Winter Tale: Shahdag and Tufandag

Azerbaijan has somewhere to go in winter too: two ski resorts in the Greater Caucasus, where you can ski or snowboard, and in summer simply walk in the mountains. I arrange transfer and guide accompaniment to either one — Shahdag or Tufandag.

The Shahdag International Ski Resort sits at the foot of the mountain of the same name in northeastern Azerbaijan, near the Russian border, surrounded by a national park of the same name. It has 14 runs of varying difficulty totalling 17 km and 12 lifts, with artificial snow extending the season. The resort has five hotels, up to 20 restaurants and bars, a ski school with instructors, spas and fitness centres, and for children an ice rink, trampolines, tubing and even paintball. In the evening there are discos and karaoke if you want to keep the day going.

Tufandag sits at the foot of Mount Tufan, near Gabala — the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania and one of the country's most beautiful spots. The resort can host up to 3,000 guests at once in both summer and winter, and a new cable car opens up panoramic views of the Greater Caucasus foothills.

At the foot of Mount Tufan there are three lakes, and one of them, Tufan-Nukh, carries a legend: according to tradition, a fragment of Noah's Ark rests at the bottom of this high-altitude lake. Some researchers genuinely believe an ancient piece of wood really does lie on the lake bed. We can drive up to this lake and breathe in genuinely ancient mountain air.

The price shown is for the transfer and guide accompaniment; ski passes, equipment rental and accommodation are paid separately on-site. Message me on WhatsApp to arrange dates and choose a resort.