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TR: Mestia (Hatzvali) 25-26 January 2017
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Poster:
A snowHead
Poster:
A snowHead
Our holiday
: Part of a 10 day trip to Georgia preceded by 4 days in Gudauri, then 2 days at Tetnuldi, then transit.
We had intended to spend most if not all 4 days of our time in Mestia at Tetnuldi, but weather conditions necessitated 2 days at the local hill Hatzvali, which turned out to be a blessing!
I travelled with my usual 2 snowboarding mates. We are fairly experienced powder-hungry riders who have explored the European Alps extensively and are now looking for new challenges around the world, in addition to our frequent alpine visits.
Basics
: Mestia is in the middle of nowhere. High up in the Svaneti valley, 140km from the nearest town Zugdidi, 3-4 hours away along a tortuous mountain road. Access from Tbilisi is therefore lengthy and complicated however there is a scheduled flight service operated by
http://vanillasky.ge,
a Georgian tour operator based in Tbilisi, departing from a small airfield at Natakhtari 20km north of the city. Flight time to Mestia is 50 minutes and very spectacular. However this shouldn't be relied upon, especially if travelling with skis/snowboards, as 50%+ of flights are cancelled in the winter due to weather conditions, and maximum weight allowance per person including hand luggage is 15 kg. We were very lucky for our trip out arriving just before the weather closed in, and they let us on with more than 15kg each because the plane was only half full. But for the return trip the flight was cancelled so we had to come back via taxi to Zugdidi then night train to Tbilisi.
Hatzvali is a 15 minute taxi up the hill from Mestia. The basic infrastructure is installed to have a lift link from the town so maybe this is going to be operational some time in the near future, which would improve significantly convenience of access and remove need for the taxi - also good from an ecological perspective of course.
Lift system
: 1 fixed grip quad. The piste map shows plans for a new lift to extend up to skier's right of the area.
The terrain
: Looks like nothing on the map but actually is very extensive if you like off-piste and trees. Everything is below the tree-line so great for stormy weather. 650m of north facing vertical all of a consistent steep gradient - no flat spots. To skiers left are a couple of nice pistes. To skiers right there is a traverse/hike which accesses numerous entry points into the trees. These start off tight but open up very nicely lower down. Great fun in good snow! The traverse seems to go on a long way and we didn't explore all of it. The new lift would make accessing this area much easier.
The snow
: Masses of snow already in Mestia on arrival (the runway was snow covered
) and it snowed another 10-15cm on our first night. A big improvement compared with the powder starvation we had experienced in Gudauri.
The resort
: 1 hotel/restaurant at the base of the quad. Looked very nice inside but we didn't eat there. Another restaurant at the top of the quad - didn't go inside - too busy riding the pow! Mestia is a charming town steeped in history. Full of ambience and character. Svaneti towers are all over the place dating back centuries. An interesting museum about Svaneti culture and archaelogical findings which is worth visiting if you have the time.
Food
: Lots of places to eat in Mestia. Georgian food is very tasty but mostly meat and bread/cheese based so stodgy and filling. Not a place for a vegetarian.
Accommodation
: We stayed in Dodo Japaridze Guesthouse. OK if you like your accommodation "rustic" and your mattresses old soft and springless. There are plenty of other accommodation options in town.
Costs
: CHEAP. Accommodation B&B £5-10/night. Lift pass £7.50/day. Beer £1/pint.
Conclusion
: Hatzvali was a fantastic little area, probably my favourite of the trip. Definitely worth spending a few days in addition to ski-ing at its bigger brother Tetnuldi.
Last edited by Poster:
A snowHead on Wed 1-02-17 20:13; edited 9 times in total
Obviously
A snowHead
isn't a real person
Obviously
A snowHead
isn't a real person
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
That's better 👍
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Poster: A snowHead
) and it snowed another 10-15cm on our first night. A big improvement compared with the powder starvation we had experienced in Gudauri.
