What to Actually Pack for Gudauri
The kit list that matters, the things people consistently forget, and the two items you can safely leave at home because renting them here is cheaper.
Gudauri is high, dry, exposed and sunnier than people expect. Pack for wind and UV as much as for cold.
Bring from home
- Merino or synthetic base layers, top and bottom, cotton is useless here
- A proper waterproof shell jacket and trousers; rental gear does not include outerwear
- Two pairs of gloves, so one can dry overnight
- Goggles with a low-light lens as well as a bright-light one
- Factor 50 sunscreen and SPF lip balm, the reflected UV at 2,200 m catches everyone out
- A neck warmer or buff
- Warm socks, but only two or three pairs; more just means wet ones
Rent here instead
Skis, boards, boots and helmets are all widely rented in Gudauri, and almost always cheaper than airline ski-bag fees over a return trip. Unless you have boots moulded to your feet, leave the hardware at home. Note that rental is separate from our lesson prices.
The things people forget
- A power bank. Cold destroys phone batteries and you will want your phone for photos.
- Cash in GEL. Card acceptance is good in the big hotels and patchy everywhere else.
- Any regular medication. The nearest full pharmacy is in Stepantsminda, 30 km north.
- A dry bag or plastic bag for wet gear on the drive home.
- Slippers or indoor shoes. Most guesthouses are shoes-off.
For a paragliding flight specifically
Closed shoes with grip, gloves in winter, sunglasses, and a warm layer. Launch is roughly 6 °C colder than the village and you will be sitting still in moving air for fifteen minutes. Nobody has ever regretted an extra layer at launch.
