Season Diary - Day 14

Sunday 22nd February 2026 - Mestia, Georgia

Taking the edge off after a wild first day

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So what I didn't tell you about yesterday was how catastrophic the tour up to the amazing snow was. We watched some skiers work their way up a wide couloir - more like a face in its own right - and our guide thought it was a great idea to follow.

What followed was three hours of steep touring as we gained 500m elevation starting at 3000m ASL and completely forgetting how to kick turn or even stay on a skin track.

Thankfully the guide had more calm thoughts this morning. With cloud obscuring the sun and a warm(ish) day expected, we drove about half an hour west from Mestia until we turned off into what can only be described as a farmyard.

The road was little more than a track covered in snow and ice, the guide's 4x4 being thrown side to side in the ruts and potholes. As the track came to a dead end we pulled up next to a couple of other groups de-van-ing and clipped in for the tour.

We tour for about four hours, gaining 900m along a gentle forest track that then kicked up onto a ridgeline, which we then followed to the summit of a small peak.

This was much more like what we'd expected as a warm up. Reasonable terrain with a great ski down through the trees until we retraced out steps back through the woods and farmland at the bottom of the hill back to the van.

It was a great opportunity to iron out some of the kinks and work on our technique that had so drastically been found wanting yesterday. The 1000m difference in starting elevation also helped, meaning we weren't gasping for breath after three steps either.

As always, I was found wanting in the trees. I hate skiing trees at the best of times, but exhausted after a skin up meant I really struggled on these ones.

I perhaps should have laid off the khachapuri and Khinkali in Tbilisi and here, but considering this tour burnt over 3,000 calories I think I'll be okay ...