Hatsvali (Mestia)
Height difference:
1868-2348 m
Track length:
5.5 km
Season:
19 December — 28 March
Usually those who plan to go skiing or snowboarding to Georgia consider the big famous resorts of Gudauri and Bakuriani. But there is a resort in Georgia that cannot leave you indifferent. And that’s why. It is located in one of the most mountainous, inaccessible and most beautiful places in Georgia – Svaneti, on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Range. The distance from Hatsvali to the capital of Georgia Tbilisi is 424 km, the distance to another large city of Kutaisi is 196 km, the distance to Batumi is 243 km.
The climate of these places is greatly influenced by altitude. The temperature in winter can drop to -20 degrees. But due to the dry air, it is tolerated normally. Another distinctive feature of the resort is the high rainfall. In winter, it can snow for many days in a row, so the snow depth is high and stable. The winter season opens early in November and ends in late April.
Hatsvali Resort is one of the newest and fastest growing. It was opened in 2011. This was preceded by numerous investigations – where it is better to lay the tracks, the possibilities of freeriding and backcountry. As a result, the tracks were laid on the north-western slopes of Mount Zuruldi, and freeride fans conquer Mount Shkhara, 5100 meters high, Ushba, and also ride in the most beautiful spruce forest. There is almost untouched nature, a lot of snow and the opportunity to ride on one of the highest mountains in Europe. Hatsvali is a paradise for extreme lovers. There are excellent forest freeride, backcountry and ski tours.
The Hatsvali resort is not only a ski resort, but also an all-season one, where you can have a great rest in summer. The air temperature here in the hottest months rises to 25-30 degrees. But the usual temperature in the mountains is lower – from 18 to 22 degrees. The cable car works, so you can enjoy panoramic views of the mountains with snow-capped peaks, green alpine meadows from above, walk to waterfalls, alpine lakes and rivers and, of course, breathe in the healing mountain air. In addition, there are many day and multi-day excursions organized for trekkers or hikers from Mestia.
Working Hours
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 | 10:00 — 16:00 |
Season
Most often, the ski season here lasts from early December to late May.
Ski pass prices
The cost of the day ski pass in the main season: GEL 40 (adult) and GEL 40 (children).
Slopes
Medium:
0.5 km
Hard:
0.6 km
Impossible:
4.4 km
Total length of tracks 5.5 km. The vertical drop is 480 meters. Preparation of slopes is carried out using special snow groomers of snow groomers. If necessary, the artificial snowmaking system is activated.
“Red” slope TEZO Japaridze with black branch TEZO 2. The main trail has a length of 2440 m, a branch – 450 m. These slopes are suitable for those who are confident in skiing or snowboarding. There are no particularly difficult terrain and sharp elevation changes, but the descent is quite interesting. Slopes are constantly replaced by small plateaus. The track encircles the slope like a big snake.
Black GIVI Japaridze. Length – 1550 m.
The 550 m blue SLALOM track and the green SKI TRACK track are suitable for beginners. They are safe and simple, with an incline of only 11 degrees. If you just decided to join alpine skiing or boarding, here you will be comfortable and not scared.
But the freeride zones are spacious and run through places of fabulous beauty. In addition to the usual rides on powder, freeriders ride through the forest with clearings and couloirs.
All Hatsvali tracks have night lighting. Ski equipment can be picked up at the rental point directly at the resort or in the village of Mestia.
You can order training services from an instructor for adults, and for children there is a Mestia ski school.
There is a rescue team in Hatsvali that was organized and trained by experienced French specialists.
Lifts
T-bar lift:
2
Chairlift:
2
On the tops of the slopes, skiers and snowboarders are delivered 4 cable cars: 2 chairlift and 2 t-bar lift. The total length of the cable cars is 37 km, which are capable of transporting up to 4975 passengers/hour.
The main ZURULDI four-chair cable car lifts from a height of 1868 m to 2348 m with a vertical drop of 480 meters. The carrying capacity is up to 1000 people per hour. The ascent time is 15-20 minutes.
The SLALOM ski lift lifts from a height of 1896 m to 2026 m with a vertical drop of 130 m. The blue track of the same name starts from here.
The second yoke J BAR raises from 1897 m to 1969 m. The height difference is 72 meters. The green SKI TRACK starts here.
Cable car opening hours: 10:00 – 16:00 (until 18:00 in March – April).
Infrastructure
The Hatsvali resort was conceived and built exactly as a ski resort. Therefore, there is one comfortable hotel that can accommodate 50-80 guests. The lifts from it are within walking distance.
But 6 kilometers from the resort in the picturesque village of Mestia there is a large selection of both hotels and guest houses.
If you have not brought ski or snowboard equipment with you, you can rent it at two rental locations. One is near the bottom lift station, the other is at the top. The prices are the same, the choice is quite large.
Another rental point can be found in Mestia with a wide selection of the latest equipment. It is located at: st. Parigiani 14. You can even book equipment there by calling: +995 574 08 24 08.
There is a place in the Hatsvali resort that you should definitely visit at least once. This is the Zuruldi restaurant at an altitude of 2340 meters. Its highlight is not only the national cuisine of Svaneti, but also three completely glass walls with a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains.
Besides, you can visit another ski resort located 15 kilometers from Mestia. It is called Tetnuldi after Mount Tetnuldi with a peak height of almost 5000 meters. Its slopes offer great opportunities for freeride and giant slalom.
Leisure
Since Hatsvali is one of the youngest resorts, apres-ski is not very developed here. From entertainment you can rent a snowmobile, in the summer – an ATV, and ride in the most beautiful surroundings. The rental point is located at the bottom station of the cable car.
Have you dreamed of climbing? You have come to the right place again! The Hatsvali slopes have a rather difficult and interesting relief, and Ushba mountain is a real challenge to the strong and brave. There are practically no routes for beginners there, only 4A or 6A.
Of course, one cannot fail to visit the famous Svan towers and no less famous bridges, as well as the monument to Queen Tamara.
If you wish, you can visit local museums. And, of course, take a photo of the original architecture of the police building.
History
The Hatsvali resort is located just 6 kilometers from its capital Mestia.
Once these places were almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. The Svan people living here were subsistence farming and only occasionally, in the summer, went down. The character of this people is as harsh as the mountains themselves.
The history of these places does not know the conquerors. But the Svans were divided into clans that fought among themselves. The custom of blood feud, livtsri, was above all other laws here. That is why the famous Svan towers were built, real fortresses that could withstand a siege for many months, or even years. This was possible due to the fact that the towers were connected with residential buildings through secret underground passages.
In addition to the famous Svan towers, in Mestia there is a museum of the most famous Georgian climber Mikhail Khergiani, who died in Italy in 1969. Poems by Vizbor, Yevtushenko and Vysotsky were dedicated to him.
Therefore, when you come here, you will get acquainted with Georgia in a concentrated form – the highest (over 5000 meters) mountains, clean air, centuries-old forests, delicious Svan cuisine, great wine.