SF Freeride Cat Skiing

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SF Freeride

SF Freeride 4.7/54
SF Freeride 4.7 out of 5 based on 4 reviews
View all 4 reviews
Ski Tours in Europe
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Powder skiing with SF Freeride
Powder skiing with SF Freeride
SF Freeride snowcat with Pelister in the background
SF Freeride snowcat with Pelister in the background
Tree skiing with SF Freeride
Tree skiing with SF Freeride
A happy crew cat skiing with SF Freeride
A happy crew cat skiing with SF Freeride
Skiing off the summit of Pelister with SF Freeride (Greece on the horizon!)
Skiing off the summit of Pelister with SF Freeride (Greece on the horizon!)
SF Freeride cat parked for lunch at Shiroka Hut on the lower slopes of Pelister
SF Freeride cat parked for lunch at Shiroka Hut on the lower slopes of Pelister
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
Shiroka Hut is used by SF Freeride Cat Skiing for mountain lunches
Shiroka Hut is used by SF Freeride Cat Skiing for mountain lunches
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing lunch
SF Freeride Cat Skiing lunch
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing
SF Freeride Cat Skiing at Pelister in North Macedonia
SF Freeride Cat Skiing at Pelister in North Macedonia
SF Freeride Cat Skiing at Pelister in North Macedonia
SF Freeride Cat Skiing at Pelister in North Macedonia
Leaving the Sumski Feneri Hotel in the morning to head up the hill at SF Freeride
Leaving the Sumski Feneri Hotel in the morning to head up the hill at SF Freeride
Sumski Feneri Hotel is the base of operations for SF Freeride
Sumski Feneri Hotel is the base of operations for SF Freeride
Part of the dinner spread at Sumski Feneri Hotel when staying with SF Freeride
Part of the dinner spread at Sumski Feneri Hotel when staying with SF Freeride
SF Freeride state of the art snowcat
SF Freeride state of the art snowcat
Ski all day long with SF Freeride in North Macedonia
Ski all day long with SF Freeride in North Macedonia

SF Freeride Cat Skiing

Overall Rating

SF Freeride 4.7/54
SF Freeride 4.7 out of 5 based on 4 reviews
View all 4 reviews

SF Freeride Cat Skiing

SF Freeride is a lively cat skiing & ski-touring operation in the Pelister National Park of North Macedonia, 2½hr by road south of the capital, Skopje, close to the border with Greece. Cat skiing with SF Freeride combines classic North Macedonian hospitality with fun, high alpine & tree powder riding. Ski-touring tours cover peaks in Macedonia as parts of Greece. For more info on how to get to SF Freeride, see the Location tab.

The boundlessly enthusiastic SF Freeride guides will delight in showing off their backyard. The skiing & snowboarding terrain for cat skiing ranges from forested slopes at 1,400m all the way up to the summit of Mt Pelister at 2,610m elevation. Runs are between 1 to 4km long, with the number of trips up in the cat limited only by daylight & your group's ability to keep going!

Lodging used when visiting SF Freeride is owned & operated by the cat ski crew, so you get quality all round service. You will spend your nights in the superb Hotel Sumski Feneri located at the base of the mountain. Exceptional food is included in the price & will not disappoint.

The small ski area of Pelister-Kopanki is nearby as well, should one feel the need to ride some old lifts for a day.

See the SF Freeride Tours below for more detailed information & booking.

Where is SF Freeride, North Macedonia?

SF Freeride is in the Balkans, at the southern end of North Macedonia near the small ski area called Pelister. Close to the border with Greece, SF Freeride operates within the Pelister National Park.

North Macedonia was previously known as FYROM – the former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia or just plain Macedonia by its friends! The country’s capital is Skopje. SF Freeride’s base is located 7km by road west of the city of Bitola and 180km (2½hr) south of Skopje.

Skopje is accessed by plane through the impressively named Alexander the Great Airport (SKP). Overland routes to Skopje are not recommended. Upon request, SF Freeride can organise direct private transfers from the Skopje airport to their cat skiing operation base at Hotel Sumski Fener. This option is highly recommended. Alternatively, you can arrange your own transport from Skopje to Pelister – read on!

Flights into Skopje Alexander the Great Airport

The Skopje Alexander the Great International Airport (SKP) is a modern facility 23km by road east of the North Macedonia capital, Skopje. During winter, flights from worldwide origins include most major airports in western Europe, England & Scandinavia plus Istanbul, Dubai & Doha in the Middle East

Daily flights to Skopje from any one origin city are limited. Daily flights exist from Vienna, Austria and offer the most convenience if travelling to North Macedonia whilst already in Europe. Another useful major European airport is Zurich, with two airlines providing regular services to Skopje. Zurich was successfully utilised by the Powderhounds for our visit to North Macedonia. The middle eastern airports at Doha & Dubai can be useful if travelling from other international origins (i.e Asia, Oceania) . See flight map here for Skopje origins and destinations.

Powderhounds recommends using either Austrian, Edelweiss or Germania airlines. These airlines provide better seating, luggage allowance, service & reliability – albeit for a slightly higher price!

To search for a great deal on a flight to Skopje, use one of our recommended flight search engines.

Airport Transfers

For airport transfers, Powderhounds recommends using the tour operator to pre-arrange a private transfer direct to your hotel with the cost included in the tour.

Bus & Taxi Transport from Airport to Skopje

For other transport options, local bus and taxi transport from the airport into Skopje is good. Vardar Ekspres runs regular bus services direct to the centre of Skopje for a princely sum. Taxi services from the airport are provided by the Airport Taxi Company and are heavily regulated with fixed prices to most destinations to avoid any issues for passengers. A taxi journey to Skopje will cost around €20.

Car Rental

If intending independent travel in North Macedonia, the Skopje airport is well served by numerous car rental and hire companies. Vehicles should be checked to ensure they are set up for winter driving (i.e. 4WD/AWD, snow tyres, chains). To search & book a rental car, use our recommended rental car search engine.

Unbelievable hospitality & so much fun on the mountain

Walt
10/03/2020
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Age
    51-65
  • Rider Ability
    Expert
  • Country
    Germany
  • Admin Rating
    3

Unbelievable hospitality & so much fun on the mountain

Walt
10/03/2020
The overall experience with SF Freeride was awesome. My son and me had such a great time with Ljubica, Jove, Koce and their team.
Even if this winter was way too warm in europe, we had fresh snow to enjoy the perfect terrain. We loved the fantastic tree runs, the natural kickers and halfpipes and shared an enthusiastic spirit with our hosts.
There are areas for big lines with a good visibility, areas with a lot of space between the trees and areas with close trees for heavy snowfall or even fog. So the terrain offers perfect sectors for all kind of weather.
The view from the top of Mount Pelister is breathtaking.
So everything is prepared for perfect skiing, but that is not the complete picture with SF Freeride.
The hospitality is overwhelming, the food and the rakija is fantastic and you really get a lot of it - in the hotel and even in the mountain hut for lunch. Koce is the real "majstore". My son broke a part of his binding with his front flips and other jumps. Koce just rebuilt the broken part with all his mechanical skills perfectly.
So again, the overall experience was awesome.
See our video here

Life Affirming

Sue Fitzsimons
26/02/2020
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Age
    51-65
  • Rider Ability
    Advanced
  • Country
    UK
  • Admin Rating
    4

Life Affirming

Sue Fitzsimons
26/02/2020
Four of us set out off to Cat Ski in the Balkans, although we were a little uncertain as to what this would actually involve. The first night, a huge storm blew in and we woke to snow everywhere & still coming down, no visibility and huge gusts of wind. After a few days cat skiing out of Popova Shapka, we moved on to the Pelister Mountain, and had 2 wonderful cat ski days with SF Freerdie, led by Jove & backed up by Alexander. Our hosts at the Sumski Feneri Hotel were wonderfully welcoming and we learnt a lot about Macedonian history & culture. Plus the food was spectacular - including the home cooked lunch in a mountain hut. The hosts are all incredibly enthusiastic and clearly love what they do, which is life affirming.
See our video here

SF = Seriously Fabulous

13/11/2019

Smiling Assassin

Powder Addict
Powder Addict

Smiling Assassin

Powder Addict
Powder Addict
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Rider Ability
    Expert
  • Country
    Australia
  • Admin Rating
    4

SF = Seriously Fabulous

13/11/2019
Spent a few days & nights with Ljubica, Jove and the crew at SF Freeride (Pelister) in January 2019. Seriously fabulous experience. Superb accommodation (owned and operated by the SF cat ski crew), exceptional food & hospitality, quality snowcat, terrain options & guides. It would be close to impossible to not have a good time here. Nearby Bitola is an interesting cultural experience too (as if the whole thing isn't enough of an experience in and of itself). 
Its true that SF stands for super fun, seriously fabulous, or any other superlative combination that will come to your mind after a visit. 
See our video here

Super Awesome Fun!

15/05/2019

Powderhounds Europe

Powderhounds Ambassador
Powderhounds Ambassador

Powderhounds Europe

Powderhounds Ambassador
Powderhounds Ambassador
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Country
    Global
  • Admin Rating
    5

Super Awesome Fun!

15/05/2019

We loved our time with SF Freeride. It may not have been the best snow or the biggest terrain we’ve ever skied but the whole package at SF Freeride is just fabulous.

The comfortable Hotel Sumski Feneri is a great start. Easily the best hotel we stayed in whilst in Macedonia (the country changed names to North Macedonia during our stay!). The service & food plus the friendly management & staff made you feel right at home. Ljubica runs a tight ship and has a great sense of humour to boot.

In the morning a quick van trip & then a long trundle up the hill in the cat had us champing at the bit to get started. Sunlight east facing, lightly treed terrain was perfect for first turns , even if a bit wind affected up top. A creamy layer of powder was just what the doctor ordered.

The journey to the summit of Mt Pelister at 2610m elevation reveals endless views across the lakes into Greece & Albania. Sadly, during our visit, the summit was covered in a nasty, icy crud; the result of serious winds the few days before. However, we found good powder lower down & in amongst the trees that made up for it. If the summit chutes are skiable, Pelister would totally rock.

The guiding is awesome due to their endless enthusiasm & exquisite local knowledge (even though maybe a tad loose on the group safety side, but hey, it is freeride!). Following Koce or Jove down the hill through the trees is an absolutely ripping ride.

Lunch in the mountain hut is a sight to behold. Just when we thought it was over, we were informed the main course hadn’t even been served yet. Holy shamolians! Surprised I could ski out the rest of the day.

Dinner back at the hotel can be as raucous or reserved as you like. We chose raucous. And it was. Hilariously so.

A few of us had an intriguing visit to the nearby city of Bitola just to mix things up a bit. If for some strange reason the cat can’t run, there is a little ski area called Pelister Kopanki nearby to keep the legs in tune.

We will return to ski the summit in powder & drink some more rakija with Jove! Who’s coming?


See our video here
SF Freeride Cat Skiing Tours & Packages
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SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages
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SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages
SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages SF Freeride Cat Skiing Packages
Price p/p From price based on 3-day package in a group of 8 people which includes 2 days cat skiing & 2 nights lodging plus all meals
Base/invoice currency is in EUR inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 593
See reviews (4)

GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY CAT-SKIING
Customised Cat Ski Packages

Location: Europe | Tour Focus: Guided | Terrain Focus: Backcountry
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Price p/p From price based on 3-day package in a group of 8 people which includes 2 days cat skiing & 2 nights lodging plus all meals
Base/invoice currency is in EUR inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 593
SF Freeride offers great cat ski packages on Pelister in North Macedonia with guided cat skiing & snowboarding powder, accommodation & all meals included. Get a group together & choose your own best dates & duration to fully customise your cat-ski tour. Add extra days & transfers! More
View inclusions & Add-ons
Inclusions
  • GUIDED CAT SKIING: 2 days fully guided cat skiing (3-day package)
  • ACCOMMODATION: 2 nights accommodation (twin-share)(2-day package)
  • ALL MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks
  • GROUND TRANSPORT: All ground transport during the tour
  • PHOTOGRAPHER: Professional photographer to capture the group's best moments
Add-ons
  • AVALANCHE SAFETY EQT: Avalanche safety equipment rental incl. backpack (price on application)
  • AIRPORT TRANSFERS: Return transfer from Skopje airport or other location (price on application)
  • EXTRA CAT SKI DAYS: €270 /day (cat ski day, all meals, accommodation)
  • EXTRA NIGHT ACCOMMODATION: Extra nights lodging with all meals (Price on application)
  • OTHER ACTIVITIES: Hosted local non-ski activity day tours (price on application)
  • DRINKS: Available at bar prices
Not Included
Click here for rates, dates & availability
Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
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