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Bookings
Booking Policy
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
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 4 types to compile groups as similarly as possible:
Ride
Sporty riders who go on a regular basis on powder-trips and want a lot of riding and little waiting - let's say expert level.
- Bakhmaro
- Wolfsbed Hut
- project X
- Beech Club
Experience
Freeriders who ride confidently in any terrain but who also value the Caucasus experience - advanced.
- Bakhmaro
- Wolfsbed Hut
Intro
Freeriders who have not been trabveling much for powder so far and never have done a snowsafety training - intermediate.
- Bakhmaro
Backcountry
Experienced riders who always carry skins in their backpack - touring up to 500 vertical meters a day is no problem.
- Bakhmaro
- Wolfsbed Hut
- project X
- Beech Club
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: 25/04/2024
The riders who book first define the groups focus. Later booking need to match the groups focus.
Prices & Availability - Riders Lodge
Prices & Availability - The PIONEERS
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 in Corona times. So in these weeks something can become available again.
Single rooms - in The PIONEERS we can provide a few single rooms. The single room surcharge is € 500,- per week.
Stand: 25/04/2024
Flight Connections
The low-cost carrier, Wizzair, connects Kutaisi (KUT) with different European cities. 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.
An interesting alternative could be Batumi (BUS), but be aware that in the winter, a snowstorm could leave you stranded in the connecting city of Istanbul.
The airport of Tbilisi (TBS) is far - 6 hours by car - from Bakhmaro. A private transfer costs from 180,-€ one way. We can arrange it, but cash payment must be made to the driver directly, each way.
!
Wizzair is announcing their winter flight schedule in August. Till August they sell flights according to their summer flight schedule. Times and even dates will change in August.
!
These are the flights from last winter:
We pick you up on Saturday at Kutaisi Airport (KUT) or in the city. From all flights arriving after noon on Saturday we will drive directly to Bakhmaro. We only combine flights that land within
an hour to keep waiting times as short as possible.
Please note that our program always runs from Saturday to Saturday and that these 7 nights are included. For earlier arrivals, we will pick you up from the Newport Hotel in Kutaisi in the
afternoon.
Due to the weather and snow conditions as well as the risk of avalanches, it is possible that a transfer to the mountains is only possible the next morning if you arrive at night. The same applies to the return journey. In that case we would organize an overnight stay in the valley. We only cover the costs for an external overnight stay if we deem it necessary.
If direct flights to Kutaisi (KUT) are not possible, there is also the option of flying to Batumi (BUS) with Turkish and a stopover in Istanbul. The transfer takes about 3 hours,
a good hour longer than from Kutaisi.
A transfer from Tbilisi (TBS) takes a good 6 hours. We can organize private transfers, but they will cost extra.
Additional Nights in Kutaisi
In Kutaisi we can suggest the Newport Hotel. The hotel is very centrally located near the Colchis fountain and within walking distance to the city center, the Rioni river and good restaurants. The building dates from the 19th century and is part of the city's cultural heritage.
In order to avoid time-consuming pick-up procedures upon arrival, we will only start the transfers to Bakhmaro from this hotel in Kutaisi city. Pick-up will be in the early afternoon.
We have a few restaurant recommendations for Kutaisi. We can definitely recommend the Sisters. It is a few minutes walk from the Newport Hotel. Less fancy but very typical and
with really good Kinkali would be Eldepo. We definitely recommend visiting the bazaar during the day. There is a lot to discover on day trips around Kutaisi: the Gelati monastery complex, the
Prometheus cave or the thermal spa town of Tskaltubo.
