Balkan – Winter Experience

Group Size

Min. 4, Max. 8

Starting Point

Skopje

Activities

Cat Skiing & Skitouring

Next Date

-coming soon- Feb & March 2023

Fitness

Physical fitness required

Ski Level

Experience on ski or snowboard

Adventure

How for to push into the unknown

The Package Includes

• 2 days Cat-skiing @ Lynx Freeride Lodge, 3-4 days free-touring (skitouring, resortskiing)
• 7 night in double rooms (Guesthouses, apartments and hotel) / single room option available
• Breakfast, Lunchpack, Dinner
• Local Guides (English speaking)
• UIAGM certified Mountain Guide (German & English-speaking)
• Transports and driver

The Package Does Not Include

• Flights
• Ski & Snowboard gear
• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips

Skills And Fitness Required

Our trips are masterminded by professional athletes, but you definitely don’t have to be one to join us on them. For us sport is above all a medium to connect people and realise dreams, whether it’s winter or summer. Some skills may be required depending on the adventure, but mostly our journeys are designed for anyone that’s motivated, fit and excited to broaden their horizons. This trip is for experienced off-piste skiers/boarders. You should be able to ski all kinds of terrain with confidence and a good technique. This trip also requires handling skills and basic knowledge of climbing skins, avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. Experience in rappelling is not necessary. Physical fitness is mandatory for participating in our freeride trips. Our guides are of course eager to adjust the pace to the group as best they can, but hikes between 400 and 800 meters in altitude should not be a problem for you. Depending on snow, strength and motivation of the group hikes will take between 1-3 hours. Participants may be excluded from certain runs or hikes if they don’t meet the requirements and / or endanger themselves, the group or the mountain guides.

Lift-assisted Freetouring

A combination of freeride and touring. We adapt our daily plans to the current conditions. When there’s fresh powder, for example, we don’t waste time on long hikes if we have a lift available. The focus is on skiing as much powder as possible and touring skis help us approach the best possible snow conditions.

Snowcat Skiing

Cat skiing with LYNX Freeride is an adventure in itself. The lodge is far from civilization and you can really relax up there. Sebo and Hamdi, our local guides, will get us to the best spots around the highest peak of the Kosovo, Gjeravica. A modern snowcat is ready for us to explore the remote slopes around the Lodge.

Equipment

Our trips are suitable for skiers and snowboarders (splitboard). For skiers we recommend skis with 90 to 115mm under foot. Best case would be with pin bindings and free-touring ski boots. We don’t exclude snowboarders, but please check the trip requirements and sign up only if you can fullfil them easily. Avalanche equipment (backpack, avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe) is mandatory. Helmet is recommended, but optional on this trip. We also suggest proper outer wear in order to adopt to changing weather conditions. Snow goggles, sunglasses, spare gloves, cap, possibly balaclava or mask. An airbag backpack is recommended, but not mandatory. If you need any rentals, let us know.

Safety

Our trips are suitable for skiers and snowboarders (splitboard). For skiers we recommend skis with 90 to 115mm under foot. Best case would be with pin bindings and free-touring ski boots. We don’t exclude snowboarders, but please check the trip requirements and sign up only if you can fullfil them easily. Avalanche equipment (backpack, avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe) is mandatory. Helmet is recommended, but optional on this trip. We also suggest proper outer wear in order to adopt to changing weather conditions. Snow goggles, sunglasses, spare gloves, cap, possibly balaclava or mask. An airbag backpack is recommended, but not mandatory. If you need any rentals, let us know.

Terrain

On of the major advantages in this region is, that we don’t have to hurry or fight for our lines. There will be many different options to ski down the different venues, from steep couloirs, tree-runs with pillows and mellow open powder fields. Our mountain guide will choose the terrain according to the conditions so everybody can find interesting terrain to ski and stays safe.

Possible Changes

Many years of planning Freeride trips and searching for the best possible snow conditions taught us, that it’s best to stay as flexible as possible. In order to get the most out of your trip, our packages are open for small changes until soon before the trip starts and we checked all the conditions in the destinations involved. Nature is always stronger than the human will. Forcing ourselves into something is not our way and safety is always priority. If we have to change plans or even skip a day of skiing we hope you understand that we do this in order to keep everybody safe.

Food

The cuisine on the Balkan is one of the highlights of the trip. There is a broad variety of meat dishes, but also a lot of vegetarian options that definitely provide all the nutrients a veggie lover needs. The breakfast is usually very rich and for the road we will either have snacks on huts or bring lunch packs. On this trip we rarely get any packaged food and most ingredients will be out of local organic farming.

Accomondation

We spend three nights in private houses, with different room options available. The houses are modern and well equipped with kitchens and comfortable beds. Rooms fit up to four people, but there are doubles and single available. The Lynx lodge offers rooms with twin beds and some with queen sized beds perfect for couples or against charge as single rooms.

How To Get There

There are no flights included in the package, as we learned that most people like to take care of this themselves. Secondly, we are reaching out to an international audience to join our trips. There are many possibilities to fly into Skopje, for those out of the Austrian region, check out Austrian Airlines and Wizzair out of Memmingen. If you want us to send you a flight offer just mention it in the inquiry form. There is the possibility of taking the train, just contact us for information about schedules and recommendations.

Visa Information

Europeans don’t need a visa in advance for the Balkan states. Your passport should be valid for at least 180 days after arrival date. For people from other parts of the world contact us or check the visa requirements by yourself.

How to book your trip

• Place your non-binding booking request
• You will receive your personal or group offer + a standard information sheet from us within three days
• Let us know if you want to accept the offer (valid for seven days)
• When you are ready you will immediately receive the travel contract with all further information
• Transfer the 20% advanced payment within seven days (you now have a spot for the trip)
• The remaining amount is due 20 days before the start of the trip (you will receive a reminder email)