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Cross-Country Skiing and
Snowshoeing at Mont-Tremblant
Cross Country Center - (Ski de fond
Mont-Tremblant) - 539 Chemin Saint-Bernard, Mont-
Tremblant, Quebec J8E1B1
Mont-Tremblant
has been built by Intrawest Resorts into a European-style village that
provides the complete resort experience. The Quebecois culture and French
language is a treat for Americans and other travelers but almost all
employees that work in the retail stores, restaurants and pubs also
speak English. It is a great place for romance but also a Disney-like
experience for families.
More than 260 km
of cross-country trails are scattered in the region, most of which are
found in Mont-Tremblant Cross Country Ski Center (819-425-5588,
www.skidefondmont-tremblant.com)
and the national park, Parc du Mont-Tremblant (819-688-2281).
Trails wind through maple and birch forests and provide views of wildlife
and lakes.
There are two networks
of marked, patrolled and groomed trails. The La Diable network has nine
trails totaling 56 km with six heated huts along the way. The La Pimbina
network has seven trails, 30 km all together, with two heated huts.
Skis and snowshoes are available for rent, and you can also arrange
a trip on marked but ungroomed trails to backcountry bunkhouses.
To get away from all civilization, except for a few strategically located
heated huts, head to the Parc du Mont-Tremblant and plan to make a day
of it (or two days if winter camping and “an intense encounter
with our Quebec winter,” as they put it, appeals to you).
This vast reserve
offers two reception centers, complete with ski and snowshoe rentals
and 150 km of marked and groomed trails. Pack a lunch and ski out to
one of the heated huts; trail loops of varying degrees of difficulty
and length may be chosen. If you’re lucky, trail guides will stop
by a hut to tell you more about the history and the wildlife of the
region.
The Cross-Country Center (Ski de fond Mont-Tremblant) at Domaine Saint-Bernard is owned by the Mont-Tremblant Municipality. It offers a network of 65 km of groomed trails of which 50 km are for skate skiing. The undulating trails are known for their magnificent vistas, but, alas for the novice skier, the majority of these vantage points are located on diamond and double-diamond trails. The breakdown of trail difficulty is 35% easy, 40 more difficult and 25% most difficult. The trails have been recently upgraded rolling along the Devil's River, and through forests and meadows.
Trail fees for Ski
de fond Mont-Tremblant are $12 Cdn per day and $9 Cdn for people over
65 years old. XC ski equipment rentals are $20 Cdn per day for classic
and $23 Cdn for skating. Snowshoes are $15 Cdn and baby gliders are
$15 Cdn daily. There are discounts for half day rentals. Lessons are
packaged with the trail ticket and rental equipment for $50 Cdn or semi-private
lessons (4-6 skiers) are $75 Cdn for an hour and half for the group.
Individual private lessons are $35 Cdn for one hour.
Choose
in-village, inn-to-inn trails in the
Mont Tremblant region, a wilderness trek in the nearby Parc du Mont-Tremblant
or experience the longest linear park in North America, the 200-kilometer
"Le P’tit Train du Nord," that runs from Saint-Jerome
through Mont Tremblant to Mont-Laurier. St. Jerome to Ste-Agathe is
for cross-country skiing, and Ste-Agathe to Mt. Laurier is for snowmobiling.
Popular choices for the average cross country skier, who will still get his or her share of magnificent views and occasional sightings of wildlife, include the winding Domaine Saint-Bernard, the Jack Rabbit and skiing on the Gray Rocks golf course. A portion of Le P’tit Train du Nord linear park is also incorporated into these trails.Gray Rocks has 220 rooms and condos, recently renovated with a main hotel that includes dining, game rooms, indoor sports complex and swimming pool.
Directions to Mont-Tremblant Cross-Country Center take Highway 327 via Chemin Saint-Bernard between Montee Ryan and Gray Rocks Hotel. Landmark at Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant on the corner of Highway 327. CCSAA member