Freeride mash-up of helicopters and snowcats in the wild and rugged Accursed Mountains!
We’re heading back to the Balkans, where we’ll combine two truly niche freeride destinations in the Accursed Mountains. Also known as the Albanian Alps, these steep and dramatic peaks catch moisture-laden weather systems rolling in from the Adriatic, collecting huge amounts of snowfall throughout the winter.
This is where we’ll combine our two favorite ways of accessing great freeride terrain – snowcats and helicopters 😉
We’ll kick things off with three days of snowcat freeriding in Kosovo, where we’ll hide away in a small family-run hotel serving Balkan specialties and craft beer. From there, we’ll head out each day for untouched descents from peaks such as Gjeravica (2,656 m), where the terrain offers an abundance of playful features and exciting lines.
The second part of the trip takes us to Albania’s Valbona Valley – the heart of the Accursed Mountains and what many call the European Alaska 😉 thanks to its wild character, steep terrain, and impressive snowfall. There, we’ll spend three days chasing powder by helicopter in some of the most spectacular terrain the Balkans have to offer.
We’ve never combined these two locations in a single trip before, and it’s hard to imagine a more exotic freeride adventure anywhere in Europe.
3 days snowcat
3 days heli-ski (2h engine time)
Balkans
New Destination – Accursed Mountains
Price Includes:
- 3 nights accommodation in a mountain guesthouse in Kosovo, triple rooms
- 3 nights accommodation in a hotel in Valbona, Albania, single rooms
- Full board during the mountain stay (7 days)
- 3 days of snowcat freeride skiing in Kosovo
- 3 days of heli-skiing in Albania (2 flight hours in total)
- Supervision by a Polish team leader
- Airport transfers on site
- Rental of an avalanche airbag backpack and avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, and shovel) – on site
- Standard travel insurance including medical expenses, accident coverage, and personal liability. Additional insurance covering off-piste skiing is required. Many of our clients already have year-round high-altitude policies. If you don’t have one, we can provide coverage for the trip at a cost of 230 PLN.
Price Does Not Include:
- Flights
- Ski or snowboard equipment – you need to bring your own
- Extreme sports insurance, including off-piste skiing
- Tips
- Anything not mentioned in the program
ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION
- The best flight connection from Warsaw is to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. From there, we have an organized transfer to Kosovo, which takes around 3 hours.
- Midway through the trip, we transfer to Albania – approximately 2–3 hours of driving.
- In Kosovo, we stay in a mountain guesthouse slightly off the beaten path 😉 in triple rooms.
- In Albania, we stay in a hotel in Valbona, in single rooms.
- For more information, check the TRIP PROGRAM tab
OFF PISTE – Terrain Details:
- Snowcat skiing in Kosovo:
- We ride in the Accursed Mountains on the Kosovo–Albania border – a very unique destination, not to be confused with the crowded Sharr Mountains
- We operate between 1,700 and 2,500 m, in terrain divided into several large sectors served by only one cat-skiing operator
- Daily vertical is around 3,000–4,000 m, consisting of approximately 5–8 runs
- The terrain offers wide open alpine meadows among trees as well as natural rollers, drops, and playful features – in short, a very “playful” playground
- Heli-skiing in Albania:
- We ride in the highest parts of the Accursed Mountains, also known as the Albanian Alps, one of the least urbanized high-mountain areas in Europe
- The terrain is predominantly alpine, with steep faces, couloirs, and vertical drops reaching up to 1,800 meters
- The package includes 2 flight hours to be used over 3 consecutive days, which should translate into approximately 10–12 drops
- It is possible to use up the flight package earlier. Additional helicopter time can also be purchased
- In case of bad weather, it may not be possible to fly the full package. In such cases, the operator will either refund part of the cost or issue a voucher – contact us for details
Difficulty Level: 7/10
- The trip is suitable for riders with at least 5 years of freeride experience, comfortable in complex terrain with slopes of 35–40 degrees. Terrain in Kosovo is slightly easier (6/10 difficulty rating), while full use of the heli-ski potential in Albania requires prior assessment of participants’ skills.
Trip Profile
SAFETY
- Off Piste’s golden rule – we only hire local guides who know the terrain inside out
- In Albania, heli-skiing is guided by certified IVBV/IFMGA guides
- In Kosovo, snowcat skiing is guided by local guides
- Depending on group size, we may split into two groups to operate more efficiently in the terrain
- The trip is overseen by a Polish team leader
- INSURANCE:
- The trip price includes basic travel insurance. Additional coverage for off-piste skiing is required. This can be purchased from us for 230 PLN per person. We do not include this in the base price as many of our clients have their own year-round high-altitude policies.
- There is also an option to purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance, which provides a refund in case you are unable to join us due to illness or other unforeseen events.
- Participants should have completed an avalanche safety course and be familiar with avalanche safety equipment and rescue procedures
- Avalanche airbag backpack and avalanche safety equipment (beacon, shovel, probe) are mandatory – available for free rental on site (reservation required).
HOW TO JOIN THE TRIP
- Fill out the reservation form
- We will contact you to sign the contract
- Pay a 30% deposit
- We’ll complete the group, handle the formalities, flights, details, etc.
- Pay the remaining amount 60 days before departure
CANCELLATION POLICY
- We recommend additional insurance in case of illness or an unforeseen event preventing you from traveling. You will then receive a full refund for the trip. Ask us about Trip Cancellation Insurance.
- We reserve the right to change the program due to circumstances beyond our control, such as insufficient participants, snow or weather conditions, or political situations. In case we need to cancel the trip (even for reasons beyond our control), we will promptly refund all payments made.
Day 1 (February 27)
We fly to Skopje or Pristina, from where we continue our journey into the Accursed Mountains on the Kosovo side. The transfer takes around 3 hours, and the last few kilometers will most likely be covered by snowcat in order to reach our guesthouse hidden deep in the mountains. We will have dinner and meet the guides for the first three days of snowcat skiing.
Days 2-4
Three days of snowcat freeriding in the area of Mount Gjeravica (2,656 m). On the afternoon of day three, we head to Albania, to the town and valley of the same name – Valbona.
Days 5-7
Three days of heli-skiing in the Albanian Alps 😁
Day 8
After breakfast, we drive to the airport (around 4 hours) and fly back home.
