What you get on this adventure : An experienced, local skiing guide with extensive knowledge of the area 3 days (4 overnights), 4 days (5 overnights), 5 days (6 overnights), or 6 days (7 overnights) of cat skiing, depending on your chosen itinerary Fullboard accommodation in a 4-star hotel (breakfast, lunch pack, dinner) Safety equipment Round-trip transfers from Skopje Airport to the ski resort (one transfer per direction for a group of minimum 6 people) What’s not included : Air transfers and flight tickets Drinks Single room supplements — can be booked optionally Ski rental — let us know upon booking if you need to rent ski gear Other personal costs Single car transfers Souvenirs or sightseeing tickets Guide gratuities — optional Travel and medical insurance — optional

How fit do I need to be?

The best thing about backcountry cat skiing in North Macedonia is that there are incredible options for all skill levels. This adventure is available to all, but good fitness is expected and required. From wide open faces to narrow couloirs and natural pipes, the nature of the terrain gives maximum pleasure to both medium and high experience riders. You won’t have to climb too much because the snowcat will take care of all the heavy lifting.

What do I need to bring?

Here’s a list of the ski touring equipment you need to bring : Freeriding skis – can also be rented Touring ski/snowboard boots – can also be rented Collapsible touring poles – can also be rented Outerwear recommendations and backcountry essentials : Warm, sweat-wicking base layers Midlayers Waterproof ski pants Waterproof ski jacket Spare clothes Gloves Helmet Goggles Sunglasses 25-35L backpack (large enough to carry all of your equipment) Water bottle (thermos is best) Snacks Sunscreen Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Group sizes and age requirements

Group sizes and pricing For this group adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:2. It takes a minimum of 6 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 10 participants. If you’re a group of less than 6 people, let us know . We’ll try to arrange a customized package for you! Cat skiing in North Macedonia can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements. Min. age requirements If you are older than 18, you’re good to go. Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join cat skiing in Macedonia on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian. If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Getting there and meeting location

The starting point of your guided backcountry cat skiing in North Macedonia is Popova Shapka . To get there, most people fly into Skopje International Airport (SKP) . From there, a transfer from Skopje Airport (one transfer per direction for a group) to the meeting point (ski resort Popova Shapka, about 40 minutes away) is included in the price. More information will be provided by the guides prior to your arrival.

Safety measures and insurance

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection . To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible , simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner ! Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered. Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

SHAR MOUNTAINS / NORTH MACEDONIA

Guided Backcountry Cat Skiing in North Macedonia

5.00

Giving the skis to skiers from a snowcat in Macedonia

Skiers getting ready to ski near a snowcat in Macedonia

Backcountry cat skiing in North Macedonia

Skiers overlooking a valley in Macedonia

Skiers and a snowcat near a mountain hut

Departure day and leaving the cat skiing adventure

View from the balcony of Hotel Scardus in North Macedonia

Freeride skiing on fresh powder in Macedonia

From $1,040 ()

Duration

3-6 days

Season

December through April

Accommodation

4-star Hotel Scardus in Popova Shapka

Book a call

Intro
Itinerary
Brochure
Accommodation and food
Reviews
Things to know

If you’re after fresh snow and no crowds, cat skiing in North Macedonia is just what you need! Totally underrated, North Macedonia’s Shar Mountains is where we’ll leave the lift lines behind, hop into snowcat and shred some untouched pow with zero crowds. It’s just endless fresh lines, waiting to be ripped. The snowcat takes you straight to the goods—no hiking, no waiting—just lap after lap of blower runs with no uphill pain. With experienced guides leading the charge, you’ll hit secret stashes and find the perfect drop-ins in a region that’s just waiting to be explored. Make sure to taste local dishes and stay in a classy 4-star hotel. This is more than skiing—it’s a full-on adventure you’ve been looking for!

Adventure highlights

Untracked powder runs

Freeride on pristine powder in one of the most hidden and underrated spots in the Balkans
Maximized ski time

With the snowcat doing the heavy lifting, you’ll spend less time climbing and more time shredding
True taste of North Macedonia

Refuel with traditional Macedonian dishes—think slow-cooked meats, tasty pies, fresh local produce, and rich flavors

Available itineraries

Download itineraries

3-Day Snowcat Skiing Freeride in North Macedonia

With this 3-day version, you’ll have 3 full days of cat skiing in North Macedonia. A snowcat will whisk you to untouched terrain each day, where you’ll explore pristine powder runs in the heart of the Shar Mountains. Our experienced IFMGA-certified guides who know the terrain like the back of their hand will be by your side every step of the way. After a full day of skiing, unwind at a classy 4-star hotel, where comfort meets style, wellness, and authentic Macedonian cuisine.

Make your way to the ski resort Popova Shapka and Hotel Scardus. Accommodation is included for the night.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel
After a good night’s sleep in our comfy hotel, breakfast awaits, and then it’s time for departure.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel

4-Day Snowcat Skiing Freeride in North Macedonia

With this 4-day version, you’ll have 4 full days of cat skiing in North Macedonia. A snowcat will whisk you to untouched terrain each day, where you’ll explore pristine powder runs in the heart of the Shar Mountains. Our experienced IFMGA-certified guides who know the terrain like the back of their hand will be by your side every step of the way. After a full day of skiing, unwind at a classy 4-star hotel, where comfort meets style, wellness, and authentic Macedonian cuisine.

Make your way to the ski resort Popova Shapka and Hotel Scardus. Accommodation is included for the night.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel
On each day of our cat skiing adventure in Macedonia, we’ll have breakfast and our daily briefing, and then we’ll meet at the snowcat and depart for our first run. Around noon, we’ll have lunch in the forest, and after a few more hours of skiing, we’ll wind down for the day, depending on daylight and the group’s overall strength. A short debrief and outlook of the next day await, and then we’re off to dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch pack, and dinner
Elevation: 3,000+ m / 9,843+ ft
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
After a good night’s sleep in our comfy hotel, breakfast awaits, and then it’s time for departure.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel

5-Day Snowcat Skiing Freeride in North Macedonia

With this 5-day version, you’ll have 5 full days of cat skiing in North Macedonia. A snowcat will whisk you to untouched terrain each day, where you’ll explore pristine powder runs in the heart of the Shar Mountains. Our experienced IFMGA-certified guides who know the terrain like the back of their hand will be by your side every step of the way. After a full day of skiing, unwind at a classy 4-star hotel, where comfort meets style, wellness, and authentic Macedonian cuisine.

Make your way to the ski resort Popova Shapka and Hotel Scardus. Accommodation is included for the night.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel
On each day of our cat skiing adventure in Macedonia, we’ll have breakfast and our daily briefing, and then we’ll meet at the snowcat and depart for our first run. Around noon, we’ll have lunch in the forest, and after a few more hours of skiing, we’ll wind down for the day, depending on daylight and the group’s overall strength. A short debrief and outlook of the next day await, and then we’re off to dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch pack, and dinner
Elevation: 3,000+ m / 9,843+ ft
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
After a good night’s sleep in our comfy hotel, breakfast awaits, and then it’s time for departure.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel

6-Day Snowcat Skiing Freeride in North Macedonia

With this 6-day version, you’ll have 6 full days of cat skiing in North Macedonia. A snowcat will whisk you to untouched terrain each day, where you’ll explore pristine powder runs in the heart of the Shar Mountains. Our experienced IFMGA-certified guides who know the terrain like the back of their hand will be by your side every step of the way. After a full day of skiing, unwind at a classy 4-star hotel, where comfort meets style, wellness, and authentic Macedonian cuisine.

Make your way to the ski resort Popova Shapka and Hotel Scardus. Accommodation is included for the night.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel
On each day of our cat skiing adventure in Macedonia, we’ll have breakfast and our daily briefing, and then we’ll meet at the snowcat and depart for our first run. Around noon, we’ll have lunch in the forest, and after a few more hours of skiing, we’ll wind down for the day, depending on daylight and the group’s overall strength. A short debrief and outlook of the next day await, and then we’re off to dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch pack, and dinner
Elevation: 3,000+ m / 9,843+ ft
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
After a good night’s sleep in our comfy hotel, breakfast awaits, and then it’s time for departure.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel

Guided Backcountry Cat Skiing in North Macedonia

Adventure Brochure

Brochure sent, check your inbox

If you have questions or need help with planning a trip, schedule a call with one of our adventure experts.

Meet your guide

5.00

Shar Outdoors

SharOutdoors guides have a minimum experience of 6-10 years of guiding in the area and are experienced freeriders. The guides are not only certified by local and international guiding federations, but are also regularly participating in or leading safety courses. The company’s goal is to be leading in setting standards and procedures for mountain safety in their region. SharOutdoors guides speak English, German, Macedonian, Bulgarian & Albanian.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation

You will be staying at the 4-star Hotel Scardus in Popova Shapka. The hotel has a night bar, a restaurant, a ski room, a laundry room, a conference hall, a spa center with 2 saunas, a jacuzzi, two swimming pools (for adults and children), a Turkish bath, and a gym, while a massage can be arranged depending on the guest’s wishes. Wi-fi is included in all the public places in the hotel. There’s also a fantastic hotel restaurant where guests can eat a variety of dishes, both local and international.

Food

On this cat skiing adventure, you’ll get a chance to taste some of the best traditional Macedonian food. Staples of Macedonian cuisine include dishes such as tavče gravče (baked beans), stuffed peppers, šopska salad, and ajvar, a tasty spread popular throughout the Balkans. These dishes offer the ideal blend of flavor and nourishment, perfect for refueling after a day of freeriding.

5.00(5 reviews)

Nik Mi

The best Crew! The best experience in the mountain I’ve ever had! The area is more than wonderful and playful.

Send Femme

Booked a week long backcountry ski and CAT skiing trip in March 2023 – the snow showed up for us and dumped! CAT tours were well thought out and backcountry skiing was within our abilities. Guides were knowledgeable about local weather patterns, avy conditions and terrain options to keep it fun, beautiful and comfortable. They were SO fun to be around and taught us all the local customs! Accommodations were comfortable and the staff were on a first name basis with us within 24 hours. We will be going back yearly.

Mathijs Muns

Meto + the rest, Thank You for the fantastic trip!! Great to see how much passion you guys have. Keep on doing what you’re doing.

Show all reviews

Nik Mi

The best Crew! The best experience in the mountain I’ve ever had! The area is more than wonderful and playful.

Send Femme

Mathijs Muns

Meto + the rest, Thank You for the fantastic trip!! Great to see how much passion you guys have. Keep on doing what you’re doing.

Rylie N

We had the most amazing time with the Shar crew! Everyone was so friendly and they had great knowledge of the area. We fit in so much skiing and had the best time with them! Definitely recommend going with these guys if you can!

Alex M

Had a great time catskiing with Shar Outdoors. Helpful and knowledgeable guides with phenomenal terrain. Coming from Colorado, wasn’t sure what to expect from the skiing, but definitely some of my best days on the slopes. If you’re looking for some adventurous skiing at a good price, this is the place to go. Couldn’t recommend it more.

Things to know

What you get on this adventure:
- - An experienced, local skiing guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  - 3 days (4 overnights), 4 days (5 overnights), 5 days (6 overnights), or 6 days (7 overnights) of cat skiing, depending on your chosen itinerary
  - Fullboard accommodation in a 4-star hotel (breakfast, lunch pack, dinner)
  - Safety equipment
  - Round-trip transfers from Skopje Airport to the ski resort (one transfer per direction for a group of minimum 6 people)
What’s not included:
- - Air transfers and flight tickets
  - Drinks
  - Single room supplements — can be booked optionally
  - Ski rental — let us know upon booking if you need to rent ski gear
  - Other personal costs
  - Single car transfers
  - Souvenirs or sightseeing tickets
  - Guide gratuities — optional
  - Travel and medical insurance — optional
The best thing about backcountry cat skiing in North Macedonia is that there are incredible options for all skill levels. This adventure is available to all, but good fitness is expected and required. From wide open faces to narrow couloirs and natural pipes, the nature of the terrain gives maximum pleasure to both medium and high experience riders. You won’t have to climb too much because the snowcat will take care of all the heavy lifting.
Here’s a list of the ski touring equipment you need to bring:
- - Freeriding skis – can also be rented
  - Touring ski/snowboard boots – can also be rented
  - Collapsible touring poles – can also be rented
Outerwear recommendations and backcountry essentials:
- - Warm, sweat-wicking base layers
  - Midlayers
  - Waterproof ski pants
  - Waterproof ski jacket
  - Spare clothes
  - Gloves
  - Helmet
  - Goggles
  - Sunglasses
  - 25-35L backpack (large enough to carry all of your equipment)
  - Water bottle (thermos is best)
  - Snacks
  - Sunscreen
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and pricing
- - For this group adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:2.
  - It takes a minimum of 6 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 10 participants.
  - If you’re a group of less than 6 people, let us know. We’ll try to arrange a customized package for you!
Cat skiing in North Macedonia can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements
- - If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  - Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join cat skiing in Macedonia on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your guided backcountry cat skiing in North Macedonia is Popova Shapka. To get there, most people fly into Skopje International Airport (SKP). From there, a transfer from Skopje Airport (one transfer per direction for a group) to the meeting point (ski resort Popova Shapka, about 40 minutes away) is included in the price.

More information will be provided by the guides prior to your arrival.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.

Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:

Basic
- - In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  - For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a 70% refund of the trip price.
  - For cancellations 0-59 days before the trip, there is no refund.
Flexible
- - In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  - For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
  - For cancellations 30-59 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.
  - For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, there is no refund.
Super Flexible
- - In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
  - For cancellations 30 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
  - For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.