I had a great week in Macedonia with Shar Outdoors, I got to discover these mountains and cat skiing. Amazing terrain, large bowls, fun forests. The guides were professional and very conscientious of safety. The runs were short, so you end up doing 10-15 runs in a day. If you do the math, you end up spending most of your day in the snow cat, which are a lot louder than I had hoped. Comfy hotel, food was alright.
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A group of two snowboarders and one skier, we have been on several ‘adventurous’ ski trips. This winter we were specifically looking to try cat skiing for the first time, preferably somewhere off the beaten track. We found Shar Outdoors on the Powderhounds website and after reading some positive reviews, contacted Ivan for more details. I think you would struggle to find someone more helpful and quicker to respond to enquires, no matter how annoying we got.
We arrived at Skopje and were collected directly by a private minibus which whisked us straight to Popova Shopka about two hours drive away. Our trip was for seven nights full board with six days of cat skiiing, accommodation being at the Scardus hotel. A modern hotel in the local ski resort which was our base for the next week and housed the main base for Shar Outdoors on site. Air bags, transceivers and avalanche kit were given out along with our safety briefing that evening - meaning we could get straight onto the mountain next morning.
After a good breakfast we headed out to the cat for the first time along with two other groups of four and met our guides for the day. Mikael, Mateo and Goce would form a fantastic team, taking care of us for the next week. The weather was amazingly warm for the beginning of February and the guides did a great job of finding interesting runs in the unusual spring snow conditions.
The mountains truly are beautiful in this area of Macedonia and over the next four days we toured the range extensively to find the best slopes as the snow softened and conditions changed. Every day brought new adventures and the mix of people onboard changed, sometimes a full cat and some days just six or seven of us. With only cats providing access to the mountains, there was always plenty of space to choose your lines and the guides gave us sound advice of where to head for.
I really can’t praise our guides highly enough. They all knew the area intimately and kept their good humour no matter what the circumstances- even in a small blizzard one day! You can’t beat arriving at breakfast to hear your snowboard has been waxed and edged for you after a casual remark the previous day - thanks Goce! Their professionalism was outstanding and we always felt safe, even in the most challenging conditions. Part of our desire to stray from the ‘beaten track’ is to encounter new cultures, and the friendliness exuded by everyone we met in a Macedonia made us all want to visit again.
The fifth day of our trip saw high winds and a very good snowfall. Conditions were challenging but very rewarding. Once again we saw the benefit of local knowledge as Goce and Mikael knew the best places to have the most fun. The Rakija was particularly tasty in the bar that night.
The final day of our trip was a gift: the wind suddenly dropped and the sky cleared at 8am. We had a whole mountain range with 30-50cm of fresh powder and we made a full day of it. Even with the other operator in the area out, there were only 5 cats working the whole mountain area and at 3pm we were still finding untracked snow. Everything from long open tracks to tight runs through packed trees - anything you could want. The mountains echoed with laughter. We voted not to stop for lunch and the guides and cat driver were happy to ride throughout the whole day.
The whole experience of cat skiing was a revelation, I’d definitely do this again. We were all surprised that the cat was not as noisy as we expected and provided a sociable atmosphere where we got to know our fellow adventurers. Most rides between runs were 15-20 minutes long and often gave us a chance to take in the majestic scenery of the Balkans. My app tells me that we averaged over 3000m a day, some great times on a variety of conditions. Sometimes challenging, but never ever dull. Thanks so much to Shar Outdoors - you really care about what you do and it shows. We will return!
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Four of us set out off to Cat Ski in the Balkans, although we were a little uncertain as to what this would actually involve. We arrived in Popova Shapka and put a brave face on the fact that all we could see was mud and rocks on the mountain. That night, a huge storm blew in and we woke to a very different landscape - snow everywhere, still coming down, no visibility and huge gusts of wind. Conditions on the first day were very tough and skiing stopped at lunch time; the next day the sun came out and we had possibly the perfect powder couple of days. Meto from Shar Outdoors was our guide, ably backed up by Boris, and we were joined by 5 Swedes.

We then moved on to the Pelister Mountain, and had 2 more wonderful days led by Jove of SF Freeride, backed up by Alexander. Our hosts at the Sumski Feneri Hotel were wonderfully welcoming and we learnt a lot about Macedonian history & culture. Plus the food was spectacular - including the home cooked lunch in a mountain hut. The hosts are all incredibly enthusiastic and clearly love what they do, which is life affirming.

One note of caution - if you think you will have a warm up day in Shapka Popova, you will be disappointed. There is a brand new lift but it hasn't been opened, at least in the season so far to February 2020). (Editors note - the ski lifts in the Popova Shapka ski area are notoriously unreliable. The brand new lift has been sitting idle for years!)
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We were with a group of 3 with mixed ability levels. The Shar team adjusted to this very well and were always on top of things to make sure we had a good experience. We had some setbacks outside of their circle of control, but we definitely see the potential that the Macedonian mountains have to offer!

Besides the skiing the cultural aspect of the trip was interesting and we had great food and drinks :-)

Cheers!
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We spent a wonderful night & day with Meto & the crew skinning out from Popova Shapka in pristine conditions. Deep powder, blue skies, superb company. First tracks were the order of the day on every run.

The pace of the group was well manage. Safety & slope selection were first class. Above all, led by the positive attitude of the guides, the day was simply just a helluva lot of fun. And isn't that what skiing is all about?

One of the most memorable days we have ever had on skins (& there have been many days on skins!) was topped off with a very late lunch feast sampling huge amounts of all the best local food & beverages in a restaurant that to anyone who didn't know better, was in what appeared to be a derelict building (not uncommon at Popova!). Amazing what is behind some doors. Without a good local guide, one would have right past it.

Local accommodation was in the best hotel at the ski resort - a 4-star at the top of the village. Pricing is excellent for the service & experience provided.
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What fun we had. A multi-national group, an enthusiastic host, mountains, snow, food, drink, snowcats plus some sparkling repartee were the ingredients for a sensational inaugural Balkans Cat Ski Safari. It proved to be a wonderfully care-free way to sample the best of the Balkans skiing, landscapes, history & culture. The safari proved a concept & was a triumph for our host Meto from Shar Outdoors.

We were lucky enough to start the ski safari with a day of ski touring in some absolute awesome powder in Popova Shapka. The guiding was superb, as was the company, the entertainment & the late long lunch.

That night, from the moment the stragglers were picked up in Tetovo, the game was on for a magical mystery tour to locations which none of us had ever heard of. Next stop Pelister. The Sumski Feneri Hotel was gorgeously decked out on festive lights & provided the best lodgings of the trip. The hotel owners set the tone for hospitality on the rest of the trip – fantastic. The skiing was great. Snow wasn’t perfect, but there was powder & some very good tree skiing. Would love to ski the summit chutes one day, but it wasn’t to be on this trip. Lunch was beyond imagination in a lovely mountain hut. We skied until dark, then partied all night at the hotel.

Next stop was Kosovo & the Brezovica ski resort. Whilst it would have been amazing in its heyday, Brezovica’s ski lifts have seen better days & so Dane Freeride cat skiing evolved to fill the void. The snow was wind affected in parts, but the terrain is exceptional when fully realised. Staying in a functionally rustic mountain hut, 10 of us shared basic facilities with minimal fuss. The common room was the excellent David’s Bar & Restaurant where breakfast & dinner lived up to our know high expectations

We left the safari before the final stop back at Bogovinje. From the photos of the terrain, the powder skiing is the high alpine is world class. Next year for sure.
- A steady stream of highlights on the inaugural Balkans Cat Ski Safari included:
- Fresh tracks on a glorious day in the mountains between Popova Shapka & Bogovinje.
- Powder turns in the trees at Pelister & views all the way into Greece & Albania.
- The long, long valley run into the fascinating Štrpce Kosovo (even after leaving some of my flesh on a wild bramble thorn!) & the hilarious drive back up to the resort after a few après ski refreshments.
- Helping the locals celebrate the Eastern Orthodox New Year in style.
- Racing the snowcat all the way down to the base at Pelister & winning.
- Sumptuous dinners everywhere we went - Brezovica, Pelister, Popova Shapka, Skopje…… it didn’t matter where, the food was extraordinary.
- Making light of some very pensive moments during the Kosovo border crossings (& getting a nice stamp in our passports – sometimes it pays to be Aussie!)
- Closely following the SF Freeride guides into the forest in powder & at speed – they know every inch of that hill!
- Getting a sense of the amazing terrain around Bogovinje & Popova Shapka.
- Drinking the local spirit, rakija, with the locals & having the locals come off second best!
- Sampling the favourite Balkans travel snacks whilst on the road – not sure about the peanut butter sticks!
- Just having a good time with a group of like-minded skiers (& one snowboarder – gotta have one) in a strange new land that is not so strange anymore!

So, is everything perfect & just like cat skiing in Canada? Well, no. This is the Balkans after all. And no one should come here thinking they are getting a ‘Chatter Creek’ experience – especially given the price (6-days at Chatter Creek would cost €5000+)! The Balkans is still a touch raw & even edgy at times (i.e. the Kosovo border crossing). There was immense damage done in the region’s recent history, much of it unseen, but the scars are still there for anyone to see. The tourist infrastructure, particularly at ski resorts, has suffered from neglect & so some sights, smells & locations may challenge one’s sanitised ‘western’ view of the world. Also, some of the guiding could at times best be described (on a world scale anyway) as ‘loose’. But it is all about freeride & conditions were generally safe enough for a bit of a ‘free for all’. Nevertheless, the guides were super enthusiastic & clearly enjoying themselves.

Come with your eyes wide open & soak it all in. This trip is not just about skiing or snowboarding powder; it is a whole lot more. Whilst we had a great time, follow up tours in 2020 & beyond will no doubt be better again & if you score clear weather and fresh snow conditions, this is an adventure worthy of the bucket list. Get a group together, get to Skopje & get on the road for a ski safari that you will not forget anytime soon. The hook is set & we’ll be back. Perhaps Mt Korab next time ………
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If you knew me you understand that I like to go down the path less traveled.
The Balkans Cat Ski Safari provided the perfect balance that gave me a taste for the Balkans & has left me wanting MORE.
I didn't know what to expect of the Balkans (& certainly knew very little about the cat skiing), all I'd heard was horror stories reported on the news and this has had an impact on the people of these beautiful countries with unique history, culture, warmth and beauty.
The complexity has blown me away and I am grateful that I got to experience the snow covered mountains with a small group of like minded people led by a charismatic and passionate guide.
I realise I haven't written anything about the snow yet as there was so much more to the experience such as genuine people who shared their warmth, intelligence, family, food, culture and sometimes confusing facts about the origin of certain foods.
These same people assisted me to develop a taste for Rakija and the ceremony around it!
The skiing was exciting and different depending on location, geography and weather. I was lucky enough to experience gorgeous powder on my first day.
The Pelister National Park experience was amazing, the guides found the best snow in wind affected areas and their enthusiasm was contagious.
Crossing the border to Kosovo was an experience in itself and the border guards seemed quite interested in the diversity of origins in our group.
In Kosovo the guides found the best snow in variable conditions amongst some fantastic terrain. The most memorable run was an adventure all the way into a valley town.
See our video here