CAT WEAKLEY

WThe former Soviet republic of Georgia, sandwiched between Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, not only has a Black Sea coastline, but the high peaks of the Caucasus mountain range hug its northern border. While the mountains have always been there, the ski resorts are now a feasible destination from the UK, thanks to new low-cost flights and tour operator packages.

With 35km of pistes, the largest ski resort in Georgia is Gudauri. Also on the radar are Tetnuldi and

Hatsvali near the remote village of Mestia, with 19km between them, and the 30km of Bakuriani, which will host skiing World Championships in 2023. While they sound tiny compared with Alpine destinations, the snow reliability delivered by mountains stretching from 3,000m to more than 5,000m, off-piste opportunities, diverse architecture and spectacular local food and wine – including Georgian champagne – are also reasons to go. Mestia is in the Upper Svaneti, a Unesco World Heritage site thanks to the unusual tower houses in its medieval villages.

Wizz Air launched its good-value twice-weekly flights from London Luton to the city of Kutaisi in June. The city, home to an ancient cathedral, is approximately four and a half hours’ drive from Mestia – three hours closer than the capital, Tbilisi. However you get there, be prepared for adventure – as Christoffer Sjostrom, the Swedish photographer, told us after his trips there last winter, roads up to Mestia’s resorts remain narrow and unpaved; a four-wheel drive is essential.

How to go Ski operator Mountain Heaven (mountainheaven.co.uk; 0151 625 1921) has a nine-night trip in March 2020 from £1,808pp halfboard, excluding flights, combining visits to Gudauri, Mestia and Bakuriani, with a tour of the cobbled old town and orthodox churches of Tbilisi. Silk Road Adventures (silkroad-adventures.com; 0117 427 0129) offers seven-night ski tours with wine tasting between January and March 2020 from £2,480pp, while James Orr Heliski (heliski.co.uk; 0333 006 5816) has an eight-night trip to Mestia departing Feb 27 2021 from £7,985pp full-board, including flights, making use of a new heliski operation in the region.

Cat Weakley is the acting ski editor. She has skied all over the world.

LIFT-OFF Gudauri is the largest ski resort in Georgia