Hiking - Mont Tremblant Mountain

September 2020 Update

The posts below recount our experiences hiking from the south side of the Tremblant ski mountain, departing from the ski village.  We recently had an amazing hike from the north side, which we have outlined in detail in case you are looking for an equally amazing adventure but with none of the crowds. 

My wife and I have done a lot of hiking in the Mont Tremblant area...it's one of the activities that attracted us to the Laurentians.  If you're visiting Tremblant and staying in the resort village, you luckily have some of the region's best hiking right on your doorstep! The Mont-Tremblant ski mountain is the highest in the region, affording panoramic views for those who venture to the top.  After doing some hikes in the National Park as well as the Domaine St-Bernard, we finally made a date for Mont-Tremblant.

Trail maps are available at the Activity Centre in the pedestrian village, and you'll find many options for all fitness levels and hike durations.  We decided on Le Grand Brule, a summit trail that takes a circular route through the Versant Soleil, which provides amazing views across the Laurentians.  This is a longer hike, perhaps 3-4 hours.  If you're concerned about length, just take the gondola down at the end.  We did.

As someone who appreciates instant gratification, I was delighted to find a waterfall just a few minutes into the hike. (Many folks just did the 5-minute climb to see the waterfall and turned back...if you only have a little time on your hands, do the same!)  There are also a couple of great outlooks early in the hike where you can look back on the pedestrian village with all the multi-coloured roofs.  You can get to these points easily within 10-15 minutes, so again, many people came up just for this photo op and turned back.  After these points, the trail becomes less crowded.

Ski runs!  In summer!

If you like the woods (as my wife does), you'll enjoy the peaceful trails that wind through deep green serenity, over rocks and roots and past small babbling streams.  The trail ascent is not aggressive, quite manageable, but the gradual climb provides periodic lookouts, each more far-reaching than the one before.  My favourite was reaching the Versant Soleil (this is one of the ski areas on the mountain) and seeing some of the signs for some of the runs I had skied just a few months prior.  The hike becomes steepest at the end, but by now the summit chalet is in sight.

Beer at the summit - how civilized

Once you're at the top, you have a few options.  First, take in even more amazing views.  Or wander the many paths across the flat summit.  Our choice?  Relax at the top of our favourite black run with a beer.  There is also an observation tower in case you want an even higher view.  As I mentioned earlier, you can either hike back down or take the gondola, tickets for which can be purchased in the summit chalet.  Overall, an exceptional hiking experience, available right next door!




August 2013 Update
Over the Civic Holiday weekend, we decided to tackle Johannsen's peak.  At 10km and about 4.5 hours one way, it's by far the longest hike on the Tremblant mountain.  However, we got there just after lunchtime, and because we wanted to take the gondola down, we soon realized that we wouldn't have time to complete the hike before the gondola stopped running at 4:30.  So we settled for Le Sasquatch instead, which was still a beautiful hike that gave us a good workout for the day.

Cute waterfall on Les Ruisseaux

Sasquatch is actually about half-way up the hill, so you need to take several trail sections first.  Start off on route I (Les Ruisseaux) which first passes by the Fairmont Hotel.  This is a pretty little hike for someone looking to enjoy babbling brooks and mini-waterfalls in a cool forest setting, and not walk too far to get it.  Continue past the Parcours Aventure (where the zip lining is!) and you'll soon hit route D named Les Caps, which is an aggressive "straight up the mountain" hike to the summit.  However, you'll only stay on D for a bit, which leads you past a spectacular waterfall and ultimately to a cross roads, where you can choose to continue up D, hang a left for route H to Johannsen, or embark on route L (Le Vertigo) which essentially runs parallel to route D.

Lac Tremblant as seen from Le Vertigo

We liked Le Vertigo because the first third of it runs along a mountain river, so you have the calming sound of running water with you as you hike. While it runs through the forest most of the way, there are occasional spots where it crosses the ski runs so you get some nice views of Lac Tremblant.  You can either continue on Vertigo, but we chose to take Sasquatch which gives you a bit more time in the woods. There are some moderately steep sections of the trail, but overall the hike is very manageable.  And you know you're coming to the end when you see people coming towards you...these are folks who have meandered over from the summit. You eventually will see signs that let you know you're close to the summit...the washroom symbol, fork and knife and red cross.  Follow those signs and you're at the top before you know it.

This was a nice route to the summit as an alternate to le Grand Brule I describe above.  And of course, you're rewarded with a summit beer at le Grand Manitou!

I'm a sucker for creeks and waterfalls!

September 2013 Update: Johannsen's Peak

We visited Tremblant on the Labour Day weekend, and this time we were *not* going to be denied our trek to Johannsen's Peak.  The weather was great and we set out early to ensure we'd have time for the trip up and across to the gondola.   It has rained the day and night before, so the good news was that the waterfalls were in fine form, but some of the trails were a bit slippery and in some spots, mucky.  We had waterproof hiking boots on so no worries there, and we'd recommend you wear the same as there are some rocky/rooty passages that require some decent support.

To start this hike, you take the same initial path as Le Sasquatch as described above, but you eventually come to a point where you turn left for the Johannsen's Peak path.  During the entire first half of the ascent you will be treated to beautiful rocky creeks and waterfalls.  One particular spot was so amazing that I had to take a video of it so I could remember it for later...it included a small pool where you could sit and soak your trail-weary feet.  We would have done just that except our plan was not to double back along the trail.

One of the many mountain streams

The second half of the ascent is quiet, wooded and you'll likely encounter very few people although probably a couple of deer like we did.  Once we reached the summit, it was actually a bit of a let-down because there were no views,  at least not in the late summer when the leaves are still on the trees.  There was at least one path leading towards the National Park, which may well have afforded the panoramas we were expecting. But we were on a mission to cross over to the gondola at the peak of Mont Tremblant, so no time to spare.

This path toward Mont Tremblant  forms part of the "Toit des Laurentides", or "roof of the Laurentians".  I would say it's a bit more like *Attic* of the Laurentians as the path is mostly wooded with only a single lookout.  For me, the highlight was the waterfalls and streams (big surprise) so no regrets taking this route.

Bring proper hiking shoes/boots!

November 2019 Update

Frozen cascades on the Ruisseaux trail

Been a while since I added to this post but not from a lack of enjoyable hikes on the Tremblant mountain.  This past weekend we decided to attempt the Grand prix des couleurs, the shortest route to the peak.  It's just 2.7km but is arguably one of the most strenuous hikes on the mountain due to the pitch.  When we hiked it, there were a few inches of snow on the ground and patches of ice, just enough to make conditions slippery and progress slower than normal.

This of course is our excuse for having been tuckered out by the time we reached the half-way point and decided to turn back.  And because it was November, the gondola wasn't running so every step up was another step down on slick terrain.  And because it was a cloudy November day, the skies were darkening early so we would have had to start much earlier to reach the peak.  Still, getting half way up was a real reward.

Stop, turn around and enjoy the view!

We started beside the gondola station near the village and took the wide roadway that heads up.  Stay right, and for the first 200 metres or so you'll be following the beginnings of the Ruisseaux trail, which rewards you with beautiful waterfalls fed from a couple mountain streams higher up.  Nothing like a little instant gratification!  But don't get distracted...you have a long trek ahead.  What makes this trek so rewarding is that you are hiking a main ski artery, so it is a beautiful meadow atmosphere.  Also, your sight lines aren't obstructed, so anytime you need a breather, just turn around and admire the view of the multi-colour village and Lac Tremblant beyond.

Looking north from the Flying Mile terminal

Before long you will encounter a series of steep inclines, some of them quite rocky.  We chose to tackle them head on which is the most direct ascent, and we enjoy a little bouldering.  If you'd like a more gentle (but still challenging) ascent then look leftward for a path...your clue is a series of light standards that largely follow the Flying Mile chair lift.  Either way gets you to the nearest peak.  It's the actual Flying Mile terminal that you want...from here you have expansive views towards Johansen's peak and the Mont Tremblant National Park.  This is also a false summit...looks like the peak from the ground, but from here you can see the full path to the true Tremblant summit.  We decided to turn back but will attempt it next year!

Tremblant summit disappears into the clouds,
as seen from the Flying Mile terminal