • Airline tickets
  • Additional purchased flight time on helicopter
  • Alcoholic beverages and snacks
  • Dinners while staying in Tbilisi or Kutaisi hotel (guide will provide local recommendations for best restaurants and Georgian cuisine)
  • Equipment rental fees
  • Personal clothing and gear
  • Travel insurance