NEW for 2011...Catskiing in Macedonia!

Macedonia lies between Croatia and Greece in the heart of the Balkans. It’s not particularly well known for its skiing but the Shar Planina massif which runs from Serbia and Montenegro in the North to Albania in the South offers excellent skiable terrain and guaranteed snow between January and March.

The trip is centred on Macedonia’s principal ski resort of Popova Sapka which is situated 1780m above sea level on Mt Shara. The resort has hosted Balkan and European Ski Championships.

About the terrain and the skiing
The surrounding peaks of the Shar Planina massif rise to over 2700m.
Most of the skiable terrain is between 2600m to 1700m on north, east and south facing slopes.
At the top of the terrain the slope angle is up to 35 degrees and becomes less steep on the lower sections. There is excellent tree skiing and a mix of wide bowls and some couloirs. Although the cat can get to most areas there are some runs which are only accessible with short walks.
The average daily vertical is over 4000m and fit, strong groups can ski up to 6500m of vertical.

What is Cat-skiing?
'Snow-cats' are the big track-driven vehicles that are used around the world for piste grooming and bashing. These can be converted so that the cabin can take 10-12 passengers and used to take groups to the top of isolated slopes where they can ski down again and again – using the ‘cat’ to return to the top each time. The advantages are that they can be used on terrain where there are no lifts and unlike helicopters they are able to run in all weather conditions.

Itinerary
Day 1
Fly to Skopje. You will be met at the airport and transferred by private minibus to the hotel in Popova Sapka. Meet up with the guides in the evening for welcome meeting and briefing.
Day 2-7
6 full days of catskiing. Return each night to the hotel. At the end of day 7 you will check out of the hotel and drive to Skopje for dinner and to enjoy the local scene: Skopje is renowned for its lively night life! Stay overnight in a hotel in Skopje.
Day 8
Transfer back to the airport for return flight home.

Typical Day
Breakfast is between 7.30 and 8am and you’re usually heading up the hill by 9am.
If the weather is good you’ll have a picnic lunch alternatively you can return to the hotel for lunch in the restaurant.
You’ll stay out until about 4-4.30pm.
Evening activities include avalanche safety talks, watching videos from the days skiing or having a massage. For evening meal you’ll either eat in the hotel restaurant of head out to one of a number of local restaurants serving good local food.

About the Guides
Our trips will be led by one of our team of UIAGM Mountain Guides - Nick Parks, Olly Allen or Matt Dickinson. We will be teaming up with one of the local guides from Eskimo Freeride who have excellent local knowledge.

Skills & Stamina
This trip is ideal for strong off-piste skiers who are confident skiing on slopes up to 30-35 degrees in all conditions. Skiing will be done at a strong pace where you would be expected to ski pitches of 20 - 25 turns without stopping. You need to have good physical fitness in order to enjoy skiing all day for 6 consecutive days. You will use the cat to gain altitude but you can expect some ski touring/walking in order to access some runs.

Accommodation and meals
Hotel Bora – comfortable ski-in hotel with about 30 ensuite rooms on the edge of the ski terrain.
Facilities include lounge, bar and public restaurant.
Breakfast is buffet style with cooked options – eggs, meats, cheese
Lunch is usual a picnic lunch on the mountain.
Evening meal is taken either in the hotel restaurant or in other local restaurants and local specialities include lamb, beef, beans, sopska salad.

Equipment
Good all-mountain skis with downhill bindings are suitable for this trip. If the group wants to bring touring kit and undertake more touring this can also be done but the main emphasis on the week is on cat-assisted off-piste skiing.

Best time to ski in Macedonia
The best time to ski in Macedonia is between early January and late March.
January has the most sunny days with low avalanche risk.
Temperatures fall in February and weather can be harsh which is offset with plenty of fresh snow.
March has good snowfalls and conditions that range between powder and spring snow as the temperatures rise towards the end of the winter. Due to the nature of the terrain there are usually good conditions to be found long after the last snowfall.

Maximum Group Size
12 skiers with 2 UIAGM Mountain Guides

Getting there from the UK
The most convenient option is to fly with Croatian airlines from London to Skopje via Zagreb. The roundtrip price is about £250-300 per person.
The distance between Skopje and Popova Sapka is about 65kms and the transfer by road takes just over 1 hour.

Prices
£1,395 per person
The price includes 7 nights hotel accommodation including 6 nights in Hotel Bora in Popova Sapka and 1 night in Skopje, all meals, 6 days of catskiing with UIAGM Mountain Guides, airport transfers and transfer back to Skopje on day 7.
The price does not include travel to/from Macedonia, equipment hire, personal insurance and spending money.
For anyone wanting a room on single occupancy the supplementary charge is £175.

For more information email chris@mountaintracks.co.uk or call us on +44 208 123 2978