Gudauri and Kazbegi

Season

April to September. The day switches on around noon and lives until five — a short, dense window. Mornings go to the forecast, the briefing and the drive up, and that is not wasted time: the morning is where the day gets decided.

What the air does here

Gudauri sits on the watershed of the Greater Caucasus. Two things follow. First, the air is strong and workable through most of the season. Second, and worth knowing in advance: strong wind aloft may not reach the ground. The launch can feel deceptively calm while there is turbulence above.

In summer the landing needs attention: thermals release below the field and the wind swings fast. The valley towards Kazbegi is narrow, the wind there strengthens and is often northerly — going in low is not an option.

Where the routes run

South-east — down the Georgian Military Highway and on into the Alazani valley. That is how 147 and 183 kilometres were flown.

All three long flights ended on the valley floor at 345–436 metres. From launch to landing that is about 1,750 metres of descent: from snow to vineyards in one day.

Triangles come together here too, and not only in spring: 163.77 km in September 2025, 144.23 km FAI in August 2020.

Kazbegi is a destination, not a launch

Thirty-five kilometres north, with Kazbek at 5,054 m standing right in front of you. There are plenty of sites there and they are official — but the weather turns faster than anywhere else in our programme: the wind swings within minutes.

So on XC trips we launch from Gudauri and fly to Kazbegi when the day allows, not the other way round. Flying there is worth doing. Launching from there is a different job.

Retrieve

The Georgian Military Highway runs the full length of the working valley. Wherever you land, a vehicle can reach you. In big mountains that is a rare luxury: retrieve is part of the trip, and you will not be thumbing a lift on the road.

Who this suits

Independent pilots. This is not the place for your first thermic flights: the valleys are narrow, the wind is serious, and the air does not forgive inattention.

• your own wing and kit, reserve included;
• confident solo launch, no assistant;
• working thermals on your own;
• landing out on an unfamiliar field.

What gets flown here

Tracks are public — check any of them.

Flying in Georgia runs on permits

Since 2023 paragliding in Georgia is regulated by law. You may only fly in approved zones, and only with a permit issued to you. You cannot simply turn up with your wing and fly.

The rules did not come from nowhere: in 2022 a border-police helicopter crashed during a rescue near Gudauri. Flying was closed nationwide for almost a year afterwards.

Three things we need from you

1. Send us your documents after booking — we will list exactly which ones.
2. Book early. The group has to form, the paperwork goes to the Federation, and that takes time. Two days before departure is not enough.
3. Hold insurance that covers paragliding.

Why this makes the trip better, not harder

We do not get a blanket permit. We get one for a specific group and specific regions — and often for several at once: Kazbegi, Kakheti, Svaneti, Racha. Then we watch the weather and go where the window is that week.

Why you want a guide in Georgia

Honestly: in Georgia you can launch from almost anywhere. Alpine meadows, tree-free slopes, open fields — walk up and go. There are plenty of approved sites here and we are not going to pretend otherwise.

The difficulty is not where to launch. It is that the micro-climate changes very fast, and differently in neighbouring valleys. The wind that worked an hour ago turns around. A valley that flew in the morning shuts by midday. That is not bad luck — that is normal air here.

A guide is not there to point at a map. A guide is there to read the forecast in the morning and say: today we go there, this is the task, and we are not going that way. And to say "no flying today" when that is the call.

Local XC guiding in Gudauri — by the day

Not everyone needs a 12-day group trip. If you are already in Georgia with your own wing, take a guide by the day: one guide, one to three pilots (the VIP format — from a single pilot), the Gudauri and Kazbegi launches, no group departure. Priced per day, any number of days; from four pilots the group rate applies. Group-trip rules do not apply here — the format and the dates are agreed individually.

Prices in EUR for the whole group — a day rate × the number of days, any number of days, no hidden fees; “guiding” format: guide, shuttle to launch, retrieve, evening debrief. The more pilots, the lower the price per pilot: €300 for one, €250 each for two, and from four pilots the group rate — €200 per pilot per day (3 days — €600, 7 days — €1,400 per pilot; 1 : 4, a second guide from five pilots is included; up to eight pilots). A 30 % deposit by invoice secures your dates; the rest is paid on site in euros. Write to us on WhatsApp or Telegram with your dates and the number of pilots — the exact price and the deposit invoice come back in one message.

Other regions