Leaving the vibrant ski slopes of Gudauri behind, the air thins and turns crisp as you climb toward the Jvari Pass. In early March, the world here is defined by “The Great White”—towering walls of snow carved out by plows, sometimes reaching higher than the roof of your car. The sunlight off the drifts is blindingly pure, turning the jagged peaks into shimmering shards of silver against a deep, cobalt sky.