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Skiing in Quebec
Quebec, the vibrant French-Canadian city rich in culture and history, has four major ski areas all within a 45 minute drive. Mont-Sainte-Anne, Stoneham, Le Relais and Le Massif all offer a wide variety of terrain for all level of skiers, set along the banks of the scenic St.Lawrence River. Most primarily cater for families, offering good facilities within the beautiful mountains, and visitors receive a healthy dose of Quebec culture and warm hospitality.
Skiing in Quebec – The Resorts
The largest of the four resorts, Mont-Sainte-Anne, offers 63 trails spread over 3 mountain faces, the South, North and West, and is a regular host to many international competitions. The resorts’ impressive lift system, including an 8 person gondola, takes skiers to a peak of 800m, and ferries them around the mountain, which offers a good amount of beginner and intermediate terrain. Expert skiers have some fantastic challenging trails to keep them busy, including 10 FIS certified runs. Mont-Sainte-Anne lays claim to having the largest cross-country circuit in Canada. Stoneham, only 20 minutes from the city, is a resort widely popular with families, and is know to have the most lively après-ski scene in Eastern Canada. The resort is situated in a sunny, horseshoe shaped valley, so skiers are sheltered from the wind, and has 32 mainly beginner and intermediate runs, spread over 4 mountains. Stoneham has gained a reputation as a big snowboarding resort, and is home to the largest night-skiing operation in Canada, with 16 slopes opening nightly and covering 16km of pistes. Le Massif is the furthest from the city, a 45 minute drive, and sits on the edge of the St Lawrence River, in a beautifully peaceful setting. Le Massif is the highest of the resorts of Quebec City, its’ highest peak reaching 806m, incorporating 42 trails spread over 2 mountains, and is home to the highest vertical east of the Canadian Rockies, a 770m drop. Le Massif is most suited to expert skiers, and is the training centre of the National Downhill team. A lift pass is available allowing skiing between each of these resorts. The last resort, Le Relais is known as the locals’ ski resort, being only 15 minutes outside of downtown, and is a great family resort, its’ 27 trails all being beautifully illuminated each night.
Skiing in Quebec – The Après-ski
All the resorts can be reached for day trips, allowing visitors the excitement and convenience of staying in a fast-paced major city, with all its’ cultural and historical sights, nightlife and great bars and restaurants. Stoneham has the liveliest nightlife, even attracting locals from the city and there are some phenomenal gourmet restaurants offering regional cuisine to be found at Le Massif. Throughout the area visitors can try their hand at dog-sledding, tubing, and paragliding or take a scenic sleigh-ride. Snowmobiling is very popular in this area as Quebec is the home of the skidoo.
Canada Skiing Holidays
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