Freeride Catski Package, Shar Mountains, North Macedonia
Overview
Cat ski tours in the Shar Mountains National Park are among Europe’s best cat-skiing adventures. The Shar Mountains are one of the most beautiful mountainous regions of the Balkans, extending northeast to southwest for about 47 miles (75 km) along the border of North Macedonia & Kosovo. The region is known for its magnificent food & hospitality which is the perfect accompaniment to the powder-laden mountain freeride experience.
After flying into the North Macedonian capital of Skopje (or Pristina, Sofia or Thessaloniki), once you arrive at the Hotel Scardus in Popova Sapka, the adventure begins.
Snowcat skiing in Macedonia has been quite active in the last few years, mainly because of the natural shape of the mountains which allows easy access to the peaks by snowcat machines. While the well-known ski resorts across Europe are becoming overcrowded with freeriders from all over the world, in Macedonia, freeriding is a totally different experience. The rural countryside & mountains are beautiful & raw, waiting to be explored. From wide open faces to narrow couloirs and natural halfpipes, the terrain is awesome for all skiers & snowboarders from strong intermediate to expert.
All guiding, accommodation, meals, & avalanche safety equipment (air backpack, probe, shovel, avi transceiver) is included.
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Snow & Terrain
Shar Mountains catskiing is located in on the snowiest parts of the Balkans. Terrain is generally between 1,800m & 2,600m, guaranteeing snow cover. As with mountains everywhere, the wind can play a massive part in the prevailing snow conditions, but all the ski locations have options to make the most of the conditions. About 4,000m vertical is skied on any one day but can be more or less depending on the group and the weather.
From wide-open faces to narrow couloirs and natural pipes, the nature of the terrain gives maximum pleasure to both strong intermediate and expert riders alike. On a day with good visibility there are no restrictions and basically you can ride everywhere where the ski guides will find good snow.
In poor weather conditions, the usual daily agenda will be to stay at lower elevations for amazing forest skiing where the powder stays protected from the wind, and the trees are used as a tool for orientation in low visibility.
Accommodation & Food
Accommodation is provided in the fully comfortable Hotel Scardus at 1780 m/asl. The food on the tour is amazing, indeed one of the real treats of visiting the region! For more details, see the Lodging tab.
Snowcats, Guiding & Safety
The Shar Outdoors catski operation has a minimum of 5 modern & comfortable snowcats capable of seating 14 people each. One snowcat is held in reserve to cover any unforeseen issues (cat-skiing is tough on these machines!). Most (but not all) snowcats have safe side entry doors & side mounted ski storage.
All tour guides are locals, have at least 7-10 years of guiding experience in the area, and are experienced freeriders. A minimum of 2 guides are provided with each Snowcat (one head & one tail guide) to provide maximum safety for your backcountry experience. Additionally, included in the package price, each guest is provided with all necessary avalanche safety equipment, including an avalanche transceiver and ABS avalanche backpack.
Location & Getting There
Shar Outdoors operates throughout the Balkans, but the cat ski operation base is in the Shar Mountains at Popova Sapka ski resort in North Macedonia. The main entry point if Skopje, but other nearby airports can also be utilised. See how to get to there via our Location page.
Before or after the tour, a night in contemporary Skopje is worth considering.
