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With its impeccably groomed trails, extraordinary panoramas and its share of technical challenges, it’s impossible not to fall under the spell of the Club sportif Appalaches.
When I first visited the Club sportif des Appalaches, I didn’t think much of it. A ski centre in L’Islet, far from the big urban centres, run by volunteers. I thought it was going to be something like a haywire. But what a surprise!
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As soon as I arrived, I discovered a ski chalet as cute as anything, with a podium fireplace, a bar serving beers from local microbreweries (Ras L’Bock and Côte-du-Sud), a huge waxing room and plenty of locally-made tables to have a snack. Quite simply one of the most beautiful ski chalets in Quebec.
As I set off down the slopes, I thought to myself: there’s no way the charm is still going to work. There must be something wrong with the snow. Well no, the fifty or so kilometres of trails of varying calibre make cross-country skiers crazy with joy.
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The quintessence of this ski centre is the ascent to Lac Trois-Saumons via a 25 km loop with a 310 m vertical drop and exhilarating descents. Some cross-country skiers even extend this challenge by a further fifteen kilometres or so by leaving from the Auberge des Glacis, which offers ski-in/ski-out accommodation.
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I’d been dreaming about this route for weeks, ready to take on yet another winter challenge. Unfortunately, rain and ice thwarted my plans. It’s only a postponement. I’m training and I’ll be there.
Photos: Stéphanie Allard
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Descend 57 km of cross-country ski trails to Lac Trois-Saumons for breathtaking views, or explore 16 km of snow-covered forests and cosy huts on snowshoes.
Info: Equipment hire on site
121 Chemin des Appalaches East, L’Islet
