Last June, less than two months before fighting broke out between Russia and the Democratic Republic of Georgia, Tyler Jones, 25, a Wood River High School graduate, and two of his climbing friends climbed and skied down 17,060-foot Mt. Shkhara, the highest peak in Georgia and the third highest peak in the Greater Caucasus range. They made what they believe are first ski descents of some of the couloirs off Shkhara, which is in the Svaneti region of northwest Georgia.
Jones and his two partners, Jason Thompson of Bozeman, Mont., and Seth Waterfall of Washington, are all climbing guides for Rainier Mountaineering Inc., among the best guide services in America. When they arrived in Georgia in May they were entering unknown terrain as they were able to find very little information about the climbing and skiing history of the area. In the Svaneti region, Waterfall said, "There is a rich mountaineering history, but after the fall of Soviet Russia there has been a steep decline in tourism. There is a newly formed nonprofit agency called the Svaneti Mountain Tourism Center. We met with the president of the Tourism Center and he was impressed with our trip and wondered if other people might come to Svaneti to ski. We sure hope that people will discover this area for themselves, but of course tourism presents its own problems for the local population."
The Caucasus range includes the highest point in Europe, 18,510 foot Mt. Elbrus, and divides Asia from Europe. Since the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991 Georgia has more or less been in a constant state of political unrest, and travel within its borders has been difficult and sometimes impossible. Working through the Svaneti Mountaineering Tourism Center, which is part of a local movement to encourage tourism and change its perception as an "unsafe" area, Jones and partners flew from Holland to Georgia's capital of Tbilisi and went by land to the town of Ushguli high in a valley of the Caucasus near the base of Shkhara, which rises about 8,000 feet above the town.
They arrived in mid-May and began their explorations during a series of spring storms that kept them in their tents on the mountain for most of the first six days. When the weather cleared they spent seven days climbing up and skiing down what Jones described as "perfect powder." The highest and longest couloir they skied began at about 16,600 feet. Jones, who has reached the summit of Mt. Rainier more than 60 times and the summit of Denali, North America's highest peak, four times, plans to return to the same region in 2010 for more climbing, skiing and exploration.
The expedition was partly funded by the Bozeman-based Hans Saari Memorial Fund which honors Saari, who died in a fall while attempting to ski the Tardivel Entrance to the Gervasutti Couloir in Chamonix, France, in May 2001. The fund's Web site states that "through its operations, the fund will raise the level of awareness and expertise among those traveling in avalanche terrain. The Fund will contribute to the ski community and the sport of ski mountaineering by sponsoring and encouraging innovative ski expeditions and education programs. Finally, the implementation of the fund's strategy will create a legacy that embodies Hans' values."
On Friday, Dec. 26, Jones will present a video and slide show of the Georgia adventure at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the conference room at the YMCA in Ketchum. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door. The next night, Dec. 27, Jones' show will also be featured at the Presentation/Retro Ski Party at Apples Bar at the base of Baldy in Warm Springs from 6-11 p.m. The $10 ticket includes a Hans Saari Memorial Fund pint glass and $1.50 PBR. There will be a raffle for prizes including skis and Big Sky lift tickets and lodging. All proceeds from the shows will benefit the Hans Saari Memorial Fund.
Tyler Jones, a Wood River High School graduate who guides for Rainier Mountaineering, escaped Georgia before political unrest and after skiing the nation’s highest peak. Photo by
