North Macedonia Cat-Skiing: Three Days in the Sharr Mountains

Three Days Chasing Powder in North Macedonia's Sharr Mountains

In February 2023 I flew to Skopje for three days of cat-skiing in the Sharr Mountains.

Our tour is based in Popova Sapka, a small ski resort in the Sharr Mountains, the range that forms the natural border between North Macedonia, Kosovo, and north-eastern Albania. Calling it a ski resort is generous: it is more a cluster of buildings and a few shops along the mountain road that ends there. The lift system is modest, and when I visited, only three or four people seemed to be skiing the resort each day.

The Hotel for our stay, is the Hotel Scardus. It is well equipped, with spacious bedrooms for all your kit and, in my case, a small kitchenette. The sauna and pool are just what tired legs need after a day of cat-skiing, and the restaurant serves generous meals with a good range of local Macedonian dishes.

Into the Backcountry

The cats are parked right outside the hotel, and ski rental and storage are in the basement, making it incredibly easy to get out each morning: no resort shuttle, no faff, no hire-shop queues and, most importantly, no lift lines.

Our first run was gentle, giving us the chance to find our ski legs and the guides a chance to assess the group. Shortly after, we crossed the resort boundaries and the terrain opens into vast backcountry. There are no markers, just the sight of another Cat on the horizon and its tracks in the snow.

We had fantastic spring conditions, and the local guides always knew which aspect would ski best at each point in the day. By day three, we were linking some of the longest and most complex lines of the trip, navigating rock formations, changing aspects and varied slope angles. On one run, we dropped one by one down a slightly steeper face while the guides coordinated over walkie-talkies. Waiting at the top, watching the skier ahead disappear before dropping in yourself, was a thrill.

Between runs, our group would debrief, pass snacks around and, for a short period, some questionable music played. You get to know your fellow skiers quickly when you share a small moving cabin with them several times a day. Our trusty Cat would deposit us on a ridgeline, and by the time our skis were back on, our guides had outlined our path ahead, and we'd skiied said path, our Cat would be waiting, ready to take us to the next run - not bad! 

Hot food is prepared by the hotel kitchen and carried in the cat. One afternoon, we ate at the guides’ backcountry encampment - expedition tents, benches and proper tables - tucked into a small plateau with a view of Kosovo ahead and North Macedonia behind. On other days, the guides built tables from packed snow, and we ate and talked through the day’s skiing so far.

After 3 days of intense skiing, my only complaint was a slightly stiff neck, the result of cruising higher in the Cat each day. A small price to pay for a great few days away.

So, Should You Go?

If you are an experienced off-piste skier, you will love this trip. The terrain is enormous and feels almost entirely yours. Balkan mountain culture is a world away from a typical Western Alps ski holiday, which makes the experience feel novel. The skiing is excellent, and three days of cat-assisted freeride feels the perfect amount of time.

Three full days of cat-assisted freeride skiing in the Sharr Mountains, from £1,195 per person — including four nights in a four-star hotel, all meals, mountain lunches, avalanche equipment, and transfers.

Optional add-ons include pure touring days, extra cat-ski days, or guided freeride days at Brezovica, the nearby ski resort in Kosovo. Please get in touch to find out more.

Private group options are also available. View dates and book here, or get in touch and we’ll talk you through the trip.