Cat Skiing in Svaneti, Georgia

Cat skiing is an option for riders who want vehicle-assisted access to off-piste terrain rather than a day built around climbing on skins. In Svaneti, our catski enquiries focus on the Tetnuldi and Koruldi areas, with Mestia as the starting point for planning the trip.

The Tetnuldi programme uses a PistenBully 600 with space for up to 13 riders and two guides. The Koruldi vehicle has nine seats; ask about the vehicle configuration for your booking. Local transfer from Mestia is included alongside the catski transport and guiding. Lunch, avalanche equipment and other extras are charged separately.

Ask about catskiing in Svaneti · Compare multi-day ski trips

Use the Tetnuldi and Koruldi pages to choose which outing to discuss, then request a quote for your dates and rider numbers. Compare the agreed uplifts, guide arrangement and extras together; the vehicle’s maximum capacity is not a confirmed departure or a per-person price.

For a longer holiday, check the Signature itinerary before adding a separate catski booking: a named catski activity is already part of that programme. Tell us which equipment you bring and which rentals you need confirmed.

• Explore Tetnuldi catski
• Explore Koruldi catski
• Compare the 7-day Signature programme
• Request a catski quote

In conventional cat skiing, a tracked snow vehicle carries riders uphill, and the group then skis or snowboards down off-piste. The ascent is assisted, but the descent remains mountain terrain with natural snow. It is not a snowcat sightseeing ride or an alternative way to ski a groomed piste.

The label does not, by itself, describe a complete day. A single vehicle-assisted ascent, a day with repeated uplifts and a week that includes a catski outing are different offers. The transport used in the proposed area and the extent of the skiing should be specified before you book.

This is particularly useful when comparing information from different parts of Georgia. An operation elsewhere in the country does not establish what equipment, capacity or terrain is available in Svaneti. Our starting point is the outing that can actually be organised for your dates around Mestia.

Tetnuldi catski

The Tetnuldi option relates to the mountain area around the ski resort. It is worth considering if you are interested in open alpine terrain and want to discuss an assisted-access outing alongside the other skiing available there.

Two Tetnuldi scenarios provide an idea of the proposed skiing when conditions permit:

These are alternative planning scenarios, not quantities to add together into a promised day. They are not guaranteed minimums or a live snow report. The usable area, actual number of runs and descent lengths depend on the snow, access, group and guide's assessment. Both sets of figures refer to Tetnuldi, not Koruldi.

Read about Tetnuldi catski and compare it with lift-access freeride at Tetnuldi. The choice is about the whole outing, not just the vehicle used to begin it.

Koruldi catski

Koruldi offers a setting above Mestia, separate from a day centred on the Tetnuldi lift network. If you are attracted by the ridge landscape, start with the Koruldi catski outing.

The Koruldi vehicle is a nine-seat option; do not apply Tetnuldi's vehicle specification or run estimates to this outing. Confirm the rider and guide arrangement for the proposed date. A summer image of Koruldi does not describe winter access. The general Koruldi destination guide covers the place rather than confirming a catski departure.

Neither area is presented as snow-sure. The description explains where an outing may be considered; confirmation for your dates is a separate step.

Catskiing may appeal if you enjoy off-piste descending but do not want the ascent to be the main physical activity of the day. You still need the ability to handle variable natural snow and the endurance for the agreed outing.

The ride uphill does not turn difficult skiing into beginner terrain. Being comfortable on prepared pistes is not enough information for us to assess suitability. Tell us where you have skied or snowboarded off-piste, the kinds of snow you encountered and whether you have experience riding with a guide.

For friends with different abilities, describe the differences honestly. The group needs a compatible plan, including how riders move through the terrain and return to the vehicle or meeting point. A technically strong skier who wants demanding descents and a rider taking their first steps beyond the pistes may need different arrangements.

If this would be your first off-piste outing, discuss lessons before booking catskiing. The goal is to choose an experience you can participate in comfortably, not to upgrade the transport before building the necessary riding skills.

Think of a catski outing as a sequence of connected arrangements: meeting the team, reaching the operating area, making the ascent, skiing the selected terrain and returning. The proposal should explain those connections rather than leaving them hidden behind the phrase “full day”.

A repeated-uplift programme also needs time for regrouping, loading and moving between the skiing and the ascent route. A single-drop arrangement is a different product. Do not compare them only by the time you expect to spend on the mountain.

The number and extent of descents depend on the agreed format as well as conditions. Before committing, understand whether the offer specifies a particular allowance or simply an outing subject to an operating plan. An ambitious example from a previous trip is not a guarantee for the next one.

The local transfer from Mestia is included. Lunch is not included, so settle the food arrangement before setting out. Those details matter especially when you are booking accommodation separately or have an onward journey after the outing.

This comparison describes the formats, not a ranking by safety, snow quality or value. Weather can affect all of them. Catskiing should not be assumed to operate whenever a helicopter cannot fly.

Explore freeride, ski touring and heliskiing if you are still choosing. Tell us what you want from the day and we can discuss the relevant format without treating every activity as a necessary extra.

Bring appropriate off-piste skis or a snowboard, familiar boots and personal winter clothing. The final equipment list should reflect the route and access arrangement, including any walking or other movement outside the vehicle.

Avalanche preparation remains relevant even though the ascent is motor-assisted. Transceiver, shovel and probe are standard elements of backcountry equipment; knowing how to use them matters. An airbag is not a substitute for those items or for training. See the Avalanche.org equipment overview.

Avalanche equipment and an airbag backpack are not included in the catski day and can be arranged at additional cost. Separate what you already own from what you need rented. Our rental shop is the appropriate place to discuss sizes and availability. A mention of rental does not reserve a particular item for you.

The catski outing includes the planned catski transport, guiding and local transfer from Mestia. Lunch, avalanche equipment and other extras are not included and are charged separately. No accommodation or airport transfer is implied by a day booking.

The written proposal should identify the operating area and the available group arrangement. Tetnuldi's maximum passenger arrangement is up to 13 riders plus two guides; it does not mean every departure carries that number. Koruldi's nine seats should not be presented as nine guest places plus guides without confirming the configuration.

Check the following as one complete offer:

• Guiding and the proposed group arrangement.
• Transport to the operating area and back.
• The agreed uplifts or other operating basis for the outing.
• Supplied equipment and separate rentals.
• Food and drink arrangements.
• Changes, cancellation and the treatment of any unprovided services.

If you are planning an entire holiday, multi-day ski trips provide a different starting point from a standalone catski day. Accommodation, airport travel and other activities should not be assumed to be part of a day-only enquiry.

Send your dates, rider numbers, off-piste experience and equipment needs. Say whether you prefer Tetnuldi or Koruldi, whether your dates are flexible, and whether catskiing is the main purpose of your visit or one day within a longer stay.

Ask about your catski options

Send your dates, group size, experience and equipment needs. We will discuss the appropriate plan and confirm the arrangements.

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Photos

Levan · documentary filmmaker

I tried different ways of reaching a snowy slope. Compared with ski touring, cat skiing felt quite different: the snowcat does the climbing, leaving you more attention for the descent ahead.

I like how the ascent itself becomes part of the journey. The mountains unfold gradually; there is time to look around and take in the scale of the place. It is another rhythm of Svaneti — neither steps on skins nor a short flight, but movement through a winter landscape.

I would suggest cat skiing to people who are more drawn to riding than to a long climb under their own power. But off-piste snow does not become a prepared run: the group's experience and the conditions still shape the day. Tell us who you are travelling with and how you ride, and we can discuss a suitable option.