A backcountry primer for Tetnuldi's north face
What a day on the Tetnuldi backcountry actually involves: skinning time, decision points, and when to turn around.
The north face of Tetnuldi is one of the most photographed lines in the Caucasus, and one of the most consequential. Even on a stable day a tour from the top lift to the valley is a six-hour commitment with a technical traverse and two couloir options that funnel to the same runout.
Go with a local guide. The three operators we trust are listed on our Tetnuldi resort page. All of them run groups of four maximum, use rescue beacons rated for -30, and carry a satellite messenger for the sections with no mobile signal.
Turn-around rules the guides enforce: wind over 15 m/s at the ridge, visibility under 200 m, any whumpfing on the test slope, or group pace below the planned schedule by more than 30 minutes.
By georgiawinter editorial
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