IMAGES: BORJAN JOVANOSKI
Novel ski destinations FIVE MORE
UZBEKISTAN Opened in 2019, the resort of Amirsoy on the western edge of the Tian Shan Mountains is a 90-minute drive from the capital of Tashkent. There are 13 ski runs and several ski lifts, with skiing mostly suited to beginners and intermediates, although the ski touring opportunities are endless. Plans are afoot to link this new resort with established neighbours Beldersoy and Chimgan to create a ski area that rivals some of Europe’s biggest.
amirsoy.com
Ski guide Meto prepares his skis
for the final climb to the top after being dropped off by the cat
Opposite, clockwise from top left: The group assesses a steep gully
to decide if it’s safe to ski; clipping into bindings for a descent in
pristine powder snow conditions; a snowboarder plays in the powder
TURKEY There are around 40 ski areas in Turkey, although most are tiny. Palandöken is one of the few exceptions. Located near the city of Erzurum, it has 13 lifts and 27 miles of ski runs. Turkey’s vast mountainous terrain is perfect setting for heli-skiing, and the Kaçkar range, used by Swiss-operated company
Heliski.Pro, is roughly the size of the northern French Alps. Two helicopters fly out of the base hotel in the village of Ayder, with skiers and snowboarders guided in groups of four.
heliski.pro
from Sarajevo following the Winter Olympics, is the longest I’ve ever experienced, taking over 20 minutes. I guess it’s why cat skiing has fulfilled a natural need here. But there’s also a new, eight-person express lift that’s as good as any you’d find in the Alps, and on a sunny weekend, locals from the region flock to the slopes. But for overseas visitors, cat skiing is the raison d’être here. And that skiing area is vast. We explore more
every day, pushing further away from our base as the warming weather transforms the snow into the mythical ‘corn’ variety that feels like velvet under our skis. Long runs under cliff bands and through gullies allow the group to spread out, reconvening on a cat track below — the machine is never far away. Lunches are al fresco in valleys far from any restaurant bustle; warm moussaka a favourite Shar Adventures’ picnic. It’s a wilderness that also feels a long way
from the North Macedonian capital. But in fact Skopje, where I’d begun my trip, is just an hour’s drive away. Divided in two by the river Vardar, a stop-off here adds a cultural element to a novel ski break. On the north bank, I find a retinue of mosques overlooking the Old Bazaar, and markets laden with showy jewellery and local food. The call to prayer brings in the male population, the simple restaurants serving kebabs and Turkish tea
await their return. Across the Stone Bridge to the south, the city feels more European; local wine is served with dishes inspired by Mediterranean cuisine — rustic and comforting. Fresh salads are ubiquitous and it seems a point of national pride that they showcase the very best homegrown tomatoes. But up in the Shar Mountains, it’s the
wilderness than wins the most accolades. Despite our cat’s precarious start, by the end of the week, the machine feels like an old friend. On our final day, Meto gazes southwards, across the vast untouched terrain towards the country’s highest mountain, Korab, which punctuates the horizon at 9,068ft. There’s so much more to explore. “Our company began with hiking, then ski touring, then we found our first cat machine,” says Meto. “And we now have four,” he beams. “We’ll keep exploring this place. This is our home, and we’re very lucky.”
HOW TO DO IT A six-night stay at the four-star Hotel Scardus in Popova Sapka costs from €1,425 (£1,234) per person, full-board, based on two sharing, including five days of cat skiing. Flights and airport transfers not included. Wizz Air operates non-stop flights from Luton to Skopje — which is about an hour’s drive from Popova Sapka — from £44 one-way.
sharoutdoors.com
wizzair.com
GREECE It may seem like an unlikely candidate for a skiing holiday, but snow conditions in Greece’s main ski resorts during the 2021-22 winter season were some of the best in years. There are more than 100 ski lifts across the country and the largest resort, Parnassos, is just a three-hour drive from Athens. It has 17 lifts and 23 ski runs, the longest stretching two-and-a- half miles.
parnassos-ski.gr
KAZAKHSTAN Almaty’s largest resort, Shymbulak, is less than an hour’s drive from Kazakhstan’s old capital, but there’s a variety of on-slope accommodation available, too. The 13 miles of ski runs are served by six lifts including a gondola and several chairlifts, and while terrain is suited to intermediates, the nearby resort of Ak Bulak has more advanced terrain.
shymbulak.com
GEORGIA Although there are just five ski resorts and a couple of cat and heli-skiing operations to choose from in the country, the Caucasus Mountains host some of the most underrated ski terrain in the world. The largest skiing area is Gudauri, two hours from Tbilisi, but the highlight has to be Svaneti, a remote valley in the heart of Europe’s highest peaks. The ski areas of Mestia and Tetnuldi, meanwhile, are modern and well-appointed.
gudauri.com
WINTER SPORTS 2022/23 77
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