de│en
Bookings
Booking Policy & Schedule
We accept inquiries all year round or place them on our waiting list.
Till April repeating freeriders have the chance to book again, then we open bookings for new freeriders. Usually, we get the most bookings in April and May. In particular for the peak season (end of January till beginning of March) we recommend to book early.
In September, we promote the remaining capacity with a newsletter and from October just a few last minute inquiries are coming in. We do never any discounts or cheaper last minute prices.
Payments are only possible by bank transfer to our Swiss bank accounts (Euros or Swiss Francs).
Requirements
- Safe freeriding in alpine terrain in all snow conditions.
- Safe technique in the downhill and ascent.
- Condition for short ascents.
- Patience (for alpine conditions, weather and the situation in a transition country like Georgia).
Please keep in mind that there must always be a backup plan for a safe expedition. We move here in
undeveloped terrain. A support from the outside is practically impossible. We are on our own.
Avalanche safety equipment can be rented on site. We have a small selection of high quality on-site gear (Mammut Airbags, Grown Freeride Skis).
A timely gear rental is necessary because our stock is limited.
Tour-Shop
We use one Tour-Shop for our German and for our English web-page.
Travel Conditions
As a Swiss company we are subject to Swiss law. Accordingly our travel conditions must be in German.
Type/Ability
We try to compile homogeneous groups. Please help us by defining your own main interest and riding ability and be honest. Don’t overestimate your ability, especially if you have limited freeriding experience. To ride safe in a remote area like the Lesser Caucasus, riders need advanced skills to ride all kinds of snow (including crust and wet snow). They need to have the strength to hike out of river beds or dig themself out of deep snow, and they need the confidence to ride the occasional fast or steep slopes.
We have defined 3 types to compile groups as similarly as possible:
Ride
Sporty riders who want a lot of riding and little waiting - let's say expert level.
Experience
Freeriders who ride confidently in any terrain but who also value the Caucasus experience - advanced.
Backcountry
Riders who always carry skins in their backpack - hiking up to 500 meters in altitude are no problem.
Our project X is still not fully developed. We expect freeriders who have experience and ideally always have skins with them. Ride & Backcountry are the types to consider for project X.
Prices & Availability
We try to keep the overview up to date. Please note, however, that bookings are usually made in small groups and the situation changes very quickly.
Waiting list means that we have unconfirmed bookings for the week that could still be canceled. Sometimes groups also decide to change the location (Bakhmaro - Adjara) and places
/ weeks become available again.
Fully booked means that the week is definitely booked, but withdrawals are still possible. So in these weeks something can become available again.
Stand: 24/09/2023
Flight Connections
For our new project it is best to fly to Batumi (BUS). We pick up at the airport. Batumi lies direcly at the shore of the Black Sea. It is also an interesting place to spend a lst night.
The low-cost carrier, Wizzair, connects Kutaisi (KUT) with different European cities. However, the airport transfer takes 2 hours longer than from Batumi.- Although there have been repeated problems with airbags and cartridges, we still recommend their direct flights. The likelihood of lost baggage and delayed or cancelled flights because of winter conditions are lower on these direct flights.
The airport of Tbilisi (TBS) is far - 6 hours by car - to Batumi. A private transfer costs from 180,-€ one way. We can arrange it, but cash payment must be made to the driver directly, each way.
For our project X it is best to fly to Batumi (BUS). Turkish offers flights with a stopover in Istanbul. We cannot recommend the low-cost carrier Pegasus. The transfer from Batumi takes about 1 1/2 hours and then another 1 1/2 hours with the Cat.
Due to weather and snow conditions as well as the danger of avalanches, a transfer in the night may not be possible until the next morning. The same goes for the return trip. In this situation we would organise an accommodation in the valley. We only cover the costs for an external overnight stay if we deem it necessary.
