Catski Macedonia Catski freeride Macedonia

Catski Macedonia

During "Catski Macedonia: A freeriders journey" you will go freeriding in as many 2 different as yet unknown mountains located in Northern Macedonia. We explore on this trip both Shar Mountains as Pelister. This combo forms a synergy that completes your catski experience!

Catski Macedonia is a trip for people who want to experience their winter sports in the pristine wilderness instead of on the packed slopes. With the help of a converted pistenbully  we drop travelers on different peaks only to wait for them again at the bottom. So there are lines between cliffs, through forests and beautiful open slopes with drops of different levels and gradations. In other words, something for everyone!

Depending on the weather and the group, that way you do 7 to 15 descents per day. To complete the experience, we stay in 4-star hotels (with the first hotel having a spa) with delicious Macedonian cuisine!

What you can expect from Catski Macedonia is a great freeride experience, a breathtaking scenery, delicious meals, 2 total experiences and a enormous hospitality! Finally, you can make this trip also books on dates other than those open if you would like to experience this adventure individually or with your own group of friends.

The area

What makes Macedonia so unique is the desolation and tranquility versus the thickly populated areas elsewhere in Europe. From open slopes, to narrow passages and natural halfpipes, this is the ultimate terrain for freeriders of any level.

The area is divided into high zones between 2100 m and 2600 m and low zones between 1700 m and 2100 m. In full visibility, there are no restrictions and the guides take you to the best places where you can enjoy a top-to-bottom descent ranging from 500 to 850 vertical altimeters per line. In bad weather conditions we stay lower, in forested areas, where the powder snow is protected from the wind and where the trees act as landmarks.

CIA

Comfort 80%: you sleep in cozy and quality 4-star hotels equipped with all the necessary luxury and comfort.

Intensity 70%: You will participate in an active trip that requires basic fitness. This means that you will exercise about once a week and generally be active.

Adventure 80%: From a certain base of operations, explore pristine areas and use nature as your playground.

Catski Macedonia

Day 1: Flying to northern Macedonia

On the first day fly we from Belgium or the Netherlands to Skopje Alexander the Great Airport in Macedonia, where we will be met by the driver who will then take us to Popova Sapka. Here everyone will have time to get install after which a full safety briefing follows and we get a clear view of the rest of the week.

Day 2, 3 & 4: Catski Shar Mountains

For the next 3 days we fully enjoy a well-filled catski program in the beautiful Shar Mountains. Retrieved from day 4 we leave after catskiing the Shar Mountains and we drive through to Pelister To explore our next piece of freeride paradise.

Day 5, 6 & 7: Catski Pelister

These 3 last catski days discover we have a new field, new guides and a different Macedonian atmosphere. The freeride experience will be here, like the 3 previous days, again top are! The atmosphere, hotel, guides and experience are totally different from the previous area.

The 6th catski day is also the last one. We enjoy the delicious Macedonian cuisine together one last time and whoever wants to can still have a drink. step forward into the nightlife of Bitola. Together with our guide, we go to a local bar before crawling under the sheets.

Day 8: Home

This last day we will be dropped off at the airport and fly back home with a cartload of memories of this unforgettable catski freeride adventure.

Catski Macedonia

Popova Sapka

Our home base during the first 3 days is Popova Sapka, located at an altitude of 1687 meters. A ski village in western Macedonia, right in the middle of the ancient Shar Mountains, about 70 km (an hour and a half drive) from the capital Skopje. The village is slightly dilapidated so you can find several broken down and abandoned hotels that give this place a special feeling. However, this is no reason to panic, on the contrary! On the contrary, it provides the unique conditions and experience of the pristine that we want to give our customers! In addition, we provide you with top accommodation!

In popova sapka we stay in the very well-kept 4-star hotel "Scardus", equipped with a bar, restaurant, Wi-Fi, ski and snowboard equipment storage, conference hall and spa center equipped with swimming pool, sauna and Turkish bath to which you have free access. Moreover, our snowcats itself right next to the hotel allowing us to go into the mountains immediately in the morning to catski and in the evening to freeriding up to the hotel.

Pelister

The Pelister National Park forms 3 days our home base. Ideal to Pelister mountain (2610m) fully explore. Again, we are staying in a very nice, quality and comfortable hotel. Every morning we take the 4×4 to the snowcats which will then take us further up the ladder.

Catski Macedonia

Data 2027

• 29/01/2027 – 05/02/2027 VOLZET
• 06/02/2027 – 13/02/2027 nog 12 plaatsen
• 12/02/2027 – 19/02/2027 VOLZET
• 19/02/2027 – 26/02/2027 nog 12 plaatsen
• 26/02/2027 – 05/03/2027 nog 12 plaatsen
• min. 8 persons - max 12 persons (*)
• € 2195 per person

Ook een shortski van 5 dagen met 3 dagen catski is mogelijk op aanvraag, evenals specifiek verblijf en freeride in 1 van beide gebieden.

INDIVIDUAL/PRIVATE

• PERIOD on request
• PRICE depending on number of persons

(*) will proceed only when 8 people are registered.

INCLUDING

• 7 nights
• 3 meals/day
• 2 certified English-speaking local guides
• 1 supervisor from The Wildlinger
• Safety equipment (BCA backpack with airbag, avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel)
• Transportation to and from airport in Macedonia
• On-site transportation between areas
• 2 different freeride areas
• 3000+ vertical meters / day (depending on weather conditions)
• Daily snowcat transportation + access to area

EXCLUSIVE

• Flights (though on request)
• Travel insurance with additional off-piste insurance (mandatory) (advice on request)
• Cancellation insurance (advice on request)
• Ski and snowboard equipment
• Beverage
• Personal expenses

Catski Macedonia

Guides

Safety is our number one priority. Therefore, the guides we work with have minimum 6 to 10 years of experience as a mountain guide, have the necessary local and international certifications, participate on a regular basis in safety courses and its seasoned freeriders. Each catski group will be accompanied by 2 guides. One guide pulls the lead while the other stays at the back. In this way we maintain an overview of the entire group.

Safety Equipment

In addition, we also provide each participant with the necessary safety equipment such as a backpack with BCA float system, avalanche pager, shovel and probe and there is contact between guides and snowcat and have a good range that allows immediate assistance to be requested in the event of any accident.

Insurance

Finally, we require each participant to provide a Proof of purchase of travel insurance specifically for off-piste skiing and snowboarding for the entire period of the trip. An example is short-term travel insurance with winter sports/special winter sports coverage at Allianz or KBF. Call and email your insurer in advance, explain what you will be doing and make sure you have a good understanding of what all is covered and what the exceptions are! If desired, we will help you find the correct insurance.

Catski Macedonia

This trip is suitable for every off-piste skier or snowboarder, ranging from average to experienced freeriders. Also, skiers and snowboarders who have a very good on-piste level have with limited off-piste experience, but with a healthy dose of perseverance and boldness are welcome on this trip.

Important prerequisites to participate in this trip are:

• You have a good on-piste level and gets off red slopes smoothly. Black slopes you can descend minimally slow but controlled.
• You have already some experience off-piste (next to and between the slopes)
• You have a good condition
• In terms of steepness, the backcountry terrain for this trip equals red runs

Don't feel 100% confident in the mountains yet? Are you still experiencing difficulties on average red and black runs? You have never been off-piste before? Then we recommend that you first book one of our camps in Austria.