Massif of the South | A (less and less) well-kept secret

(Saint-Philemon) The best kept secret. This is what you can read in the Massif du Sud tourist resort ski guide. Indeed, the place is often confused with the other massif, that of Charlevoix. However, the pearl of the Appalachians has absolutely nothing to envy to its cousin across the river. Discovery.

Massif du Sud Regional Park

The Massif du Sud regional park encompasses most of the mountain range, a vast and wild expanse of 120 km^⁠2 which unfolds around its two main peaks, Mont Saint-Magloire and Mont du Midi, culminating respectively at 915 m and 917 m. It is on the side of this last summit that the slopes of the alpine ski resort are traced. But before getting there, we first chose to stop the day before at the park’s reception pavilion, where our guide Michel Larrivee was waiting for us. It was with him that we had planned to experience our very first backcountry ski tour in life, heading to the Enclave, one of the two sectors of the regional park currently reserved for this constantly growing sport.

“Obviously, basically, you have to keep in mind that it’s a physical sport. So you have to be in good shape to benefit from our descents and have fun all day,” warns Michel Larrivee, a former banker who left behind the concrete of cities to go and recharge his batteries in the heart of nature.

A bit worried about our own cardiovascular capacity, we find that the ascent of the 4.3 km trail is ultimately relatively accessible for novice climbers. However, ill-fitting boots will quickly make us realize how important it is to leave with the right tools. “The more you have the right equipment, the more pleasant it is,” confirms our guide. We talk in particular about dressing in multiple layers, because if you make too much effort on the ascent, you risk quickly getting too hot. We also saw later that the descent is still quite long, and when you go down and it’s -10°C or -15°C, you can get really cold. »

This is how you have to make sure you leave with a small backpack in which you can store a change of clothes, snacks and at least a liter of water. Armed in this way, we can take full advantage of the enchanting scenery offered by the climbing trails, which border the Claude-Melançon ecological reserve – the park has an exceptional biodiversity, in particular with its old forest of yellow birches, some of which are over 300 years old.

As for the descent into the Enclave, it is a vast, well-opened forest area, with a slight slope that varies from 15 to 20% over some 150 m of elevation. With two starting points and nearly 200 m wide, the choice of corridors are multiple, which is reassuring for beginner skiers. The Ancient Forest site is steeper and wilder, we can try it next time. Perhaps we will also have the opportunity to visit the Érablière sectors, currently under development.

“So we joined forces in 2016 with the Quebec Mountain and Climbing Federation, which wanted to develop this sport. We opened our mountain ski sectors in 2018, so we are in our fifth winter,” he adds.

According to Michel Larrivee, mountain skiing has it all, and we understand his enthusiasm. “People combine the desire to keep in shape with the practice of a technical sport like downhill,” says the energetic 50-year-old. In ski resorts, we go downhill, it can be very intense, but we see that here, there is really an additional effort to make to get our snow, to find the place where we really want to ski. In fact, every turn we make is ours! »

Massif du Sud tourist resort

We were ready in the early morning to take on the slopes of the Massif du Sud, on the northern flank of the Mont du Midi, seen the day before during our ascent to the Enclave. Unfortunately, the violent gusts forced the closure of the station. Never mind, it was by snowmobile that we climbed to the top of the highest ski mountain in the east of the country!

“Of course, I’m a big fan of the Massif du Sud,” says Amélie Dumas-Aubé, of Tourisme Chaudière-Appalaches, who has been skiing here since her childhood. “I usually start with a groomed run, after which I go into the undergrowth! »

The undergrowth of the Massif du Sud is indeed the reputation of the Appalachian resort. No less than 18 of the 35 slopes of the 365-hectare ski area are laid out in wooded areas. “The glades are really long, very often you start from the top of the mountain and it continues in the woods all the way down,” explains our guide.

However, an unfortunate and exceptional rain in the days preceding our visit cut short our ambitions to tackle the most beautiful glades of the resort. It was nevertheless possible for us to penetrate inside the Skinusite to see how much it is possible here to get lost in the forest.

“What characterizes the mountain are our undergrowth and, we will not hide it, when they are closed, there are no crowds”, admits with a smile Luc Malavechko, director of communications of the Massif du Sud, before explaining to us how we develop and maintain such undergrowth. “I would tell you that it takes a good month and a half of work, in October and November,” says the man who occasionally acts as a mountain guide. We try to go there by section; last fall, we did all the way up to the cape. This year, we are going to do the bottom. »

Let’s talk about the cape, precisely: it is a strip of relief that cuts the entire eastern section of the mountain. Here, the slopes dip up to 60 degrees! This is the extreme section, with its star slopes, the Surprising and the Cathedral. The sector was closed during our visit, but we promise to return.

However, year after year, the Massif du Sud records very few injuries on the slopes, its clientele is well advised. “Our skiers know that the Massif du Sud is a little tougher,” he says, with a smirk. Also, there is almost always a patrol at the entrance to the Family, because it is from there that we have access to the extreme sector. Generally, customers are still quite comfortable going, but depending on their answers, the patroller can accompany them to make sure everything is correct. »

As for the conditions, the mountain receives an average of nearly 600 cm of snow per year, we generally speak of powder snow, and there is no question of grooming everything more than once a day. “It’s the mountain of the West in the East, assures Luc Malavechko. This slogan is based on the fact that we have the same quality of snow as in the Rockies, very dry powder, it really is ‟champagne powder”. »

Also, a bit like in the West, we do not calculate our pleasure in the number of runs. “Here, it’s the experience that counts, maintains Mr. Malavechko. The glades, it takes 20 minutes to descend, you stop halfway because your knees are burned, you chat with your boyfriend and you appreciate how beautiful it is. And when you’ve done 10 glades, you’ll probably realize that it’s 2 p.m. and you’re knocked out…”

Did we tell you we can’t wait to go back?