Author: James Michaud

Last winter, I completed my tour of Québec’s three ski regions with a five-day visit to the Laurentians, an hour northwest of Montréal.

Due to the fact that the offerings there comprise an extremely popular full-service resort along with a dozen or so local hills (all 1,000 vertical feet or less), the Laurentians tend to get less attention from south-of-the-border skiers than the Eastern Townships and the mountains north of Quebec City, and understandably so.

That said, if you can put your usual expectations aside, it’s an interesting trip that mixes large and small: fun off-the-beaten-path hills, cute villages, great food, friendly locals, along with a couple days in the second biggest French-speaking city in the world, if you’re so inclined…

NY Ski Magazine
Québec’s Laurentians: The Autoroute-15 Ski Corridor

As you drive northwest from Montreal through the Laurentians, there are a number of family ski areas right alongside Autoroute 15. While these smaller hills can’t compare with the region’s big destination area, Tremblant, in vertical, skiable trail acreage, or base village amenities, they offer great access, no-frills ambiance, and affordable rates for families on a budget.

Mont Blanc is a prototype Laurentians area. With a reported 1,000 vertical feet, it has the same general footprint as Greek Peak, but a more consistent pitch. With easily edgeable hardpack on the menu, the skiing was fast and fun, so we worked our way across the hill, skiing every trail and dropping into a few glades to mix things up.

There were a few busloads of junior-high students out enjoying a day on the snow and since Tuesday was Ladies Day, all members of the fairer sex skied for $20. Men get the same deal on Wednesdays.

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