Georgia: Where the road ends

Freeriders who spend a lot of time freeriding in the Alps will be familiar with this scenario: snowfall at night, getting up extremely early - and after two or three deep snow descents, everything is already tracked out. Freeriding can be quite stressful. Stress that nobody really wants. One person who feels the same way is Austrian mountain guide Sven Pulver (1975). That's why he has been looking for alternatives to the well-known freeride areas such as Arlberg, Chamonix or Engelberg for some time now. The goal: away from the crowds. Towards adventure with perfect terrain and powder snow. He found what he was looking for in the Georgian region of Svaneti, in the middle of the wild Caucasus. And he kept to the essentials: "No luxury. No wellness. Just the mountain and you," smiles Sven. No wonder: this is an area from another time. Surrounded by mighty 5,000-metre peaks, there are small mountain villages that are very difficult to reach in winter. But this is probably why the wild and rugged mountain world here has retained its originality. As if time had stood still. As soon as you see this mountain world with your own eyes, you know that the hardships of the journey were worth it. But first things first.

"No luxury. No wellness.
Just the mountain and you."

Snow cats make the ascent easier

The weather forecast for catskiing the next day. Catskiing? Modified snow groomers with a heated slope cabin are used for this. These get freeriders up the mountain quickly. Catskiing is already very popular in Canada, the USA and Japan. No wonder, because it is more relaxed than a heli day. The background noise is much more pleasant, it doesn't depend on the weather - and what could be better than discussing the run you've just skied with like-minded people on the next ascent? Sven has been offering a new catskiing spot since 2023. And it's on Mount Tednuldi. We start at the valley station of the ski area before the ski area opens at ten o'clock. However, the approach here is also adventurous. There is no real road for the last few kilometers up the mountain. Crossing the road is also difficult. Fortunately, no one comes to meet us this early in the morning. We use the ski slope for the first ascent, after which we spend the whole day in untracked terrain between 2260 and 3100 meters with various exposures. What a start to freeriding in Georgia: glorious weather, powder snow and a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains - in the background, the glaciated Tetnuldi at 4858 m above sea level sparkles in the sun. A whole mountain just for us. A freerider's dream come true. We don't need to be told twice. "First lines" all day long. We don't count altitude meters, we just enjoy the moment. Freeriding at its best. The snowcat transports us back up the mountain twelve times. Each time, we choose a new slope. Powder good, all good.

"'First lines' the whole
day - one after the other."