Is Mestia the World’s best Ski Town?
Well in my not so humble opinion, the simple answer is yes!
The generic ski mag polls always throw up the same towns, Niseko, Chamonix, Banff… which admittedly all have merits, and if I had to choose my favourite mainstream town it’d be Nelson BC, but while all of the usual suspects are undoubtedly very cool, they’re not a patch on Mestia.
Sitting proud, and unconquered, Mestia is deeply embedded into a steep-sided valley in Georgia’s far north, close to the Russian border, and a mere stones throw from Mount Elbrus (yup, that one, highest peak in Europe, 5,642m). Mestia is a living time capsule, open one of the excellent restaurants doors and step out into the street, and Japanese imported cars aside, you could be stepping into the Alps 200 years ago.
Cows, pigs, and many a hound, seemingly roam the snow covered streets wild, while tiny, hunched babushkas slide their way down the slippery streets in thick tights with shawled covered heads.
Yet scratch a little deeper, and you’ll find forward-thinking vibrant youth embracing all things hip and cool, all be it with a Georgian twist, nothing feels generically western here, sure they love European football, all have smart phones, and want for an easier life, but they’re doing it their own way.
Shops and restaurants are filled with local produce, including some of Europes best wine at a great price point. The food here is fantastic, we’re talking healthy vegetable dishes alongside delicious stuffed breads called Khachapuri, and stuffed pasta (ish) khinkalis, meat stews, kebabs and mouth-watering salads. A hearty meal here, with wine, will cost you less than a burger and coke in Whistler and be a hell of a lot more appetizing.
Mestia has 9th Century “Svan” towers around almost every corner. These were built as defensive dwellings the towers are unique to this Svaneti region and were primarily built between the 9th and 12th centuries to not only stop interlopers, but to see out local vendettas too.
Georgias’s most famous climber is paid homage in the house he lived in, the excellent Mikheil Khegiani House Museum, which allows access by a series of terrifyingly loosely-supported ladders up inside it’s own Svan tower. Mikheil, AKA the “Tiger of the rocks”, was named the Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR international class, and was seven times the USSR Trade Union Competition and Rock Climbing Champion.
The streets hum with pimped up Mitsubishi Delicas and 4x4’s, driven by locals sporting wild man beards, and if you want some local mountain knowledge look no further than the Georgia Guide Office on the main strip. The ski hire shops are lacking of a great choice, pretty basic kit on offer, but improving each year. Some are starting to look in to cater for off-piste types and rent avi safety kit. But let’s face it, if you’re heading to Mestia you’ll more than likely be bringing your own backcountry kit.
Early each February, the locals take to the graveyards building a fire on their relatives graves and spend the early evening eating and drinking in their memories, always pouring a little of each drink onto the grave, it’s not just remembering the dead but actually welcoming them back into the family for the night, so they can rest easy throughout the year.
And the riding? Well, Mestia gets some serious snow - being sandwiched between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea - so the riding can be great. Mestia’s local hill is Hatsvali, with only a few pistes and two lifts you’d be mistaken to think there’s not a lot to do, but there’s plenty of tree runs and some great natural features. The other, Tetnuldi, is a good 25 min drive from downtown Mestia, and has some fantastic slackcountry, but take care as some of the easily accessible zones regularly slide and catch people - get local advice - having said that, under the Jumber Kakhiani chair lift is mostly sound and offers a ton of fun.
From the top of Tetnuldi there’s tons of touring routes, though a lot will need pre-booked pickup at the end, such as the mile long descent to the village of Zabeshi (Fatmap GPX File), best attempted with a guide as it’s a bit avalanche prone.
Both resorts share the same lift pass, which comes in at a ridiculous £73 for a six day adult pass, the same as 1.5 days in Niseko, and slightly less than a day at Whistler.
As for touring, there are almost endless options, but to get the best from the region we’d advise using Georgia Guide Office.
If you really want to fly solo, the excellent “Svaneti, the Essence of the Caucasus”, a guide book by Richard Bærug, is a great starting point. Richard helps run the excellent Grand Hotel Ushba, in the Bechwi valley, a spur off the main Mestia valley, and sitting under the dramatic Mount Ushba.
How Do I?
Resturants - Cafe Laila and Lile are both excellent, as is Lushnu Qor which is more on the rustic side of things. Cafe Ushba is possibly the cheapest in town.
Drinks - Cafe Bar Buba is the guides favourite, Hotel Posta has a great fireplace and cocktails but not much charm, and for a late night hipster bar try Twin Peaks
Stay - Here it’s much of a muchness. Again Cafe Ushba has cheap rooms, Lileo Hotel has a new build wing and is great value.