Hiking Mont Tremblant - North Face

Today was a sunny, warm September Saturday and so that means the fall-colours tourism was in full force at Mont Tremblant.  Karen and I were keen to try something new but avoid the crowds, and we found the perfect solution: hike the Versant Nord (north face).  After all, we had done many South Face trails and even an excursion on the Versant Soleil, starting at the Casino.  It was time to embark from the North side, even though we couldn't find much in the way of formal trails.

North side parking lot - deserted!

These of course are COIVID times, so we arrived to find an empty and gated parking lot upon arrival.  (All the action is on the highly developed south side). We parked on the road outside the gates, as had roughly a dozen others, and headed for the mountain.  For some reason, we decided to walk up the black diamond runs on the left of the Duncan chairlift.  This would turn out to be a very direct but taxing way to ascend.   We learned later that taking the green runs to the right of the Expo chair lift would afford a much gentler ascent, but more on that later.

10 minutes in, already great views

Having skied these runs so frequently, we knew that there would be some great views of the Laurentians.  Indeed, you don't have to hike far up to to start getting beautiful vistas.  To keep our heart rate under control, we stopped frequently for a breather and took in the views, each one more dramatic than the last as we got higher up.  Taking this grassy route up was fine - few established paths but the occasional set of tire tracks worn into the ground by maintenance vehicles.  We knew we weren't the only ones hiking this slope as we found a few informal paths through the longer grasses.  One word of advice: wear waterproof hiking boots as there is ongoing runoff of water and you'll get a couple soakers along the way (I did).

Nearing the top on Saute Moutons

We started heating up in the sunshine, and decided to cool off by cutting through the woods.  We found a section of forest that we suspected was cleared for glade skiing, and indeed it was the Boiling Kettle glade run.  We emerged on the other side, and soon saw the Duncan chair lift up ahead.  It was really sunny up there, almost like we were getting close to the top.  We seriously doubted that...we hiked the south face a couple years ago and hit a false summit after what seemed like a couple hours of hiking.  Anyway we pushed on, tackling some rather steep but climbable terrain.  After 20 minutes we saw the communication tower that sits atop the summit.  We did it!  (Another word of advice - bring hiking poles if you have them.  Even on flatter terrain, they are a life saver.)

On our way down

We had read that reaching the summit on the north side could take anywhere from 60 minutes to three hours, depending on route and fitness level.  We finished the climb in about 90 minutes which included plenty of breaks, a real surprise.  At the top, there were crowds of people but plenty of room to socially distance.  The lineup for the gondola ride down was quite lengthy, which we walked right past, a little smug in our knowledge that we'd be getting down on our own.  We found a gravel path that led towards the "zone d'apprentissage", a twisting green run that leads relatively gently to the bottom.  In case we were getting a little too smug, we were passed by an older gentleman running up the mountain, and two mountain bikers cycling up to the top for another speedy descent.  The trail down turned into a gravel service road, which actually made for a couple twisted ankles as the stones rolled under your feet.  We opted instead to head down one of the grassy ski runs.

Amazing cascade

Just as we were nearing the bottom, one final surprise emerged.  We could hear the rushing of water all along the path down but couldn't see the stream.  We were coming to the end of run #77, Beauchemin Bas, and finally there was a cut out in the forest that revealed a beautiful cascade.  On a hotter day, we would have used this to soak our feet, cool down and have a snack.  Next time!  

This was an excellent hike for those who want all the beauty but none of the crowds.  Three hours from start to finish and many rewards along the way, highly recommended!

Panoramic views from the summit