Camping on Shar Mountain at -20°C with 117 km/h Winds!

End of February. In the south of Macedonia, the first signs of spring appear, while the north is still deep in winter.

Our team will focus on winter in the upcoming period, as now is the perfect time to hit the mountains. Sunshine above you, snow beneath your feet.

We spoke with Irina Dishovska, a young woman who loves staying active in the mountains. Irina is currently in Africa, where just last week she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Irina describes herself as an adventurer. She had been thinking about winter camping for quite some time and decided to make it happen together with her friend Lazo Minovski on Šar Mountain.

What’s quite remarkable is that they chose some of the coldest days, during a severe winter cold wave on Šara that had been forecast weeks in advance.

Daytime temperatures hovered around -15°C, while at night it dropped below -20°C. With winds gusting over 100 km/h, it felt like -30°C outside. Inside their tent, the temperature was around -10°C.

They were mentally prepared for the tour’s challenges. Irina says they expected difficulties, but the gear they brought was perfect for these conditions, so they didn’t face any problems at all.

Their equipment included an expedition tent, expedition boots, expedition gloves, sleeping bags rated for -50°C, expedition jackets, and more. They left no room for issues related to the extreme cold.

Camping in the snow is a wonderful feeling, Irina says with a laugh. But she adds that they faced serious gusts of wind. According to the weather station at the Popova Shapka ski center, the second night recorded winds reaching 117 km/h, lasting from 2 to 5 in the morning. With such strong winds, they couldn’t fall asleep. “The sound of the wind simply wouldn’t let us,” she explains.

Regardless of whether the morning is sunny or gloomy, as theirs were, the feeling of waking up the next day brings positive energy because they endured the night. For her, it’s not just about whether they “survived” the night, but whether the camping gear held up—and the chances of it not holding in such wind were really high.

Irina advises everyone considering winter camping to be prepared for both the best and worst weather conditions. Mountain weather can change rapidly and unpredictably. Everyone should be fully mentally and physically prepared and carry truly good equipment. She emphasized that this must be expedition-grade gear, which is absolutely essential for winter camping. With good equipment, the risk of things going wrong is minimized. And never forget to bring your smile with you, Irina adds.