By Nikola Marinko · Water and wastewater projects in Georgia, 2017-2021 · Updated October 2026 · 8 min read

Skiing in Gudauri was how my weekends went while I lived in Georgia from 2017 to 2021, working for Ludwig Pfeiffer on ADB-financed water and wastewater projects and finishing as Contractor's Executive Director. The longest of them was STP Zugdidi, €12.7M over three and a half years. A posting that long gives you a routine instead of a holiday: five days on site, then on Friday evening the skis go in the 4x4 and the road climbs north out of Tbilisi.

Gudauri is about two hours from the capital on a good road, and passes and rental are sorted at the resort, so the only thing worth booking ahead is a bed in peak season. A full day pass costs around 20 euros. The resort starts at 1,990 m, and 18 lifts serve 76 km of groomed runs up to the Sadzele lift at 3,279 m, with the Greater Caucasus filling the view. Around it there is freeride and off-piste terrain, and it is one of the best-known heliski and paragliding bases in the region.

The best part comes after skiing. The valleys along the Military Highway, Pasanauri above all, are widely credited as the birthplace of khinkali, so order them by the dozen with a glass of Georgian mulled wine and let the working week go.

STP Zugdidi project · Tetnuldi · Borjomi and Bakuriani · Tbilisi · Field stories

Skiing in Gudauri, Georgia - Weekends on the Military Highway

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