Db Journey x DBP x Nikolaj Vang: From Snow Rollers to First Tracks in North Macedonia

Catskiing in North Macedonia: From Snow Rollers in Copenhagen to First Tracks in Popova Šapka

An army of Db Journey Snow Rollers slowly gathers in the check-in queue at Copenhagen Airport. It is a pretty clear indication of what is about to happen.

“Are you going skiing with DBP too?” someone asks further ahead in the queue.

And that is how the very first Db Journey x DBP Adventures x Nikolaj Vang trip to North Macedonia begins.

The Community Begins at the Airport

Before the plane has even taken off, we get the first small glimpse of the sense of community that will come to define the entire trip.

A couple of participants have forgotten to book ski baggage, but the problem is quickly solved. Fortunately, the many spacious Snow Rollers have room for a few extra snowboards.

LET’S ROLL!

By the time we reach the gate, the participants have become easy to recognise. A quick glance reveals Db Huggers, Snow Backpacks and Snow Rollers all heading in the same direction.

The group is a great mix of solo travellers, friends and families of different ages. Most have never been to North Macedonia before, and for many, it is also their first catskiing experience.

What they all share is a passion for skiing and a growing sense of excitement about the four days awaiting them in the mountains.

Far from the Traditional Ski Resorts

After arriving in Skopje, we continue towards Popova Šapka in the Šar Mountains. Along the way, we make a short stop at a local petrol station to stock up on snacks for our days in the snowcats. Once we reach the mountains, there are no shops, restaurants or cafés close at hand, as many people may be used to from a traditional ski holiday.

This small stop is also our first reminder that we are heading towards a very different kind of ski trip. There are no extensive lift systems, polished Alpine villages or lift queues here.

Instead, an enormous mountain area, experienced local guides and snowcats that take us out to new lines every morning await us.

Catskiing works by using a grooming machine fitted with a purpose-built passenger cabin to transport the group up through the terrain. When we reach the top, or the snowcat cannot go any further, we continue down on skis or snowboards. The snowcat then picks up the group again.

This gives us access to vast areas of the mountain and an average of around 2,400 vertical metres per day.

It is the kind of journey where it is best to leave your inner perfectionist at home. Popova Šapka is simple, local and shaped by the distinctive charm of the Balkans. Things do not always work exactly as they would in the Alps. But the hospitality is warm, the atmosphere is authentic and the experience is unlike anything else.

Three Snowcats – but One Big Team

The group is divided among three snowcats, and throughout the trip, Nikolaj Vang moves among them so that everyone has the opportunity to ski and exchange ideas with him.

After spending time with all three groups, he describes their level like this:

“It is a very evenly matched group – it could easily have been one big team.”

That is also how the trip feels.

Conversations flow inside the snowcats as they make their way up through the terrain. On the mountain, tips, lines and high-fives are shared. After each ski day, the conversations continue over dinner, at the bar and in the hotel’s pool and sauna.

There is space both for those who want to challenge themselves and for those who have primarily come to experience a completely new mountain area. What matters most is not who skis the steepest line, but that everyone shares the joy of being out in the mountains.

Read the Terrain Before Skiing Your Line

Nikolaj Vang joins the trip as our freeride expert. His coaching is not limited to a scheduled talk; it continues throughout every day in the snowcats and out on the mountain.

During the trip’s freeride talk on the second evening, he brings together some of the most important lessons:

1. Read the Terrain

Stop, study the terrain and choose the point you want to ski. Think about your turns and visualise your line before setting off.

2. Dial It Back on Your First Runs

Take it easy and dial things back by around 20 per cent on your first runs. Get a feel for the snow and the surface before going at full speed. Conditions can vary, and it is important to get to know the mountain first.

3. Maintain a Strong, Centred Position

Engage your core so that your upper and lower body work together. Keep your arms forward and your hands within your field of vision, while keeping your upper body facing down the mountain. This helps you avoid falling into the back seat and gives you greater control in variable terrain.

The conversation also turns to equipment. Nikolaj’s most important point is that your gear should allow you to have fun in many different snow conditions. For many skiers, a versatile freeride ski measuring approximately 104–110 millimetres underfoot is a good option, while rocker and early rise help the ski float more easily in powder.

The evening ends with films from Nikolaj’s archive and stories from a life shaped by freeriding – a fitting conclusion to another day in the mountains.

Gear Designed to Go the Distance

Db Journey is a natural part of the trip before we have even left Copenhagen Airport.

More than half of the participants arrive with a Db Snow Roller, and several of the bags have already been travelling for more than seven years. When Claus Loft Madsen, a representative from Db Journey, later shares the ideas behind the products, the gear is not simply on display – it has already travelled with us all the way from check-in to the mountains.

Claus talks about features including Db’s Hook-Up System, which makes it possible to connect bags, the length-adjustment system in the Snow Roller and the Rib Cage construction, which protects the contents without adding unnecessary weight.

But the story is also about something bigger than features and materials.

Db aims to create gear that makes it easier to travel out into the world and is durable enough to come along again and again. When your equipment works as it should, you can focus on what travelling is really about: the experiences, the people and the places you encounter along the way.

On this particular trip, that idea becomes very tangible. Space inside the Snow Rollers is shared, bags are hooked together, and the gear travels from the airport to the hotel, into the snowcats and out into the mountains.

The collaboration does not end with the presentation. Everyone joining the trip also receives an exclusive 15% discount code for Db Journey and is automatically entered into a giveaway for selected Db products.

More Than Four Days of Skiing

The biggest experiences naturally take place out on the mountain: the long descents, lunch in a raw and authentic mountain hut, and the feeling of standing at the top of a new line.

But skiing is not the only thing the participants take home with them.

It is also the conversations inside the snowcats. Lunches on the mountain. Freeride stories in the evening. Encountering a different culture. The final dinner at the hotel in Skopje and the new connections formed between people who had been strangers only a few days earlier.

It is a trip filled with great energy and a strong sense of community across generations. A group of like-minded people united by a passion for skiing and the experiences the sport can create.

Several participants from the first trip have already signed up for next year’s adventure. Perhaps that says more than anything else about what emerged in North Macedonia in January 2026.

We Are Doing It Again in 2027

From 19–24 January 2027, Db Journey, DBP Adventures and Nikolaj Vang will return to Popova Šapka.

Four days of catskiing await, with experienced local mountain guides, coaching from our freeride expert Nikolaj Vang, Db gear, an average of around 2,400 vertical metres per day and a strong mountain community.

The trip is for anyone who feels comfortable on skis or a snowboard, can handle varying snow conditions and wants to experience freeriding far from the traditional destinations.

You do not need to travel with anyone. The first trip welcomed solo travellers, friends and families alike.

Explore the trip and book your place for 2027

Photos and video: Michael Gramtorp