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The Inside Line: Popova Shapka
By Michael Bogdan
I took a break from
my weekend
routine of sleeping
till noon in Sveti
Nikole to go out
and see some more
of what Macedonia
has to offer.
Browsing a Macedonia guidebook, it
dawned on me that I still
haven't seen much of
this country. Sure, I
could tell you about
various city bus stations
or the similar skara/
pizza joints in many
towns, but those are not
the only travel memories
I want to take back after
two years in the Peace
Corps.
To help remedy
this, I took a break from
my weekend routine of
sleeping till noon in
Sveti Nikole to go out
and see some more of
what Macedonia has to
offer. With the company
of a few like-minded
souls I headed to Popova
Shapka. This trip would
allow me to see the Tetovo area, an utter mystery to me thus far, and
allow me to get my skiing fix at one of the largest mountains in Macedonia.
The mountain
was really impressive.
Pine trees at lower elevations gave way to
wide expanses of snow
covered peaks. Erratic
light brown rock faces
sprouted from bright
snow giving definition
to the mountainscape.
The services provided on the mountain
were fine. I was able to
rent some pretty decent
equipment, passing the
all-important test of being newer than the ancient gear my Dad still
skis on. The operating
lifts consisted of 1 twoman chair and 3 T-bars.
The enjoyment of trying
to negotiate an ascent on
a T-bar without looking
silly far outweighs the
bother of its dawdling
pace. The one beef I did
have was that the lifts in
operation only went half
way up the mountain,
leaving the best terrain
just out of reach. Regardless, the price was
certainly right: 400 den.
each for equipment and
lift ticket.
Being able to ski
while in the Peace Corps
is a reward in itself.
Shapka seems a good
place to try out skiing
for the first time as the
hills are not too steep at
the base. But if you find
yourself bored after a
couple of runs, there are
alternatives. Pack a
small shovel to build
yourself a little jump
and it can be exciting to
do that same little run
over and over again.
This is a popular pastime in the skiing doldrums of central New
York where lifts will
take you to the top of
pretty much nothing.
Shapka on the other
hand is a beast of a
mountain tamed only by
limited reach of its lifts.
With this in mind a
more interesting option