Snowboard Destinations of Quebec— Shred the Gnar!

Day 1 – Mont-Sainte-Anne

Only 30 mins from Quebec City,  the mountain has an international reputation for its impeccable snow conditions. There are 71 well-groomed trails. At sundown, Mont-Saint-Anne has the biggest night skiing vertical (625 M) in the country with 19 lit slopes (15.5 Km). The ski resort and mountain town’s main attributes are its picturesque terrain and family friendliness. The trails range from 3 to 13 km, allowing each individual to choose the run corresponding to his or her capacity.

Also worth noting are the special accommodation and ski packages with a valid ticket at the top 3 resorts of the region: Mont–Sainte–Anne, Stoneham Mountain Resort and Le Massif. Sounds like a best-kept secret. More skiing more stories! Click here for more information.

Due to windy conditions, only the South side of the mountain was open on the day we chose to ride. This did not affect our plans as we had only a half day and pretty much Mont-Sainte-Anne to ourselves! Despite the limited options we packed in lots of runs using the L’Étoile Filante gondola and L’Express du Sud chair lift running half as fast on this high wind, sunny day.

Top trail suggestions (advanced/expert level)

For snowboarding, we stuck to the blue squared hills (considered to be difficult) for both Quebec snowboard destinations:

1- Les Ilots is a short distance with a reasonably short vertical drop (soubois option) leading to the impressively long and scenic Le Gros Vallon which takes you all the way to the bottom of the hill.

2- Catching from the top Le Gros Vallon, briefly passing through the short beginner’s trail La Dolce Vita with a relatively low incline,  connected to the perfectly groomed La Beaupré which forks out into La Miche, L’Orléans or Le Court Vallon to the Gondola L’Étoile Filante. We alternated at the fork and found Le Court Vallon, the longer distance of the 3 the most enjoyable as we didn’t have to stop at the intersection, snowboarding right to the bottom and giving us a great leg workout!

3- If you choose to head a bit further East we recommend starting with the beginner trail La Grande Allée which leads to the swirvy, more secluded La Pichard connecting to the easy riding La Familiale right to L’Express du Sud quad chairlift, at the very bottom of the hill.

Our next challenge will be the South West side of the mountain where the more experienced skiers/snowboarders go for steeper trails within the black diamond trail network. Definitely a more vertical drop and bumpy ride (mogul alert)!

Day 2 – Le Massif

The Massif de Charlevoix is the highest vertical drop east of the Canadian Rockies, a spectacular panorama between river and mountain and loose snow haven. It is a mountain in full nature, a place to unwind away from agendas and concrete. The ski resort has direct access to 5 km of downhill skiing, with 20 marked slopes, served by a total of 3 ski lifts. There are 52 trails with an impressively large off-trail sector on the East side of the mountain.

First off the speed of the gondolas to the summit were very fast (8 mins to the top), where the Chalet Foret is located. In terms of slope types, the intermediate trails mostly lead you into other intermediate ones, from start to finish. Top to bottom you’re looking at a 15-18 minute descent, maybe less if you choose to bomb your way down and do less carving of the hill.

Top Snowboard Destination trail suggestions (expert level)

1- The less challenging trails can be found on the East side of the mountain offering a spectacular view of the St Laurence river. La Misaine is a terrific yet challenging mogul run which halfway down leads into La Pointue, an easier part of the slope to catch your breath and ending off into La Combe right to the bottom of the hill.

2- One of the longer trails is La Petite Rivière conditioned for a grand slalom into a beginner trail L’ancienne at the lower part of the hill where you can catch the gondola right back up. We must have done this one half a dozen times!

3- The more scenic, and at times challenging slopes were the narrow La Martine, La Batture and La Praire, all side by side which merge into La Combe and L’Ancienne. With the temperature being slightly higher in the afternoon (2 degrees Celsius) the snow was less compact and easier to ride making it fun to blow snow into each turn, during the descent.

Quebec’s snowboard top destinations were made all the more enjoyable staying at the Chateau Mont-Sainte-Anne, conveniently located at the base of the mountain, offering a quality stay. The Nordik studios are spacious, well decorated and have recently been renovated with queen size beds offering comfort and support, the cornerstone to a good night’s sleep!

The spa includes a sauna, and outdoor double deck jacuzzi were great ways to loosen up at the end our day of snowboarding. I would also highly recommend starting your day with their quintessential American breakfast buffet. Hearty options include bacon, sausage, french toast, scrambled eggs, baked beans, and fried potatoes. A more continental type breakfast is also available of yogurt, cereal and a great range of fruits. We definitely felt energized, throughout the day from these culinary delights.

We’re ready for a second round, at the top snowboard destinations of Quebec! After all that trailblazing, chow down, hands-on at the Kamayan Restaurant in Montreal.