Krushevo, North Macedonia
Kruševo is a small mountain town in North Macedonia known for its beautiful alpine scenery, rich history, and vibrant cultural heritage. Perched at over 1,300 meters, it’s one of the highest towns in the Balkans.
Flying
The terrain provides a pleasant mix of ridge-runs and flatland flying, with good cloudbase heights attainable in mid-summer, ample landing options, and interesting XC route options.
There are 2 main take-offs, both just a 5 minute drive from the town itself:
Krushevo East
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9nv5VBzMTXd7SHC6
Altitude: 1405m
The most commonly used take-off is facing East, at 1,405m. There is a huge amount of space to prepare gliders, and a large astro-turfed launch for several gliders to take off from.
Typically the anabatic flow is pulling the wind onto the hill in the morning, and on light meteo wind days the East face will be working all day. The flat, open valley in front provides plenty of easy landing options.
Krushevo West
Within a few mins walk/drive is the less commonly used West take-off. The landing options immediately below are not as easy as the East side, and this take off is typically only used on days with a stronger Westerly meteo component. However, with a little altitude there are easier landing options in the West valley within reach, or pilots tend to 'flop over' the back and are then within reach of the landings on the East side.
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Typical flights and XC routes are following the ridge-line to the North / North East, and South towards Bitola, and out into the flats towards the town of Prilep. It's also possible to explore the ridges to the West/South West, and fly towards lakes Prespa & Ohrid.
There are other take-offs in the area that we sometimes visit - including Ribnik - a small training hill in the middle of the valley that takes nearly every wind direction, and Treskavec Monastery, a Westerly facing site near the city of Prilep. Lake Ohrid also has a scenic take-off with some XC potential and is well worth the 1hr40 drive for a day out.
To see example flights made in the area from Xcontest, click here:
Weather
The whole area generally has relatively dry, hot summers, with a prevailing Northerly wind bringing dry air from the land mass above. Cloudbase is typically 2000-3000m during the summer. The terrain provides plenty of good thermal triggers, and climbs of 3-5m/s are typical.
The best months of the year for XC flying are from June - September.
Accommodation
Accommodation is included in the cost of the holiday and is typically a Hotel or B&B, based on 2 sharing a room.
We have several options and for group bookings we can arrange accommodation based on the preferences of the group.
Accommodation details will be confirmed before arrival.
Private Rooms
If you would like to book a private room then please just ask whilst booking. This is subject to availability and surcharge.
Getting there
The closest airport to Krushevo is Skopje (~2 hours) - transfers are included on arrival/dep days.
Thessaloniki airport is around 3.5hrs drive away and has better international connections if pilots wish to arrange their own transport. Worth noting is that many rental vehicles from SKG do not allow cross-border travel, so if planning that, please check with your rental agency first.
What's included?
Transfers to and from Skopje Airport
Hotel or B&B Accommodation with breakfast
Transport to launch and XC Retrieves
Weather briefings & XC task setting
Transport on non-flyable days
Skygods T-Shirt
Suitability
All pilots need to be suitably qualified to fly on their own in whichever country they are coming from. For UK pilots this would mean CP rated, with some thermalling experience.
We strongly advise guests to take a comprehensive Holiday Insurance Policy that includes cover for Paragliding.
Pilots also need:
VHF Radio
Smartphone with mobile data
Livetrack24 account
An app capable of tracking to LT24, for a complete list for Android/iOS/Windows see:
Cost
The cost for a week is €650
OFFERS:
*** Book 2 consecutive weeks and get €50 off your second week! ***
*** Previous guests receive €50 off per booking ***
All discounts are automatically applied and taken off your final bill, payable on arrival.
How to Book
A deposit of €100 per week booked is required, and the remainder due on arrival, either in Euros cash or by IBAN transfer.
Please contact us with the week(s) you would like to come, and we will provide instructions on how to pay the deposit.
Refund Policy
Deposits are non-refundable. However - please contact us if, for some reason you cannot make a trip - and we may be able to transfer your deposit to use on a different trip (subject to availability). Or you may transfer your deposit for the same trip to a friend or someone else - please just make contact to request any changes.
Social Media
Please click the Gallery link for more pictures or check out our social media pages:
FLY WITH THE GODS!