Events in Georgia, Gudauri. Season 2022-2023.
This season, Georgia did not please with snow, as, in principle, most of the resorts in Europe. Nevertheless, there were attempts by the resort administration to prepare the track for the opening of the season, but as it turned out, they were unsuccessful. All the water in the lake, which was made for the snowmaking of the resort, was unsuccessfully poured onto the Gudaura track, which can only be driven from the middle and can only be climbed on foot or on a snowmobile for 50 lari below the middle (read about snowmobile drivers below).
As of today, 01/06/2023, the resort is officially closed, everyone is expecting snow. The snowpark track is practically covered with snow and is in better condition than the Gudaura track, but for some reason it is not open. The lifts would work and bring income to the country's budget, but tourists are allowed on the lifts only without equipment, due to the fact that the resort is closed.
Instead, some kind of corruption scheme began to work. They quickly brought a bunch of snowmobiles to the lower gondola station in New Gudauri. They lift tourists on snowmobiles up the track, between tourists descending from the mountain and children on sleds, violating all safety regulations. Some of the snowmobile drivers are 15 year olds who are very fast and daring among people. Some snowmobile drivers operate under the influence of drugs (marijuana). The price tag for these services exceeds the cost of a daily ski pass by 5 times or even more.
Among the local residents, citizens of Georgia, some kind of gang gathered, numbering 20-30 people, led by a man who introduced himself as Roman. This is similar to organized crime groups and the events of the 90s. These people do not allow instructors who are officially registered and have been working in Gudauri for more than a season to work. These people, in a crowd, begin to attack instructors, take away ski equipment, inflict bodily harm.
Some of these locals threaten with death, promise instructors to fish at the resort, break legs, run over with a snowmobile. This is all despite the fact that a couple of years ago, one of the founders of the school was run over by the same locals with a snowmobile, but then even no one wrote a statement to the police.
At the moment, the police only observe all this from the sidelines and do not take any measures. They accepted several threat statements and do not want this news to reach Tbilisi.
At the same time, tourists also suffer. They don't get the right level of service, they are lured by local instructors from this group who have no certification and no idea about the technique of skiing and snowboarding. Yesterday, part of this group were paraglider pilots and caused the tragedy not only of tourists but also of a rescue helicopter in the amount of 9 people. Today they have retrained as instructors and create a dangerous situation at the resort.
To the question: What is happening? And what is the reason? There is only one answer: We have run out of hospitality for you. The police explain it this way, people from this group have no work, so they solve the problem in such a gangster way. First we take tourists and only Georgian instructors will work. And what will happen tomorrow? Probably raider seizures and squeezed out business.
As of today, 01/06/2023, it was impossible to take services at the official school in the resort!
A big request from the Ministry of Tourism and Law Enforcement to deal with what is happening!
