Top 5: the most beautiful places in Québec for alpine ski touring

Everybody knows our Quebec winters can feel endless and (very) cold. The best solution we’ve found to get through the glacial months is to take up an outdoor winter sport. If hiking and skiing, majestic mountains or fairytale glades are your things, then alpine touring is your sport. Check out our selection of five of Quebec’s best places for alpine touring - for a day or a complete weekend.

1. Mont-Tremblant: classic and charming

For whom? Beginners to advanced

Why Mont-Tremblant? Mont-Tremblant is the pride of the Laurentians, reputed for its many magnificent trails, as well as its charming little pedestrian village and its breathtaking views. Ascend the highest mountain in the Laurentians in one of the designated zones or wooded trails and ski back down on one of the 102 groomed ski trails.

Rates: Day access at $9.99 or season’s pass at $39.99

Rental: Option to rent your equipment on site

2. Mont Sutton: nature at its best

For whom? Beginners to advanced

Why Mont Sutton? With its 93 hectares of skiable area and sixty trails, Mont Sutton stands out in Quebec for its glades concept. It also offers two alpine touring circuits, one for dedicated ski buffs, and the other to introduce skiers to this thrilling discipline.

Rates: Day access $10 and season’s pass $50

Rental: Option to rent your equipment on site

3. Mont-Orford: now more than double the back-country area

For whom? Beginners to advanced

Why Mont-Orford? To more than double the pleasure for back-country skiers, the park opened three new trails in 2017 to now offer a total of five. For those who wish to make their excursion even more of a challenge, all you have to do is visit the mountain in the evening and put on your headlamp. A one-of-a-kind experience! Incredible snowscapes, hardwood trees and glades, both day and night.

Rates: Day access $8

Rental: Option to rent your equipment on site

4. Parc national de la Gaspésie: fairy-tale landscapes

For whom? Intermediate to advanced

Why Parc national de la Gaspésie? Covering 802 square kilometres and located in the heart of the Gaspé peninsula, this national park will make you forget all the other mountains in the west of the province. For dedicated back-country skiers, there are six groomed excursions that add up to a total of 190 km of trails. If you like to take long treks, you can take a break in one of the 17 huts scattered throughout the network of trails.

Rates: Day access $8.60

Rental: Option to rent your equipment on site

5. Le Massif de Charlevoix: Breathtaking views

For whom? Intermediate to advanced

Why Le Massif de Charlevoix? Discover over 15 kilometres of ascending trails that serve the skiable area as well as the back-country. When you make it to the peak, enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire region of Charlevoix. When the sky is clear, you can even get a glimpse of Quebec City.

Rates: Day access at $25

Rental: Option to rent your equipment on site

So did your favourite mountain make our hit list? For thrilling weekends in the great outdoors, these five selections are just a small sample of Quebec’s back-country winter wonders.

Learn more about alpine touring and gear in our article on finding the right equipment.