With a mind-boggling location, stunningly beautiful mountain and spine-tingling skiing and boarding, Le Massif de Petite-Rivière-Saint-François in Quebec's Charlevoix region provides a mass of pleasures.
BY HUGO PARADIS
I remember Le Massif in the 1980s, when the then-new ski area was a wild, virgin mountain, etched with a handful of primitively carved trails where Quebec powder hounds could get their fill of white gold.
There were no chairlifts, so skiers would take the so-called shuttle - an old school bus, truth be told - to get to the mountaintop. It took a while for the bus to reach the summit, and at best you could squeeze in maybe five runs a day.
Adding to the charm, there was always a guide along to make sure skiers didn't stray too far from the trails, or what passed for trails, since there were no grooming machines in those days. And Le Massif got so much snow that it was a powder paradise from early in the season onwards.
Back then, snowboarding was "plancha non grata" at all Quebec ski resorts - save Le Massive. For those of us taking up the brand-new sport, Le Massive was heaven on earth. Not only could you slice through thick powder on blissful 45-minute runs, but the mountain accepted us for what we were, which is to say a bunch of wackos who thought of ourselves as surfers but preferred a sea of snow to ocean swells.
Mountain by the Sea
Nowadays skiers and boarders of every stripe swarm to Le Massif, less than an hour from Quebec City. They may favour different sports, but whether skiing, boarding or falling about the mountain as they learn Telemarking, they all wear the same rapturous expression. This is a truly magical place that seems to hover between sky and sea, where you feel as if you're skimming along on fluffy clouds.
No other ski hill in eastern North America is so spectacularly situated. This "mountain by the sea," as they call it hereabouts, rises gloriously over the St. Lawrence River, a majestic beacon that stands out even among the scenic beauty of the Charlevoix region. The site is so stunning that you sometimes wonder whether the skiing is somehow superfluous, because the panoramic view alone provides such pleasure.
Le Massif also boasts the highest vertical rise (770 metres) east of the Rockies. If Quebec City had won its bid for the 2002 Olympics, this is where the downhill ski events would have been held. As it is, the National Alpine Training Centre at Le Massif is the only one in the province.
The mountain offers several family runs, including a long, gentle trail that unfolds over 3.8 kilometres. But nearly half the 42 runs are black diamond (very difficult) or double diamond (extreme), like the revered "42," a sinuous gem punctuated with bumps, narrow chutes and steep drops; Le Sous-Bois, a compelling gladed trail; and La Charlevoix, the sole certified Women's World Cup course in eastern Canada.
Because of its competition-calibre status, La Charlevoix is the only really wide run, occasionally reaching 100 metres across. None of the other trails get any wider than 30 metres, the better to combat erosion and wind. Located in the heart of a World Biosphere Reserve, Le Massif has to be particularly respectful of Mother Nature. For example, snowmaking takes place only where it won't affect vegetation, and no lodging facilities have been built onsite.
But changes are beginning to occur at Le Massif. The resort was purchased in 2002 by Cirque du Soleil co-founder and former president Daniel Gauthier, who is investing considerable amounts in beefing up mountain infrastructure. In 2004, $5 million went into adding six new runs, a new quad lift and 90 new snow cannons. Beyond that, nobody knows just what future development the resort will see, as no master plan has yet been drawn up.
It's clear, however, that Gauthier would like to transform Le Massif into a leading year-round recreational and tourist destination. Still, he plans to base the expansion on skiing and winter sports, which is only logical. Gazing upon this mountain from its summit or from the river, it's clear winter sports are exactly what it was made for.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on Quebec
Click here for more winter activities
BY HUGO PARADIS
I remember Le Massif in the 1980s, when the then-new ski area was a wild, virgin mountain, etched with a handful of primitively carved trails where Quebec powder hounds could get their fill of white gold.
There were no chairlifts, so skiers would take the so-called shuttle - an old school bus, truth be told - to get to the mountaintop. It took a while for the bus to reach the summit, and at best you could squeeze in maybe five runs a day.
Adding to the charm, there was always a guide along to make sure skiers didn't stray too far from the trails, or what passed for trails, since there were no grooming machines in those days. And Le Massif got so much snow that it was a powder paradise from early in the season onwards.
Back then, snowboarding was "plancha non grata" at all Quebec ski resorts - save Le Massive. For those of us taking up the brand-new sport, Le Massive was heaven on earth. Not only could you slice through thick powder on blissful 45-minute runs, but the mountain accepted us for what we were, which is to say a bunch of wackos who thought of ourselves as surfers but preferred a sea of snow to ocean swells.
Mountain by the Sea
Nowadays skiers and boarders of every stripe swarm to Le Massif, less than an hour from Quebec City. They may favour different sports, but whether skiing, boarding or falling about the mountain as they learn Telemarking, they all wear the same rapturous expression. This is a truly magical place that seems to hover between sky and sea, where you feel as if you're skimming along on fluffy clouds.
No other ski hill in eastern North America is so spectacularly situated. This "mountain by the sea," as they call it hereabouts, rises gloriously over the St. Lawrence River, a majestic beacon that stands out even among the scenic beauty of the Charlevoix region. The site is so stunning that you sometimes wonder whether the skiing is somehow superfluous, because the panoramic view alone provides such pleasure.
Le Massif also boasts the highest vertical rise (770 metres) east of the Rockies. If Quebec City had won its bid for the 2002 Olympics, this is where the downhill ski events would have been held. As it is, the National Alpine Training Centre at Le Massif is the only one in the province.
The mountain offers several family runs, including a long, gentle trail that unfolds over 3.8 kilometres. But nearly half the 42 runs are black diamond (very difficult) or double diamond (extreme), like the revered "42," a sinuous gem punctuated with bumps, narrow chutes and steep drops; Le Sous-Bois, a compelling gladed trail; and La Charlevoix, the sole certified Women's World Cup course in eastern Canada.
Because of its competition-calibre status, La Charlevoix is the only really wide run, occasionally reaching 100 metres across. None of the other trails get any wider than 30 metres, the better to combat erosion and wind. Located in the heart of a World Biosphere Reserve, Le Massif has to be particularly respectful of Mother Nature. For example, snowmaking takes place only where it won't affect vegetation, and no lodging facilities have been built onsite.
But changes are beginning to occur at Le Massif. The resort was purchased in 2002 by Cirque du Soleil co-founder and former president Daniel Gauthier, who is investing considerable amounts in beefing up mountain infrastructure. In 2004, $5 million went into adding six new runs, a new quad lift and 90 new snow cannons. Beyond that, nobody knows just what future development the resort will see, as no master plan has yet been drawn up.
It's clear, however, that Gauthier would like to transform Le Massif into a leading year-round recreational and tourist destination. Still, he plans to base the expansion on skiing and winter sports, which is only logical. Gazing upon this mountain from its summit or from the river, it's clear winter sports are exactly what it was made for.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on Quebec
Click here for more winter activities
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-Jackie