Le Massif de Charlevoix (Quebec)?

[ilovepugs]

Hi! Can anyone tell me more about Le Massif de Charlevoix? Where to stay? Best time of the season to go?

I'm not counting on being able to fly anywhere next season and would like to check out this gem, which is driving distance from Northern Vermont or a little over five hours from my home. I think I could probably plan a really awesome trip to Quebec City if the border is open next season. I would tentatively want to do a day or two of snowmobiling, several days of skiing and riding at Le Massif de Charlevoix and plenty of eating at the micro-eateries that Quebec City is famous for. I would also consider it an advance trip for gathering intelligence on going to the Chic Chocs, but I think I need to be more comfortable with touring before it's worth the effort to drive to the Chic Chocs.

I'm tagging @SkiBam and @Jilly since I know they are in Eastern Canada, but any and all insights appreciated! Thank you!

 

[ski diva]

Le Massif is one of my all time favorite places. The skiing is great, and the scenery -- magnifique! You feel like you're skiing into the St. Lawrence. It actually makes it hard to concentrate on getting down the mountain.

I did a blog post about it a few years ago. You can see it here.

I've been there twice: once on a ski journalists' junket in January, when it was ungodly cold; and once at the beginning of April, when the weather was a lot better.We stayed in Quebec both times, which wasn't bad at all. It's a bit of a drive from the city, but Quebec is great and there are tons of terrific restaurants. Plus you could spend a day skiing at Mount St. Anne, which is between the city and Le Massif (the big picture on the blog was taken there). That's a really fun area, too. If you don't want to stay in Quebec, there are a number of hotels and restaurants in Charlevoix, which isn't too far from Le Massif. We checked out this place (we had dinner there; it used to be called Hotel La Ferme, which is how it's referred to in my blog ), and it was very nice.

It's been five years since I've been to Le Massif, so I'm sure there've been a lot of changes. I heard that Club Med bought it and will be building a hotel there, and I think there's on site lodging now, too, so you could certainly check those out. But don't be afraid to stay in Quebec. It really amped up the fun for us.

 

[Jilly]

I've never been, so no help.

 

[ilovepugs]

thanks @ski diva for the amazing tips!! We go to Quebec every year for a long weekend, but I think we will have to make a longer trip out of it this next season. I really hope the border reopens this winter... I miss Quebec!

 

[SkiBam]

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I'm tagging @SkiBam and @Jilly since I know they are in Eastern Canada, but any and all insights appreciated! Thank you!

I've been to le Massif several times and, as others have said, it's a favourite. Almost got there this March, but then everything closed down. I was there last March with my daughter and family. We rented a place at the bottom, just a short drive from the base. This was great, but not many facilities down there. Remember, the main "base" is at the top. Don't know about accommodation there - don't think there are any. And don't know how the Club Med project is proceeding. (It's at the bottom, by the way.)

Personally, if I were skiing at le Massif, I wouldn't stay in Quebec City (too far). Instead, if I wanted to be in a city, I would stay in Baie St-Paul (about 20 minutes past le Massif). A gorgeous little town with wonderful restaurants, art galleries, etc. As SkiDiva said, Mont Ste-Anne is also worth a visit and is much closer to Quebec.

I think March would be a good time to go - less cold, good snow. You just want to avoid school breaks, though last year we were there during the Ontario break (which makes places closer to Ontario such as Tremblant a total zoo) and, given that it's farther away from Toronto, was just fine. We also did an afternoon of sledding, which the younger members of our party loved - me, I'd rather be on my skis!

Anyway, le Massif is definitely worth a visit. You mention the Chic Chocs - remember they are on the south shore of the St. Lawrence (in the Gaspé) and le Massif is on the north shore so they're not really nearby.

Happy planning. So nice to think about skiing during a heat wave. (And after so much cold weather this spring, my body is REALLY not accustomed to these high temps!)