Our story
From hiking and rock climbing as kids in the former Soviet Union, to developing new freeride areas and building hut infrastructure at high altitude in the Caucasus mountains… We are a Georgian business set up by mountain guide friends. Climbing Georgia and Catskiing Georgia began as a dream. This is our journey and the projects we’re developing today.
1980s
George and Shota both went on regular family trips to the mountains. This inspired their passion for the outdoors when they were children. As students, they scraped together the funds for preloved, second-hand equipment. And they somehow found the trip costs to go rock climbing and mountaineering together. Georgia’s economic and political climate was volatile during this time. As the Soviet Union collapsed, they continued to find the ways and means to join mountaineering school courses and expeditions in Georgia.
1990s
After university, they both moved into professional IT careers in Tbilisi. Their jobs were a means to an end: funding more expeditions with their friends across the Caucasus. Thoughts of Climbing Georgia and Catskiing Georgia were just wild dreams and shooting the breeze.
2000s
At the turn of the millennium, Georgia was changing. Tourism and mountaineering opened up. The Georgian Mountain Guide Association (GMGA) was in talks with the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA) about membership and suddenly, mountaineering in Georgia was seeming more and more attractive to folks around the world.
George and Shota decided it was make or break time; they decided to get their professional mountain guiding qualifications, and dedicated the next few years to training and qualifying as GMGA mountain guides.
2012
Climbing Georgia was born in 2012 – a new venture. They started working as the only two guides, offering mountaineering and trekking trips. It wasn’t long before the team grew, along with a selection of more ski touring, heliskiing and ski mountaineering adventures.
Today
In 2019, Shota and George set up Catskiing Georgia, offering deep-powder freeriding in the remote wilderness of Bakhmaro. That same year, they opened Cafe “Mkinvartsveri” in Mount Kazbek’s base camp – Georgia’s highest altitude cafe.
Georgia became an IFMGA member in 2021, after 30 years of hard work, lobbying and setting high standards in mountain guiding. There are now more than 30 IFMGA/GMGA mountain guides in Georgia; we only work with fully qualified and aspirant IFMGA/GMGA guides at Climbing Georgia and Catskiing Georgia.
The future
There’s plenty in the pipeline! As well as a three-stage mountaineering course, Shota and George are developing several new technical mountaineering routes and exploring new skiing areas.
After years of investment and development, their base camp hut will open its doors later in 2023. The Green Hut is at 3020m and the perfect base for climbing Mount Kazbek and Mount Ortsvery. It offers accommodation, a sauna, as well as a restaurant and bar in amazing surroundings. Plus you’ll be able to hire a guide and rent mountaineering equipment for your trip.
Watch this space for more future projects coming down the line…