Unchartered Territory: Chic-Chocs

Earn your turns was the trendiest thing to say in the ski industry in 2016. While it is true that it is incredibly satisfying to know that every single time your edge catches the fluff, you burned 20 calories, we don’t have the same terrain to play with in the East as those who started the trend out West. 

Let me share a little secret with you all.

There is a magical land, 9 hours East of Montreal, called the Chic-Chocs. An ancient mountain range, that is now a national park, with tons of undeveloped peaks and snow for days. The perfect terrain for ski touring, allowing you to follow a barely-there path with your skins on, and enjoy knee-deep powder on the way down. “I woke up to a 50cm dump of snow” are not words you hear from an easterner very often. Yet it's possible, and it happened, we earned our turns.

On day one, we challenged ourselves to one of the more difficult summits, Mont-Vallières-de-Saint-Réal. While this is a mountain you've most likely never heard of in our life, write it down, add it to your bucket list, it will leave you breathless (in every sense of the word). End of December is a bit early on in the season to ski down this mountain. Very exposed, the snow accumulation had been swept away in the high winds. As a precaution and to start our trip slowly, we opted for a snowshoe climb. 

Directions stating clearly that to start this hike we need to follow the road from Gîte du Mont Albert, pass the lake on our left, and park where the blue signs is. To add to the confusion, this "blue sign" does not indicate in any way that following the path will get you to one of the best summits in Quebec. Let the adventure begin.

Underrated to say the least, this 12km round-trip hike will get you a view you will never forget. Straight uphill for 3km, and then a 3km walk along the ridge. To your left, a view of the majestic Mt-Albert, the highest peak of the Chic-Chocs National Park. To your right, miles and miles of unchartered territory. Looking down, we couldn't see the blue sign that we'd nearly missed on our way in.

Nothing short of a miracle happened on the first night, nearly 50cm of snow fell. And boy do skiers love big dumps. Known for it's consistently great snow and with an impressive vertical drop, Mont Lyall is nothing short of amazing. Located only 15 short minutes away from the Gîte du Mt Albert, this is a must-do for experienced skiers.

All geared up, skins on and all, our group made its way to the summit. With a 45min to 1hour approach, from the parking lot to the base of the mountain, this is not a trek to do when remotely tired or hungover. Once at the feet of the mountain, we looked directly up at the steep climb ahead, and counted another 45minute to 1hour of sweating profusely before reaching the top.

The heavily powdered, yet incredibly windblown summit makes for jaw-dropping scenery. Trees weighed down with meters of snow, windswept bushes and a small path creeping along the summit ridge. Completely in awe, and yet we hadn't even started skiing yet!

I can confidently say that I have never skied powder in Quebec like I did on this mountain, on this day. Knee-deep fluff, in a large bowl allowing smooth wide turns on the way down. It was the type of snow that reminded me why I ski. After a descend of just 300 meters, but the best 300 meters, we were faced with the option of climbing the same path we'd followed on our way up again for another run down. Legs feeling completely dead and but our souls very satisfied, we opted out. 

Having heard about this great summit from other skiers at the Gîte du Mont Albert, day three was all about Hog's Back mountain. Shaped like it's name, the summit is above the tree line and is fully exposed. The last 200 meters of the climb were slightly terrifying, as the wind had turned the once beautiful powder into a sheet of ice. 

Determined to find the 50cm that had fallen two days prior, we set out to discover what is referred to as "The Secret Field". As the name suggests, it is described as an open couloir, with its challenge being however finding this hidden gem. When reaching the summit from the "chemin des Patrouilleurs", you will need to peak to your right (towards the road that you should be able to see when looking straight down). While the trees are incredibly dense, you will need to make your way approximately 50 meters deep, before you find the clearing. Either you follow these vague instructions, or purchase the Chic-Chocs pocketbook and not sue me for getting you lost. I would highly suggest the latter.

Mont Hog's Back rivalled Mont Lyall for the quality of the skiing. "The Secret Field" was well worth the sketchiness of navigating through the very thick bush. A 400-meter vertical, yet not as steep and intimating at Mont Lyall. Both are must-do's in my opinion, especially after a heavy snowfall.

While the Chic-Chocs make quite the road trip, I would highly recommend to anyone who loves the outdoors. Even if you are not into ski touring, there are endless possibilities: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, split boarding, to name a few.

Coming soon: Pro tips on how to make the most of your trip to the Chic-Chocs.

Until then, keep shredding kids.

West Highland Way - Tips & Tricks

In late May/early June, my friend and I embarked on a 6-day journey that would become one of the greatest experiences of our lives; we walked the West Highland Way. As I was doing my research prior to our departure, I found myself lacking tips from people who'd actually done the WHW. Here is what I would of liked to know before stepping onto a trail that I'd remember for the rest of my life:

Day 2: Balmaha to Ardlui.

1- PLAN AHEAD OF TIME. This goes for food, distance walked per day and available transportation. Always have snacks and water on you. Never leave a village without food because truth is, you will not cross many of them in a day. We learned this on the first day; nowhere to buy food between Milngavie and Balmaha. My friend and I were starving and hadn't packed anything. Talk about unprepared... Also, I'd recommend having a map of the WHW, just so you have a better idea of where you are and how long you have to walk. Look up information for available transportation beforehand as well, so you're aware of what's around if you can't walk anymore.

2- DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE DISTANCES. I can laugh about this now, but when we had originally looked that our itinerary, we thought to ourselves; "We are young, in pretty good shape, sure, we can walk 20-ish miles per day". The answer to that is, yes we could, but our feet, knees and backs killed us. The thing is, we hadn't realized just how long miles actually are, we hadn't anticipated doing 12-hour days and doing so for a couple of days straight. Therefore I strongly suggest planning shorter walking days, that way, you can pace yourself and not be in such pain.

3- TAKE YOUR TIME. This goes in the same category as #2. We did it in 6 days, which was very ambitious. I do need to say that this was our first long-distance walk, so we were not very experienced. For some of you, doing the West Highland Way in 6 days is very feasible, depending on how much experience you have. Still, I think it is much more enjoyable when you don't have to rush to your next destination, you can stop and take in the sights. Hence, doing the whole thing in 7 or 8 days is probably more pleasant.

3- USE THE BAG CARRYING SERVICE. This is another one that we can laugh at now. The first morning that we stepped onto the WHW, there were these men handing out flyers promoting the bag carrying service. We had decided early on that we did not want to use it, mostly because we thought: "No, no, no, no no. We are strong, young women, we don't need anyone carrying our bags for us, pffffff". There's another rookie mistake. Along with taking your time, not having to carry 25 lbs on your back will make the whole experience so much better. Our ego got in the way, but if I were to do it again, I'd definitely use the service because all you really need in a day is extra layers, socks, a first aid kit, food and of course, water. Thus, a small backpack is much more appropriate than a huge rucksack.

This is what we saw on our first day. Incredibly appropriate.

4- BE PREPARED FOR MIDGES. June is usually when the small bugs come out to play. By some sheer luck, we did not experience these horrendous insects while on the walk. But, we did meet some other walkers who said that they can make or break your experience. My friend and I later had an encounter with midges, and let me tell you, we are both scarred for life. The best spray is Avon "Skin So Soft". It is not intended for midges but that is hands down what works best, anything else is honestly useless. I strongly recommend carrying a bottle with you during the walk. Also, make sure to buy it in a store beforehand, because they are outrageously priced in the shops along the way.

5- EXPECT BLISTERS. I went on this adventure not knowing what was ahead of me. If I had known that my feet would get blisters the size of golf balls, I would of packed more supplies. Learn from my mistakes and please, wear "second skin" and good socks to prevent them. I got my blisters on the first day and they kept growing day after day. Therefore change your socks at least once a day and bring appropriate bandages.

6- STAY IN HOSTELS. We strongly considered camping along the way, but as we realized that are strict laws about where you can and can't camp. And trust me, you will be so exhausted that you will be craving a nice warm comfortable bed. The best hostels we stayed at were the By The Way Hostel in Tyndrym (the free jelly beans were greatly appreciated) and the Blackwater Hostel in Kinlochleven (don't stay in the West Highland Lodge, which is overpriced and dirty). On our first night, we skipped the camping (because it was freezing and there were guards patrolling the area, looking for illegal campers) we allowed ourselves to have a little luxury and stayed at the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha, which turned out to be great!! Great beds, free breakfast, quiet and free WIFI! 

7- ENJOY. This 6-day journey was one of the, if not the, most challenging experiences of my life. I would nevertheless go back to the moments I spend on the WHW any day. The sights are absolutely stupendous and you will meet such amazing people along the way. You will most probably walk in pain, but remember that this is such a unique way to see the Highlands. You will see things that people travelling thru the country in coach buses will never dream of witnessing; remote unexploited areas. Take pictures, live in the moment and enjoy it.

Day 3: Tyndrum to Kinghouse.

Take it all in, it's an amazing experience.

xo

Isabel

My Alaskan Experience: Part 2

During my trip to Alaska with my family, I always had my phone out capturing some of our great times. When I got back, I realized I had so many clips that I could put them together and make a short movie with them. So here it is, my Alaskan trip, but more visually interesting.

My Alaskan Experience

Just a couple of months ago, I was invited, along with my entire family, on a Holland America Cruise in the inner passage of Alaska. I figured it would be a one in a lifetime opportunity, therefore I gladly accepted the offer. And boy, am I ever glad I went. I could of honestly never asked for a better trip. I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. Here's a little recap of my time on the Alaskian waters:

We stuffed our faces like no other, I think there is just no way to come out of a cruise (especially at a destination like Alaska where you don't get off the boat much) weighing the same as when you stepped on board. There was soooo much food. Buffet for breakfast, three course lunch, afternoon snack, dessert bar open all day, four course decadent dinners and of course, the typical late-night snack.

Apart from eating, we went gold panning in Juneau, which is the capital of Alaska. The process was really fun but it was a whole lot of work for the little gold we actually got from the process. It's truly hard to believe that the miners from that mine used to collect the most gold in the world in the early 1900's. Here's a glimpse of the gold we collected:

Also, to work out a bit of all of that food, my whole family would go up to the Crow's Nest, which is the dancing bar on the top floor of the ship. In reality, I don't think it was meant to be such a dance party, but we thought that we couldn't miss the opportunity to have fun together and ridicule ourselves in front of complete strangers. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Dancing with my aunts, uncles, cousins, my parents, my brother and sometimes even my grandparents are memories that I will cherish forever. 

The ship also stopped in a little town called Skagway, where most of my family went off to the activities that they had booked. I on the other hand, decided it would be a good day to just walk around and shop in the local stores. The artwork was just stunning, I had to restrain myself from buying just about every piece of native art for the simple reason that I had no room in my luggage. I later heard great things about the activities offered, my cousins went to the dog-sledding and they said it was well worth their money.

As great as the other stops had been, my favourite stop was hands-down Ketchikan. My parents and I decided to be adventurous and went snorkelling in the freezing Alaskan waters (!!!!!). It was such an awesome experience; from the sunfish to the sea cucumbers, the wildlife was well present. But the greatest thing was really looking up from the water and seeing the huge white mountains around us. And yes, even thru the 7 mm wetsuits, I was freezing.

As for the most scenic part of the cruise, Glacier Bay was really truly amazing. As I try to put this into words, I feel like nothing would do it justice. All I have to say is add it to your bucket list, it is stunning. 

In summary, I would recommend this cruise to anyone. I was honestly not expecting much from this trip because I thought I would enjoy the freedom on being on land more than being trapped in a boat, but trying it out has changed the way I view this. Although on the other hand, I don't think I would go on a cruise for longer than 7 days for the simple fact that it would probably get boring. Would I go on a cruise again? Meh probably not for a while, I'm much more of an explorer than a visit-the-touristy-towns type. But then again, Alaska was a great destination for a cruise since the glacier can only be seen by boat. It was such a great time, just an all around wow.