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.

We were lucky enough to start the ski safari with skiiing in some absolute awesome powder in Popova Shapka. The guiding was superb, as was the company, the entertainment & the very late long lunches. Accommodation in the Hotel Scardus was above expectations. Food & service were first class.

From Popova, we headed down the mountain to pick up some stragglers in Tetovo, and the game was on for a magical mystery tour to locations which some of us had ever heard of. Next stop Pelister. The Sumski Feneri Hotel was gorgeously decked out with 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. Views across to Greece weren't bad from Pelister summit too. 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. Views across to Greece weren't bad from Pelister summit too.

As this was the first of its kind, the 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 now high expectations

From Kosovo back to Macedonia we stopped for a fantastic dinner in Skopje. We left the safari before another stop back at Popova, but we had an amazing safari already.
- A steady stream of highlights on the inaugural Balkans Cat Ski Safari included:
- Fresh tracks on a glorious day in the mountains above Popova Shapka.
- Powder turns in the trees at Pelister & views all the way into Greece & Albania.
- The long, long valley run into the fascinating village of 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 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 many times more than this tour)! The Balkans is still a touch raw & even edgy at times. 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 (even though inmproving now) & 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, 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.
See our video here