Private LessonsWhat to Expect
One instructor for you, or for your party of up to 4, for 90 minutes or three hours. Set your level and length on the left and see how that lesson goes, step by step — told straight, so the lesson you get is the lesson you expected.
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1
0:00–0:10
Meet and check
Your instructor meets you at the meeting point you picked and checks what a first-timer cannot yet: boots buckled to the right tightness, bindings set, skis or board the right size. You say what you are hoping for; they tell you what today realistically looks like.
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2
0:10–0:30
On the flat
No slope yet. One ski on, then both: how to stand, walk, turn around on the spot and sidestep uphill — and how to fall and get up without help. It feels slow. It is the part that makes everything after it safe.
No slope yet. Which foot goes forward, the front foot strapped in, the back one free: skating along the flat, turning around, climbing a little way uphill — and how to fall and get up without help. It feels slow. It is the part that makes everything after it safe.
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3
0:30–1:10
First slides
A gentle slope that flattens out at the bottom, so the slope does the stopping for you. Straight glides first, then the snowplough: slowing down and stopping when you decide to. Short runs, many of them — walking back up at first, the beginner lift once you are ready for it.
A gentle slope, both feet strapped in. Facing down the hill: sliding on your heel edge and stopping, again and again. Then the same facing up the hill, on your toe edge. Short runs, many of them — walking back up at first, the beginner lift once you are ready for it.
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4
1:10–1:25
First turns — if the stop is ready Falling leaf — if the edges are ready
If your snowplough stops you every time, the first turns: steering by turning your feet and standing on the outside ski. If it does not yet, more snowplough. Turns built on a stop you cannot trust are the ones that go wrong.
If you can stop on both edges, the falling leaf: drifting left and right across the slope on one edge. A real turn from edge to edge usually comes on day two — on a board, that is on schedule, not behind.
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5
1:25–1:30
Wrap-up
The one thing to practise, and where it is safe to practise it on your own — for most first-timers that is the stopping, and only on the beginner slope.
Most of a first-timer's 90 minutes is not sliding: the flat, walking back up and getting up take the rest. That is how it should be — it is where you rest, and where the understanding happens.
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1
0:00–0:10
Meet and check
Your instructor meets you at the meeting point you picked and checks what a first-timer cannot yet: boots buckled to the right tightness, bindings set, skis or board the right size. You say what you are hoping for; they tell you what today realistically looks like.
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2
0:10–0:30
On the flat
No slope yet. One ski on, then both: how to stand, walk, turn around on the spot and sidestep uphill — and how to fall and get up without help. It feels slow. It is the part that makes everything after it safe.
No slope yet. Which foot goes forward, the front foot strapped in, the back one free: skating along the flat, turning around, climbing a little way uphill — and how to fall and get up without help. It feels slow. It is the part that makes everything after it safe.
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3
0:30–1:20
First slides and the stop Both edges, and the stop
Straight glides on a slope that stops you by itself, then the snowplough, run after run, until you can slow down and stop every time you decide to. Everything in the second half is built on this.
Heel-edge slips, then toe-edge slips, run after run, until you can stop on either edge whenever you decide to. Everything in the second half is built on this.
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4
1:20–1:35
A short break
Boots loosened, a warm drink, ten minutes off your legs. It is part of the lesson time, and taking it makes the second half better, not shorter.
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5
1:35–2:20
Turns Falling leaf and a first turn
Steering with your feet in a wide snowplough: one turn, then two, then linked. Speed controlled by the shape of the turn, not only by braking.
Drifting across the slope on one edge, then the first change from heel edge to toe edge — with the instructor close, because that is where most of the falls are.
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6
2:20–2:50
The beginner lift, on your own
Getting on and off it, then top-to-bottom runs with the instructor behind you. The terrain stays gentle: your legs are tired now, and tired legs on a steeper slope learn to be scared.
Getting on and off it with one foot free, then top-to-bottom runs with the instructor behind you. The terrain stays gentle: your legs are tired now, and tired legs on a steeper slope learn to be scared.
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7
2:50–3:00
Wrap-up
The one thing to practise, where it is safe to practise it on your own, and what a next lesson would start on.
Twice the time is not twice the progress: the second half mostly makes the first half stick, and on day one the legs give out before the learning does.
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1
0:00–0:05
Meet
Short: you know your kit. What you want to work on, and what bothers you about your riding.
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2
0:05–0:25
The watching run
One or two runs on a blue or red you are comfortable on, with the instructor behind you saying little. They are looking for the one thing that holds the rest back — most often weight on the wrong ski, sitting back, or turning with the upper body.
One or two runs on a blue or red you are comfortable on, with the instructor behind you saying little. They are looking for the one thing that holds the rest back — most often weight on the back foot, turning with the upper body, or skidding where you should be on an edge.
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3
0:25–1:10
One change, drilled
The change explained and shown, then drilled on easy terrain, where you can think about it instead of about the slope. One piece of feedback each run; the lift rides are for questions.
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4
1:10–1:25
On real terrain
The same change on a steeper or longer run. It usually falls apart the first time; the instructor gives you the one cue that brings it back.
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5
1:25–1:30
Wrap-up
The drill to keep doing, on which run, and what a next lesson would work on.
Between runs is the lift: your rest, and your time for questions.
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1
0:00–0:05
Meet
Short: you know your kit. What you want to work on, and what bothers you about your riding.
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2
0:05–0:25
The watching run
One or two runs on a blue or red you are comfortable on, with the instructor behind you saying little. They are looking for the one thing that holds the rest back — most often weight on the wrong ski, sitting back, or turning with the upper body.
One or two runs on a blue or red you are comfortable on, with the instructor behind you saying little. They are looking for the one thing that holds the rest back — most often weight on the back foot, turning with the upper body, or skidding where you should be on an edge.
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3
0:25–1:15
One change, drilled
The change explained and shown, then drilled on easy terrain until it works without you thinking about the slope.
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4
1:15–1:30
A short break
Boots loosened, a warm drink, ten minutes off your legs. It is part of the lesson time, and taking it makes the second half better, not shorter.
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5
1:30–2:15
Taken to real terrain
Steeper, longer, bumpier, or less perfect snow — whatever the day offers. The mistakes you make here are the useful ones.
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6
2:15–2:45
A second change, or deeper on the first
Only if the first one holds. If it does not, more of it: one change that holds beats two that are half learned.
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7
2:45–3:00
Free runs and wrap-up
The instructor follows and speaks only when it slips. Then the drill to keep doing, and on which run.
Twice the time is twice the riding, not twice the progress: the second half mostly makes the first half stick. That is worth a lot — it is just not two lessons' worth of new things.
Gliding and stopping when you choose to on the beginner slope, and probably a first turn or two. Not the chairlift or the main slopes yet — that comes next.
Sliding down on your heel edge and stopping, and a start on your toe edge. You will have fallen many times — that is day one on a board going well.
Linked snowplough turns and the beginner lift on your own. A first look at a longer slope if your legs still have it.
Side-slipping on both edges, the falling leaf, and a first turn. Linked turns on a good day.
One change you can feel, a drill to keep it, and the run to practise it on.
That change holding on harder terrain than you started on, and possibly a second. Often a red that felt like survival starts to feel like riding.
And, whatever your level, the one thing to practise — named by your instructor at the end.
Each step rests on the one before it, so the order does not change — only how far you get. Faded steps are where this length usually runs out; some people get further, some less far, and neither says anything about how good you will be.
- Boots and stance How a ski boot should feel, clicking in and out, and standing balanced over the middle of your feet instead of leaning back.
- Moving on the flat Sliding on one ski, walking, sidestepping uphill, and getting up from a fall without help.
- Straight glide Down a gentle slope that flattens out, so the slope stops you. Weight forward, eyes up.
- Snowplough Tips together, tails apart: slowing down and stopping when you decide to. Everything after this depends on it.
- First turns Steering by turning your feet and standing on the outside ski, in a wide snowplough.
- Linked turns Turn after turn, controlling speed with the shape of the turn instead of braking.
- The beginner lift Riding it, getting off it without a fall, and skiing down from the top.
- Skis starting to match The inside ski comes parallel at the end of each turn. Usually day two or three.
- Stance and straps Which foot goes forward, strapping in, and moving with one foot free.
- Skating Pushing along the flat with one foot strapped — the way you will get on and off every lift.
- Heel-side slip Facing down the hill, sliding on the heel edge and stopping.
- Toe-side slip The same facing up the hill. Harder, because you cannot see where you are going.
- Falling leaf Drifting left and right across the slope on one edge, steering with your weight.
- First turn Changing from one edge to the other.
- Linked turns Usually day two or three.
Day one on a snowboard is slower than on skis and has more falling in it. After the first two or three days it usually catches up fast.
- You ride, they watch On terrain you are comfortable on. A good instructor says little on this run.
- One change chosen The one that unlocks the most — not a list of everything that could be better.
- Drilled on easy terrain Where you can think about the change instead of about the slope.
- Taken to real terrain Steeper, longer, or less perfect snow. It usually falls apart the first time here — that is the lesson working.
- Making it hold Run after run, until it survives you forgetting about it.
- A second change Only once the first one holds.
- Weight on the outside ski — the turn grips instead of skidding away.
- Standing centred, not back — the skis answer you instead of running off with you.
- A quiet upper body — facing down the slope and turning from the legs, not the shoulders.
- Finishing the turn — speed controlled by the shape of the turn, so a red stops needing brakes.
- From skidding to edging — your first clean arcs, on an easy slope.
- Bumps, soft snow or ice — when the day offers them.
- Weight over the front foot — the board goes where you look instead of where it likes.
- A quiet upper body — turning from the legs, not by throwing the shoulders round.
- Cleaner edge changes — no flat-board moment between turns, so no catching an edge.
- Finishing the turn — speed controlled by the shape of the turn, not by skidding sideways.
- From skidding to carving — your first clean arcs, on an easy slope.
- Riding switch — the other foot forward, which makes everything else easier.
- You will fall. Everyone does, instructors included. You learn how to fall and get up before you need to.
- Your legs will burn by about the 40-minute mark. Ski boots and a new stance use muscles you do not normally use. It passes.
- The altitude is real. Gudauri starts at about 2,000 m. You tire faster, get thirsty sooner and burn in the sun quicker than at home.
- Easy slopes can look steep. Fear on a gentle slope is normal and says nothing about your ability. Say so — the instructor changes the terrain, not the pressure.
- Progress comes in steps. Nothing seems to happen for twenty minutes, then something suddenly works. The flat stretches are part of it.
- One of you will be quicker. In a party, somebody always picks it up first. It changes nothing about the lesson for the rest.
- Your kit on you at the meeting point: skis or board, boots buckled, poles if you ski, helmet. Rent the day before if you can — a morning rental queue eats into a lesson.
- Boots that fit: snug, toes just touching the front when you stand straight, heel not lifting when you lean forward. A boot that hurts ends a lesson early — tell the rental shop, not your instructor.
- Your lift pass, bought before the start time.
- Layers you can open, gloves, goggles or sunglasses, sun cream. One pair of thin ski socks — not two, and not cotton.
- Breakfast, water, and a proper night's sleep. Go easy on alcohol the night before — altitude makes it worse.
- Arrive five to ten minutes early. The lesson ends at its booked time either way.
- Tell us about injuries, fears or health conditions when you book, not at the lift.
90 minutes is a first step. Skiing usually clicks around day three — that is when the snowplough gives way to real turns and the mountain starts to open up. That is why three days or more of the same lesson cost less each day.
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| 3h |
Pick a price, then book. Start times are below; the one you pick shows when it ends. Want several days? Pick them all in one booking — three or more of the same lesson cost less.
A private meets where suits you: pick one of our meeting points when you book.
- 10:00 – 11:30 – 13:00
- 12:00 – 13:30 – 15:00
- 14:00 – 15:30 – 17:00
₾280 ₾320
a day, from 3 days — Any three days of the same lesson, at any length and any party size, and every day of it costs less. Pick your days when you book — they need not be in a row, and the same instructor takes them where we can.
Can we be at different levels in one private?
Yes, up to 4 of you. The instructor splits their attention and picks terrain the least confident of you is happy on, so each of you moves on a little less than you would alone. If the gap is big — a first-timer and someone who rides reds — two short privates usually teach both of you more than one long one.
Skiing or snowboarding?
Both. Say which when you book and we send an instructor who teaches it. If your party mixes skis and boards, tell us when you book so we can plan for it.
Is 90 minutes enough for a first-timer?
Enough to stand, glide and stop on purpose, and often to make a first turn. Not enough to ski the mountain. Most people need about three lessons before a blue run feels like theirs.
Should I book 90 minutes or 3 hours?
For a first day, 90 minutes is plenty for most adults: the legs give out before the learning does. Three hours suits you if you are fit, already ride, or only have one day. Three lessons of 90 minutes on three days teach more than one lesson of three hours.
Is this a guided tour of the resort?
No. A private is a lesson: it is about how you ski, not where. If you already ride and want to learn your way around Gudauri, take the Slope Tour.
Can I have the same instructor on several days?
Book the days together and we keep the same instructor wherever we can. They start each day where the last one ended instead of starting again.
Can my child join our private?
Children learn differently and at a different pace, so a child usually does better in a kids' private of their own. Ask us about your family and we will tell you straight.
What if I arrive late?
The lesson ends at its booked time, because the instructor has another after it. Arriving late makes it shorter, not later.
What if the weather is bad or the lifts stop?
If the lifts run, the lesson runs — flat light and wind are part of the mountain, and learning in them is worth something. If they do not, you choose another date or your money back.
Can I change or cancel?
We move you to another day or time wherever there is room. We do not refund a booking, except when the lifts are not running.
Is the lift pass included?
No. You need your own lift pass, bought before the lesson starts.