Georgien

Adventure, solitude and spectacular descents: CloudBase Hut is the perfect starting point for unforgettable ski tours in the middle of the wild mountains of Svaneti. High above Mestia, surrounded by untouched snowy landscapes and with a direct view of the mighty Ushba. Whether the Chalaadi glacier circuit or the Guli Pass - once you have made it to the hut, you will be rewarded with spectacular glacier landscapes, great descents and an extra dose of adventure.

The weeks leading up to our adventure were characterized by snow, snow and more snow. That's why we all agreed on the goal of our trip: we wanted to be as safe as possible while having as much fun as possible!

High 5000-metre peaks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and remote ski touring and freeriding opportunities: The Georgian region of Svaneti in the wild Caucasus combines two ski worlds with cat skiing and ski touring.

Amidst the haze of the Freeride World Tour stop in Georgia during the first weekend of March, PowderGuide had the opportunity to sit down with Valentin Rainer, the 2023 men’s tour champion and a competitor in this year’s season. The 26-year-old Austrian rider shares an inside look at his life, both before and during the season, and opens up about his plans for the future. It’s an exciting glimpse into the world of a professional freerider, someone who relentlessly chases goals driven by intrinsic motivation and the pure joy of the sport.

Between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea stretches the 1,100 km long Caucasus - a mountain range up to 5,000 m high that acts as a natural border between Russia and the Middle East. At the heart of this mountain range lies Georgia - a geopolitically fractured country with a fascinating culture and breathtaking mountain landscapes. The Caucasus has long been a legendary freeride and ski touring area, hosts the FWT and is once more receiving a good amount of fresh snowfall.

Yesterday, Saturday, the world's best freeriders came together again to determine the winners for the fourth time in the 2025 season. This time, the elites battled it out on one and two boards in the wild Caucasus, in the shadow of the 4858 m high Tetnuldis, and threw themselves down the Kakhiani.

Georgia is known for its hospitality, culinary delights and plenty of powder snow. Nevertheless, there are only a handful of ski resorts in the hundreds of kilometres of the neighbouring Caucasus. One of them is Tetnuldi. A real insider tip for freeriders who are not afraid of the long journey.

The third stop of the FWT takes place in Georgia for the first time. The country is no longer a freeride insider tip and it's obvious why. It's the day of the cut, which will decide who gets to compete in the finals in Fieberbrunn and Verbier. The north-north-west facing face of Peak Kakhiani awaited the athletes with perfect visibility, bluebird day and powder snow. The spectacle begins with the snowboard category, where the leading Victor De Le Rue (FRA) and Spain's Núria Castán Barón take victory. On skis, Switzerland's Sybille Blanjean and Canada's Marcus Goguen win.

The competitive freeriding season is finally starting again. The best freeriders on one and two boards will once again plunge down slopes in the Alps, Pyrenees and Canadian Rockies and try to convince the judges of their skills with their line and freestyle elements. This year is also a very special one, as another event stop will be added to the Freeride World Tour - Georgia, which is increasingly becoming the focus of the freeride community, will become the "Home of Freeride" for the first time.

A westerly weather pattern is establishing itself and the short and medium-term outlook is warm and wet. We'll report on it as far as we can bear it. Then we broaden our horizons and take a look at a few well-known but distant ski destinations in the northern hemisphere and the state of the cryosphere.

Ialakha is a remarkable ski adventure film that was recently released. It tells the story of a 60 km long and 4000 metre high traverse in the Caucasus in Georgia, on skis of course and with a few spine walls in mind. We are delighted to gain even deeper insights into the project in an interview with Heli Hoffmann, the author, and Sammy Theurer, the film maker. The two were accompanied by Eva Stribrna (photos), Yessica Kurock, Levi Seiferheld and local Zura Phaliani. They were also supported by other locals from Ghebi and their horses and were occasionally followed by dogs.

In this warm, dry winter, the VdW are more important than ever. We'll help you through the tough times with some wonderful videos and an interesting podcast. Enjoy the entertainment and keep your stoke high - the next PowderAlert is sure to come!