It was 2012, and we knew absolutely nothing about Georgia. It was a true “hidden gem,” and Gudauri definitely wasn’t on every other traveler’s itinerary. Suddenly, we were packing our snowboards and flying to Tbilisi — heading north along the old Georgian Military Road, deeper and deeper into the Caucasus, climbing to an altitude of over 2,000 meters above sea level. Destination: GUDAURI.
Back then, the resort wasn’t a place every other snowboarder or skier was talking about. It had been operating since the 1980s, but in 2012 it still had a very raw, untouched character. A few lifts, simple accommodation, small stalls by the slopes, and above all, the mountains. Huge mountains and a lot of snow.
It sits above the tree line, so instead of narrow pistes, you have the wide-open slopes of the Caucasus stretching out in front of you. An absolute paradise. Plenty of space, endless freeride, and the feeling that you’re truly far away from everything.
Between runs, there was local après-ski; in the evenings, khinkali, khachapuri, wine, and long Georgian toasts.
But after 2012, Gudauri began to change. New Gudauri arrived, along with new gondolas, hotels, apartments, bars, and more modern infrastructure.
Today, it is bigger, more comfortable, and more well-known than ever before. But up on the mountain, it’s still the same: the Caucasus, snow, and that vast open space stretching out in front of you.
Gudauri 2012. Just before everything changed. This season, you can experience it with us.
