Mont-Tremblant

Market/Suitability

Middlemarket couples and families seeking virtual doorstep skiing coupled with attractive modern accommodation and leisure facilities. Summer brings in a sports-minded crowd, mainly golfers and hikers. The colourful autumn foliage attracts coachloads of Japanese sightseers.

Location/Contact

Location: In SE Canada, in the S part of Quebec province. 100 mls NE of Canada's capital, Ottawa. 80 mls NW of Montreal and Dorval international airport.
Position: In the heart of the Laurentian mountain range. Mont-Tremblant Resort occupies sloping ground at the head of a broad valley, between the foot of Mount Grand Manitou's W-facing, tree-clad slopes and the SE shore of long, narrow Lac Tremblant. Other much smaller lakes are scattered around the outskirts of the development. Mont-Tremblant Village, about 3 mls away from the resort, lies on gently undulating ground on the shore of Lac Mercier.
Dialling Code: 819
Website: www.tremblant.com

General Description

Mont-Tremblant Resort was created from virtually nothing in the 1990s by a development company that has tried to reproduce the style, character and charm of a traditional French village. On first impressions they seem to have succeeded, but closer inspection reveals something more akin to Disney than Burgundy. Nevertheless, this is a tidy, compact, pleasing little place, only about ½ ml long and ¼ ml wide, designed for the comfort and convenience of modern tourists, chiefly skiers. A main pedestrianised thoroughfare – thronged with small, good-quality but pricey shops and bustling little eateries and bars – leads right up to the base ski-area from the bottom of the resort and main access road; if you're not keen on the walk, a bucket-lift can whisk you up instead. From this pedestrianised centre branch narrow, quiet alleyways, terraces and small squares, where most of the resort's accommodation is located. Much of it is self catering – strange for a development with no real grocery stores, something that seems a major oversight in this otherwise well-planned resort. Though busy almost year round, it becomes far more crowded and animated in the ski-season. For a more genuine taste of Quebec, the tiny, mainly residential community of Mont-Tremblant Village lies about 3 mls away; for something slightly bigger, there's St Jovite (6 mls).

Accommodation

Mainly middlemarket self-catering condominiums, with virtually all units privately owned and leased back to the controlling resort management company. Some apartments, B&Bs and a few full-service hotels. Most accommodation is concentrated in the modern, purpose-built, pedestrianised Mont-Tremblant Resort, with smaller, older establishments located in the nearby residential area of Mont-Tremblant Village.

Skiing

Ski Lift/Ski School: State-of-the-art 8-seat heated gondolas (Express Tremblant) and main chair-lifts (including 6 quads, 2 triples and 3 drag-lifts) are situated at the base of the W-facing slopes atop Mont-Tremblant Resort. These are reached either by a fairly steep climb up the traffic-free main street or via the Cabriolet bucket-lift that ascends over the rooftops from the bottom of the resort. The ski-school meets close to the base area, with another location at the bottom of the resort. Kindergarten and children's club activities.

Altitude/Snow Quality: Village: 870 ft. Highest lifts: 2,871 ft. What it may lack in altitude, it more than makes up for in vast quantities of snow throughout the often extremely cold winter. The season here comfortably lasts Nov to April with the sunnier, more fragile S-facing pistes assisted by snow cannons and grooming equipment. The 92 trails comprise 16 beginners' runs, 30 intermediate level and 46 for advanced skiers.

Shopping

A fairly good choice of sports-orientated retailers selling clothing, skis and rugged footwear; a handful of designer fashion stores and jewellers. A few upmarket arts and crafts shops and a little art gallery. Self caterers are served by a small off-licence and a couple of minuscule grocery stores in traffic-free Mont-Tremblant Resort, with a larger minimarket in nearby Mont-Tremblant Village. A full-size supermarket in St Jovite, plus services and quality clothes shops, house-ware retailers and gift shops.

Entertainment

Daytime: winter activities include varied downhill skiing and snowboarding, extensive cross-country trails, snowmobiles and ice-skating; ultramodern leisure centre with gym, indoor swimming pools, hot tubs and water slides in a "subtropical" environment; spas. In summer, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, water-skiing and sailing on Ouimet and Tremblant lakes; hiking, rock-climbing, horse riding, minigolf, chair-lift rides, mountain biking, tennis and choice of 18-hole golf courses. Year-round programme of children's entertainment.Nightlife: lively and informal with numerous bars and European-style pubs, often with music and videos, situated in the main pedestrianised centre.

Eating Out

Mainly informal bar/grill-type eateries offering the usual pizzas, pasta, chicken and steaks. A couple of top-quality restaurants, including a sushi restaurant. Prices match those in the UK.

Public Transport

There is no real need of a bus service within the traffic-free ski-resort. A small bucket-lift runs from the bottom of the resort, close to the main access road (next to the car park), up to the chair-lift and gondola stations at the ski-base. A regular bus service (included in the ski-pass) runs between Mont-Tremblant Village and Resort and on to neighbouring St Jovite.

Local Excursions

Light-aircraft trips. White-water rafting. Mont-Tremblant National Park, with hiking, fishing and bike trails. Exploring scenic countryside.

Serving Airports