Skiing - Mont Tremblant

Panoramic views at the summit

Perhaps you'd heard that there was skiing at Mont Tremblant?  Mais bien sur, there is skiing and it's magnificent.  So good that the skiing reputation eclipses all the other great stuff in Tremblant, like the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, biking, swimming, hiking, dining, music festivals, and so on.  A few of our Ontario friends have a hard time seeing Tremblant as anything *other* than a ski destination...they're always astonished that we visit year round.  Their loss...but back to skiing.

In a couple years of skiing at Tremblant, we still have runs to explore.  There are nearly one hundred runs in four different sections: the Versant Sud (South Side), Versant Nord (North Side),Versant Soleil (Sun Side) and The Edge.  You can access the mountain from all sides except The Edge, although the primary access point is the South Side, at the foot of which is the pedestrian village. If you're wondering about where to park, see our separate article on parking.

Mont Tremblant is the biggest ski mountain in the Laurentians by far, boasting over 2,100 feet of serviced vertical, whereas the next closest is Mont Blanc at about 700.  This means longer, more varied and more challenging runs than anywhere else nearby.  And it's a full-service mountain with a restaurant at the summit, a cabin refuge about half way down the Versant Soleil runs, and of course a multitude of bars and restaurants for apres-ski waiting for you at the bottom.  Lessons are also available for all ages, ability levels and in groups or in private.  And there are staff members everywhere, booth at lifts and on the slopes if you have questions.  These are some of the pluses.

All of this of course means that Tremblant is popular, and therefore busy.  The mountain attracts visitors from Montreal, Ottawa and points beyond now that Porter Airlines is flying regularly from Toronto and New York.  Here's how to avoid the crowds through the ski season:

• Ski on New Year's day!  OK, I realize I may lose some of you at this point.  Assuming you haven't celebrated too much on the night (and morning) prior, you'll find it's one of the quietest days of the year.
• Ski on weekdays.  The runs and lifts are relatively quiet, and get a bit busier on Thursday and Friday as some folks arrive for long weekends.  Do your research first however, particularly if you come from the US as there are Canadian holidays that may catch you by surprise.  In February, check when Family Day is, as Ontarians will use that Monday as a ski day.  And in March, check for spring breaks, where Quebec March break is busy and Ontario March break is even worse.  
• Arrive early.  During school breaks and on weekends, arriving early gives you at least some respite from the crowds.  The lifts start running at 8:30 and you'll find you get about 90 minutes of fairly quiet conditions.  By 10am, the crowds have arrived and the lifts will be busy.  For even more early morning runs, consider paying the extra money for First Tracks, which gives you the freshly-groomed conditions and access to the lift at 7:45.  First tracks is free if you're staying at the Tremblant resort.
• Ski at lunchtime.  By about 12:30, everyone heads for the restaurants and you'll see a noticeable drop in the lift lines for about 45 minutes.  So take your lunch at about 11:30 or so and go back to the lifts when everyone else is heading in.
• Ski at the end of the day.  Many skiers come for the morning, have lunch and leave.  The lift lines definitely shorten as the day nears the 3:30 cut-off time.
• Try the Versant Soleil.  There are just a few runs on this face of the mountain, and just a single lift.  But we do find it a bit quieter, and the runs are quite nice.  Do stop at the cosy cabin-style refuge for a hot drink!
• Consider Mont Blanc.  See our full write-up on this nearby alternative.

Overall, Mont Tremblant offers a superior skiing experience.  And with so many other amazing activities, both indoors and out, Tremblant is a premier vacation destination.

Feb 2013 Update: The Tremblant Express (local bilingual newspaper) ran an article on The Edge, which is a series of runs beyond the most popular North and South faces.  The Edge features some beautiful glade skiing at a variety of difficulty levels, as well as some challenging black and double-black runs.  It's served by just a single lift, quite slow, but the runs are quiet.  Funny thing is, the Express refers to the Edge as "Tremblant's Backside"...something is clearly lost in translation!