Travel Talk

Winter Getaway at Mont Sainte Anne

December 13, 2014July 20, 2019 by SHABL

gondola_mont_sainte_anne

Greetings,

I’m writing this from my hometown of Ottawa, Canada and getting ready to leave this winter wonderland behind shortly. I want to talk about a great winter getaway I recently experienced at Mont Sainte Anne just outside Quebec City in Quebec, Canada. This is my second time skiing at Mont Sainte Anne and you can read my first posts here and here. This time I rolled up with a friend, stayed in a great condo at the base and tried my luck at skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing…

glades_mont_sainte_anne

I’ve always been a bit of a skiier and a snowboarder but thought I was more of a skiier; that all changed. I skied the first day and it was solid times. A decent number of runs were open which was nice considering it’s so early in the season and we even found some great fresh snow near the top of one of the runs we took. What a difference it makes when you have some steep terrain covered with fluffy snow; it’s totally bliss I tell you. I spent the day skiing and it reminded me why I love the sport so much.

summit_mont_sainte_anne

The next day I rented out a snowboard and wasn’t sure how it was going to go considering it has been ages since I’ve ridden one. It was just like riding a bike and a lot more fun, I dare say. On a snowboard you can really jib everything, do small ollies and all the random little bumps, twists and turns are easier to handle at all speeds once you get your balance and edge management right. Myself and my friend rode through the Enchanted Forest and had a wonderful time.

snoeshowing_mont_sainte_anne
The following day there was a massive blizzard which was supposed to be great for snow conditions. The problem was that the wind was howling too fast so they couldn’t open the gondola. As a result we went snowshoeing and it was quite the adventure. I haven’t been snowshoeing in ages and would like to do more. It’s like a hike only more fun as the terrain is more intense and it’s easy to stay cool as well, it’s cold outside. Something popular to do is hike to the top of the mountain; usually takes 1.5-3 hours depending on your fitness level.

mont_sainte_anne_base_mountain

The final day, I went back to skiing and really wished I was still on my snowboard. It’s like you need certain conditions and the right speed to really put your skis to work; snowboards are fun to jib around anytime. We stayed in a super nice condo at the base of the mountain which was a two bedroom with everything you’d want. If you’re planning a winter getaway, I can’t stress enough that staying at the base of the mountain is what it’s all about. You can wake up and see the conditions yourself before walking a few yards to the base of the gondola; perfection.

slopes_mont_sainte_anne

Something I wish I had done while there but we ran out of time was some cross country skiing. Mont Sainte Anne has 220km of trails and is the biggest cross country center in North America. It’s also home to Alex Harvey who is an Olympian cross country skier. That said it definitely leaves something for me to get involved with should I ever return so that’s a positive. Besides the hike to the top of the mountain there are also plenty of snowshoeing trails at the cross country ski center. Also, there are trails for mountain bikes with those fat tires which is pretty cool for the hardcore biking set who want to ride regardless the weather.

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