Patrick
Well-known member
Okay Frank I finally made it. :lol:
If some of you don't know Mont Alta, you weren't reading Frankontour's reports from the previous seasons. However Anthony has mentioned the place a few times.
BETA:
Statistics from the mountain:
Vertical drop : 178 m (584ft)
Number of trails and glades : 27
Skiable Acreage: 60
Lift: 1 double chair
Capacity : 1200 skiers / hour
Easy terrain : 20%
Difficult terrain : 20%
Very Difficult terrain : 40%
Extreme terrain : 20%
No artificial snow and located in the Laurentians Snowbelt.
One old double (wondering if it's not Tremblant old lower Southside double removed maybe 15-20 years ago).
Many glades, bumps and some short steep shots.
Lodge is rustic at best. Actually I have never entered into something quite like this. No fancy stuff here, it's about the skiing. I know the plan is to built a new lodge (modest of course - Frank is more award of what is happening on this).
http://www.mont-alta.com/ski/indexen.php
The official Mont Alta trail map designed by Frankontour
Here is the interactive map with a whole bunch of clips for some of the runs.
REPORT:
I had taken Monday off on order to drive to Montreal to shorten my drive to the Roll Back the Clock day at MRG the next day. The choice before me was to head to the Laurentians from Ottawa and then drive down to Montreal. I guess you could call it a slight detour.
At 8am on Monday, temps in Ottawa was a warn -20c, -28c in the Laurentians. From that moment, the choice was clear (Stay away of the wide open groomers). :shock:
Instead of paying $68CDN for a liftticket at Tremblant, I was going to visit Mont Alta for the incredible price of $12. I remember talking to my mom that morning telling her I was going to Alta. She didn't know it, however when I mentioned that it used to be called le Mont Chevreuil back in the 60s, her reply was, "WE HAVE SKIED IT BEFORE..." :shock: So I guess, it wasn't a first visit for me after all, but the first that I could remember. :lol:
I'm not sure if anything was closed and I guess everything is skiable...the question was if you desired to ski it. The very steep part the mountain on the top was real rocky and full of new growth, branchs and stuff. Soft snow with little base. You could do some serious damage to your equipment and body on that stuff.
Here is a sample of my halfday.
Nadler's Needle - a fun new official trail that zigs and zags with a few drops.
Superspeed - a fun trail with some interesting places to negotiate at the top (read: need more snow).
Principale, Slalom Geant, Olympique Bas (I skipped the top part of Olympique) - top part and full a new growth branches about one foot long. The bottom part was
Marty-Papoos - same comments. Negotiating the top part then everything was fine.
Plus the 3 Green groomers.
17 runs and 3057meters / 10029 ft in slightly less than 3 hours.
Summary:
It's a fun place at an amazing price. Is it the best? No, but for that price, you can't complain if the Mont Alta wild skiing is what you like.
Definitively needs some serious snow accumulation to be able to ski and enjoy it at it's full potential.
If some of you don't know Mont Alta, you weren't reading Frankontour's reports from the previous seasons. However Anthony has mentioned the place a few times.
BETA:
Statistics from the mountain:
Vertical drop : 178 m (584ft)
Number of trails and glades : 27
Skiable Acreage: 60
Lift: 1 double chair
Capacity : 1200 skiers / hour
Easy terrain : 20%
Difficult terrain : 20%
Very Difficult terrain : 40%
Extreme terrain : 20%
No artificial snow and located in the Laurentians Snowbelt.
One old double (wondering if it's not Tremblant old lower Southside double removed maybe 15-20 years ago).
Many glades, bumps and some short steep shots.
Lodge is rustic at best. Actually I have never entered into something quite like this. No fancy stuff here, it's about the skiing. I know the plan is to built a new lodge (modest of course - Frank is more award of what is happening on this).
http://www.mont-alta.com/ski/indexen.php
The official Mont Alta trail map designed by Frankontour
Here is the interactive map with a whole bunch of clips for some of the runs.
REPORT:
I had taken Monday off on order to drive to Montreal to shorten my drive to the Roll Back the Clock day at MRG the next day. The choice before me was to head to the Laurentians from Ottawa and then drive down to Montreal. I guess you could call it a slight detour.
At 8am on Monday, temps in Ottawa was a warn -20c, -28c in the Laurentians. From that moment, the choice was clear (Stay away of the wide open groomers). :shock:
Instead of paying $68CDN for a liftticket at Tremblant, I was going to visit Mont Alta for the incredible price of $12. I remember talking to my mom that morning telling her I was going to Alta. She didn't know it, however when I mentioned that it used to be called le Mont Chevreuil back in the 60s, her reply was, "WE HAVE SKIED IT BEFORE..." :shock: So I guess, it wasn't a first visit for me after all, but the first that I could remember. :lol:
I'm not sure if anything was closed and I guess everything is skiable...the question was if you desired to ski it. The very steep part the mountain on the top was real rocky and full of new growth, branchs and stuff. Soft snow with little base. You could do some serious damage to your equipment and body on that stuff.
Here is a sample of my halfday.
Nadler's Needle - a fun new official trail that zigs and zags with a few drops.
Superspeed - a fun trail with some interesting places to negotiate at the top (read: need more snow).
Principale, Slalom Geant, Olympique Bas (I skipped the top part of Olympique) - top part and full a new growth branches about one foot long. The bottom part was
Marty-Papoos - same comments. Negotiating the top part then everything was fine.
Plus the 3 Green groomers.
17 runs and 3057meters / 10029 ft in slightly less than 3 hours.
Summary:
It's a fun place at an amazing price. Is it the best? No, but for that price, you can't complain if the Mont Alta wild skiing is what you like.
Definitively needs some serious snow accumulation to be able to ski and enjoy it at it's full potential.
When I think I could have lost my lift ticket. :lol: 