Gudauri when you are not skiing

Every ski week has a day that is not about skiing: legs give out, the weather closes in, or somebody in the group never wanted to ski in the first place. In Gudauri that day holds more than the resort's reputation suggests, because there is a spa with a pool inside New Gudauri itself, tandem paragliding that runs through the winter, and one of the great mountain drives starting just above the village.

Everything below is run by independent local businesses. You book directly with them and the terms are between you and the operator; Altimera keeps the list current and can make an introduction, but does not act as an agent and does not operate or arrange transport.

A spa afternoon, which is the one to actually book

The most underrated way to spend a third or fourth day. Legs that have been skiing at altitude respond very well to heat: this is maintenance, not indulgence.

The New Gudauri SPA Center is inside the New Gudauri development, on the lower level of Block 2, with a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, two saunas and massage rooms, plus changing rooms, showers and lockers. Being able to walk to it matters on a day when you have decided not to get into a vehicle. Children are admitted, which is not true of every spa. Six other spas and wellness centres in and around the resort are listed with their own contact details in the directory.

Book it for after your third consecutive ski day rather than saving it for the end of the week. It noticeably improves the second half of a holiday.

Does paragliding run in winter?

Yes. It is the thing Gudauri is known for besides the skiing, and it does not stop when the snow arrives. CloudBase Paragliding, one of four operators in our directory, flies year-round and uses a separate winter launch site.

You need no experience: you are strapped to a pilot, you run a few steps, and then you are looking down at the Greater Caucasus. Flights depend entirely on wind and visibility, so keep a clear morning in reserve for it rather than booking a fixed hour on Thursday. The operators are in the directory with their own numbers.

What is open in winter, and what is not

Worth checking before you build a list, because a lot of what is written about Gudauri describes the summer.

• Open through the winter: the spa, pool and saunas; tandem paragliding, weather permitting; the restaurants, cafes and bars; ski rental and ski schools; guided winter walking; and the Friendship Monument when the road is clear
• Waiting for summer: hiking on the alpine meadows, horse riding, the quad and buggy tours and the Truso Valley. Those are on the summer page, and they are a reason to come back in July rather than a rest-day option in February

The drive north towards Kazbegi

The Georgian Military Highway continues north from Gudauri over the Jvari Pass, at 2,379 metres, and drops to Stepantsminda roughly 30 km away, under Mount Kazbek. The Gergeti Trinity Church above that town is the image most people have seen of Georgia before they arrive.

Two honest caveats, and they are the reason to read this before planning it.

• The pass is the first thing to close. The Gudauri to Kobi section of the Mtskheta to Stepantsminda to Larsi highway is precisely the stretch the Georgian Roads Department suspends for blizzards and avalanche risk, and it publishes current restrictions at georoad.ge. Check it in the morning and commit to the day then; do not book anything the night before
• Do not drive it yourself in winter. Chains, ice and heavy freight traffic. Use a driver who does the road daily. Altimera does not operate or arrange transport, so you book that directly; the operators are listed in the directory

Closer to home, the Russia and Georgia Friendship Monument sits on the same highway between Gudauri and the Jvari Pass: a large round stone and concrete structure built in 1983, lined inside with a tiled mural of Georgian and Russian history, on a terrace above the Devil's Valley. It is a short trip from the resort and worth doing on a half day when the pass itself is out of the question.

A long lunch, on purpose

Georgian food is one of the better reasons to be in Georgia, and a rest day is when you finally have time for it. The directory lists 18 restaurants in Gudauri and along the road towards Kazbegi, each with its own phone, WhatsApp and website so you can book with them directly. In high season, call ahead in the evening rather than turning up.

Walking in the snow, with a guide

If you want to be outside without being on skis, winter walking above the resort gives you the same views the skiers are getting, slower and quieter.

Go with a guide rather than striking out alone. The open snow that makes the walking pleasant is avalanche terrain, and the judgement about where is safe changes day to day. That is a professional assessment, not something to work out from a map. Mountain guides are in the directory.

Storm days, which will happen

When the cloud is down and nobody is going anywhere, the apartment is the whole day. This is the practical argument for a full kitchen, underfloor heating and somewhere comfortable to sit rather than a room you only sleep in.

Two pieces of advice. Keep one storm day's worth of food in, so a bad-weather morning does not start with a walk to the shop. And do not fight it: the skiing after a storm is the best skiing of the week, and the day you lose is the price of the day you gain. The snow report is the quickest way to see whether it is worth getting up.

What if someone in the group does not ski?

Gudauri suits a non-skier better than most resorts, largely because of the geography. The views do not require a lift pass, and the spa, the monument, the drive north and a paragliding flight are all open to somebody who has never worn a ski boot.

Proximity does the rest. Because the residences are a three and a half minute walk from the gondola rather than a shuttle ride away, a non-skier is not stranded on the wrong side of a timetable while everyone else is on the mountain, and the group reconvenes easily at lunch.

In short

Keep one good-weather day in reserve for paragliding or the drive north, book a spa afternoon for after your third ski day, and have a storm-day plan that does not require leaving the building.

The Gudauri directory is the full list, with each business's own contact details. For the resort itself, read the Gudauri guide; for the shape of the season, when to ski Gudauri, month by month; and for the walk to the lift, what ski-in, ski-out really means in New Gudauri.