If shredding world-class powder for a whole week without seeing a single person on the slopes sounds like your thing, give Racha a go. Secluded atop the Caucasus range at 1,820 m (5,970 ft), Racha is the best-hidden secret of Eastern European skiing, with 6 alpine zones, 4 skiable forest areas, and vertical drops of up to 1,400 meters (4,600 ft). You’ll be skiing out of a comfortable and well-equipped base camp complete with a hot shower and a much-welcome sauna, fueled up on traditional Georgian multi-course meals. If you’re looking for a blend of contemporary comfort and untouched wilderness, Racha’s got ya covered.
Enjoy truly crowd-free backcountry ski touring
Stay in a modern camp with a shower, sauna, and full-board catering
Find your favorite line among 10 different alpine and forest areas
Head to the Caucasus mountains for six days of fantastic ski touring, high-altitude leisure, and traditional Georgian delicacies. Ski an endless array of crowd-free fresh lines, both treed and alpine, under the watchful eye of an experienced guide. And when you’re done with the slopes, retreat to your comfy camp for a hot shower, a homemade multi-course meal, and some leisure time in the sauna!
Fly into Tbilisi or Kutaisi, whatever is more convenient for you. Then, a car will take you from any of these cities to the town of Oni in the Racha-Lechkumi region. The ride takes around 7 hours from Tbilisi and 3 hours from Kutaisi.
When you arrive at Oni, check into a cozy family-run guesthouse. Leave your things in your twin room, enjoy a traditional Georgian meal, and tuck in.
After a short car transfer, enjoy an easy-going ski tour to your high-altitude tented camp in Racha. Don’t worry about your stuff — a snowmobile will deliver all of your gear to the camp. Get settled, get a good night’s sleep, and get hyped for the days ahead!
Get ready to tour the seldom-visited alpine region of Racha from sunrise to sunset! You’ll have direct access to four forest and six alpine areas, with vertical drops of up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft). You’ll find endless fresh lines for all levels of skiers, and all of them are completely crowd-free.
When you’re done for the day, retreat to your cozy camp for a hot shower, some you-time in the sauna, and a multi-course meal in the shared dining module. The camp has fully-furnished modules, electricity, Wi-Fi, and full-board catering — perfect for après-ski relaxation.
Pack your gear in advance. Take the chance to do some farewell freeriding before returning to civilization, a.k.a. your guesthouse, around 3 pm. Share stories of your greatest exploits from the tour over another classic Georgian dinner before hitting the hay.
Pack up your stuff. A car will transfer you to Tbilisi or Kutaisi where you can catch a flight home. See you again!
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Racha, please refer to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ entry rules for foreign citizens.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in excellent physical shape. You will be on your feet for 6 full days, covering 600+ meters (2,000+ ft) of daily vertical gain and vertical drops up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft). You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs, as well as be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
Backcountry skiing isn’t just for pros looking for the ultimate thrill ride, it’s also beginner-friendly, meaning anyone with solid blue-level resort experience can have fun in the backcountry. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, heading out with a guide is your best bet. They’ll take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, like skinning uphill, and teach you how to manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training to keep you safe.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Tbilisi and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and pricing:
Ski touring in Racha, Georgia, can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
To get to Racha, Georgia, most people fly into Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport in Tbilisi, 5 hours away from Racha, or David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport in Kutaisi, 2 hours away.
Your guide will arrange private car transfers from Tbilisi or Kutaisi to Racha, and back to your choice of airport after the tour.
