Our primary work area on this shift is one of our all-time favorite sectors of the Mountain, the Summit off of the Expo Quad Chair to the North-East including Sissy Schuss and La Griffe, but first, we have to get there from the main Mountain Service Garage, located just North and below the top of the Flying Mile Quad Chair.

Proceeding to Beauvalon, then up to the Summit, down the right side of Beauchemin, up Gagnon half way to turn left into the side door of Sissy Schuss, we start making laps there, including La Griffe.

The first thing you realize is that driving up any of Tremblant’s diverse range of trails is such a completely different perspective than the feeling you have from years of skiing down them.

The steepness seems quite a bit more dramatic for example, as we are sometimes pushing what seems like a wall of snow before us while looking skyward on the most inclined portion of Le Griffe. It’s an impressive sight indeed to watch how much weight our machine is moving upward to be spread back over the run from the days traffic.

It does not take long to realize though, that the real magic of the process lies in the skilled hands of people like our units operator Claude, who has been doing this job for literally decades. His experienced hands move on the controls of of the BR350 Groomer/Packer instinctively. He’s not looking anywhere but where he wants the machine to go and with subtle but firm motions of the control levers, it almost magically travels to the points he’s focused on, all the while miantaining the most level ribbon of finished corduroy you can imagine behind.

This is the point that triggered the connection to Sculpting. Claude is not just driving this machine, he is using it as an extension of his hands and eyes to guide its tracks, blades, powerful tiller and corduroy sweeps to create a rendering of smooth Alpine descents that is nothing less than artistic.

The flow of corduroy from side to side of each run that he works on, is in perfect harmony with the contours of the land. Spots that need attention for whatever reason are given extra snow and carefully blended into a seamless field of immaculate white lines that when finished, go on as far as the eye can see.

An additional facet of our drivers skill is his ability to work with the machine in a rhythm that suits its abilities very well. Even with a heavy uphill load, he is not pushing the machine to the point it seems stressed. Working hard, for sure, but never beyond the point that it is doing anything more than using its muscle in exactly the way it was designed and intended to do.

An efficient combination of man and machine can cover just around 4 acres per hour, so obviously to cover anywhere from below 100 acres at seasons start, to what we estimate would be well over 500 acres at the seasons maturity, it takes an inventory of of equipment and support staff that can be deployed to cover the needed surfaces overnight.

The Mountain Operations Management Staff has that down to a science, so much so that it might be easy for the average Tremblant Skier or Snowboarder to come to expect the fine groomed surfaces we see each and every morning, just because they are so consistently there. Behind the scenes however, the logistical efforts required to generate the smooth morning conditions mean the co-ordinated action of a team that must operate with military precision to not only cover the ground foot by foot, acre by acre, but support the equipment with maintenance and service that keeps everything in top shape.

Like all Ski Resorts, Tremblant does not groom everything on the Mountain because there are many Mountain users that prefer natural conditions on certain trails or runs, so the scope of this article does not involve the strategic decision making regarding grooming on specific runs/trails, other than to say that we understand that many factors including Customers, Ski Patrol, Mountain Operations and Resort Management may all factor in to the final decisions.

A significant purpose for this article is to convey to prospective Tremblant visitors/guests the exceptionally fine quality that Mountain crews here routinely deliver. It is a consistent high quality grooming level that you can not find at many large ski resorts, simply because the groomed acreage is so extensive.

This is a standard feature of the Tremblant Alpine experience from the first day of the season to the last, and every day between.

This point is brought into clear focus with the Ski Magazine 2012 annual resort guide issue where Tremblant ranks ahead of all but one of its big mountain peers in the Grooming survey category. Coming in ahead of names like Stowe, Lake Placid, Killington, and Jay Peak,  none of which even made the top 10 of this category as Tremblant did, means that when you make the decision to come to Tremblant, within the scope of Mother Natures weather variables that all Ski Resorts have to contend with, your benefit is that you can rely on having the best possible surface conditions.

We think the Grooming Staff are the un-sung heroes of the very fine conditions we see virtually every day.

They start after we’ve had a great day carving up the Mountain, and they work with the sometimes overwhelming odds of Mother Nature until just before we get back for another fresh start the next morning.

We rarely get a chance to thank them, so here’s our 3 Cheers for the Mountain Operations Grooming Staff!!! 

You do great work!!!

You can read about Tremblant conditions/grooming, both current and archived, in our daily Mountain Reports.

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(Get Real Clauses:

Sometimes we get slammed for being too positive, however, some people would complain about the bruising if they fell into a ditch full of gold nuggets.The people that have the most fun in any outdoor sport effected by weather, are the ones that can adapt the most and the quickest, so within that reference, we will always remain positive.

As fine as things are for the vast majority of groomed areas, that does not mean there are no glitches. Dealing with Mother Nature means that not everything can be perfect, only close.

Mountain users need to use common sense with regard to speed, braking and steering control where natural hazards can exist at any time of season for reasons, including, but not limited to: unpredictable weather variables, daily traffic use, steeper pitches, around trail intersections, run-out zones, or areas that are intentionally left un-groomed for experts who prefer those conditions.

Many complaints can be linked to dull edges, terrain selections too difficult for the users skill set, too much speed for the conditions, or all of the above.

If you have sharp edges, select terrain that is within your skills and control your speed, you will have a great day on the slopes of Tremblant. Period.

If you have not had a ski or board tune-up within 10 days, or if you have been running metal rails/features that instantly dull edges, get your edges and bases done if you want to ski or board open Alpine terrain and maximize safety, control and fun!)

The run was part of the initial trail development program put in place by Intrawest for its official “On-line” date during the 1992 season. The name “Geant” signifies both the scope of Tremblant as the largest Laurentian ski mountain, as well as Tremblant’s status as a premier Eastern resort. 

Accessing Geant from the Duncan Quad Chair requires a simple “U” turn to the left as you disembark at the top. You’ll find yourself already on the Duncan trail (which the chair crisscrosses above as it reaches the summit), and Geant just a little further down towards the right. You’ll also find the entrance to the Superieur trail to the right of Geant. 

Geant is rated as a single “Black Diamond” due to its fairly steep pitch. However, like many runs at Tremblant, it’s also quite wide. So in this writer’s opinion, if you have solid intermediate level skills and you’re not intimidated by the view, then you can ski or snowboard Geant if you take your time making long traverses using the width of the run to control speed. 

Snow conditions on Geant are often amongst the best at Tremblant which is typical of the North Side, often getting more snow accumulation from Tremblant’s prevailing winter wind patterns. It’s an important point to consider if you’re a confident intermediate attempting Geant, because fresh dry snow over a good base are the best set of conditions for you to try it out. 

The prevailing winter wind patterns sometimes result in signifigant powder accumulations on Geant, particularly on the lee side of the trees bordering the run. If there is drifting, a snowfall of around 10cm could result in accumulations of up to 20 cm or more close to the trees. On a fresh powder morning, you will find a lot of locals racing to enjoy “First Tracks” on Geant to take advantage of the deep snow and its steady quick pitch. 

Geant is also a favorite morning run for many Tremblant regulars because its rather North-easterly tilt gets the sun as soon as it rises. This also makes Geant a favorable spring skiing run in the mornings, when the sun’s energy softens it up first, after a chilly night. 

True spring conditions (where the whole run becomes soft), are also a good time for solid, confident intermediates to try Geant as the extra resistance of moist, spring “corn” snow acts as a natural way to keep your speed in check so you can maintain control along the way. 

From its entrance at the summit, Geant has a very shallow reverse “S” shape along its initial pitch from the top. Under average winter conditions, speed will build quickly if you’re facing the fall line, so for those of you who find black diamond runs really appealing, Geant will be sure to get your heart pumping quickly! 

One very nice feature of Geant‘s pitch is its consistency. Geant‘s upper portion which covers about 2/3rds of Tremblant’s North Side vertical is a true fall line run, very even, very consistent, right on camber, meaning that you do not have to turn “uphill” toward any favored side, and an excellent run to build a good rhythm on. 

This is evident in the photo sequence here, where you can see the summit radio towers for quite a way down its length. 

Another characteristic of Geant is due to its broad width. When there’s either lots of traffic, its been a while since we’ve had new snow, and there are worn or slick portions in the center, those who can make lots of short radius turns will almost always be able to find good turning surfaces on one or both sides of the run. These “edge of the run” surfaces will vary in width, but are usually between 3 to 5 meters or so. 

The bottom portion of Geant is just about as long as the top, but because we might commonly refer to it as a “run-out”, it has much less pitch as it makes its way towards intersecting with the Duncan trail. This intersection is just above the base of the Duncan Quad Chair-lift. 

Experts who enjoy a real speed rush will love Geant. Taken quickly, it’s one of the most direct routes, from top to bottom. So if you’re trying to squeeze in an extra run to catch the clock for “last run” on the North Side, Geant is an express route down. The total length of Geant is 2.26km with wonderful natural fall line contours. Give Geant a try soon!

Taschereau is a great South Side run for intermediates and experts alike, that originates from Tremblant’s summit. Its entrance is on the far left as you face down the Mountain, near the left hand side of the summit’s Grand Manitou Lodge. 

The only other South Side run further left is “Ryan”, but Taschereau has a much wider entrance compared to Ryan, giving it a more modern inviting appeal, which makes it attractive to those who feel comfortable with lots of space to manuver. 

The name Taschereau is an honour to the man who was Quebec Provincial Premier at the time when the run was originally financed. Interestingly, the original naming date actually precedes founder Joe Ryan’s Mont Tremblant Resort opening year of 1938, by 2 years, in 1936. 

At that time, it was not uncommon for individuals to raise funds to have a ski run cut on any good mountain, name it, even create a new event, and/or formalize an existing one. Access was often by the old way… climbing the mountain by foot! 

That was exactly what happened with Taschereau. It was an effort put forth by the St. Jovite Ski Club to get kids involved in Skiing and to develop a competitive element to the local area, a concept that was enthusiastically supported by Father DesLauriers, the spiritual leader of the community. 

The original funding for the cutting of the run was raised in thanks to a regional business person named Sidney Dawes. He was able to raise $1700 to cut ski trails in the Laurentian district, so when Premier Taschereau matched those funds with a provincial grant, the naming of the run as well as a race trophy, the “Taschereau Cup”, was a direct tribute to the Premier’s vital role at a time when money was very difficult to come by. It was after all, the middle of the Great Depression. 

In order to take advantage of existing clearing that had been done, the original Taschereau trail utilized parts of the Summit Forest Fire Tower road. Many of the Laurentian Peaks had Forest fire observation towers on them so communities that were at one time, dependant on logging, could protect their areas. 

During the later expansion of the Mountain trail system when Intrawest took over, Taschereau was relocated from its original location in the “Grand Prix” trail area to its present location and layout. 

Taschereau follows the pleasant flow of the land in an area where there are distinct plateaus between steeper pitches. Additionally, it has a rather “S” like shape along its length, so when you combine these 2 natural features, it seems to “flow” much like a river that winds its way down its course. 

Taschereau is rated as a single “Black Diamond”, due in large part to the steepness of its pitches. However, when there’s good soft or malleable snow with lots of grip, there is nothing on this beautiful run that a confident intermediate can’t handle. The width of Taschereau is sufficient to allow for long, wide turns to easily manage speed and controll. Like many other runs of this broad width, there is quite often lots of soft snow on the edges, say 4 or so meters out, so even if there may be slick areas in the high traffic center of the run, you will typically always be able to find a soft edge on one side or the other. 

Essentially, you will find 3 main pitches from the summit along the run. Each of them is roughly between 200 to 250 meters, followed by a shelf like plateau, where you can relax and make less aggressive turns or safely come to a stop trail side for a break. Taschereau is also a great “photo opportunity” run. It has wonderful panoramic views over Lac Tremblant and the old Mont Tremblant village. 

The total length of Taschereau is approximately 800 meters or so, about half a mile, and it comes to an end where it joins up with the lower “Kandahar” trail. That makes Taschereau a “top half” South Side run. If you bear right on the bottom run out, you can cut over to the TGV Quad Chair lift by using the transverse blue trail called “Charron” for a repeat. 

Taschereau is a great challenging run under all conditions. Its quick and interesting with a unique combination of turns and descents. It rewards Skiers and Boarders with good technical skill, ranging from confident intermediates to experts. Whenever there’s lots of fresh snow, fresh grooming or a full afternoon of sun on it, you will have lots of company out enjoying this fine run!

In actuality, The Edge is a wonderful place to ski or snowboard and among other things, contains some of the best glade runs Tremblant has to offer! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, “glades” are playful runs that meander through the tree line, where the number of trees have been thinned out to allow for ample navigation. You’ll often see kids and their families having fun exploring these runs, because choosing which path to take through the trees is a bit like choosing your own adventure.

Looking at Tremblant’s trail map, The Edge can be a little intimidating to an occasional skier or snowboarder, particularly with all the black diamonds surrounding its peak. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a seasoned expert then a run like “Tension” (double black) will present an interesting challenge.

However, “Action” (despite being labeled as a single black) is also well suited to intermediates. The black diamond designation on Action is there more or less to advise you to exercise a little more control on the top third of the run, which turns into what feels more like a blue run mid-way, and eventually green over the last third. But If you’re still not convinced after a ride up the chair, you always have the option of taking a green run called Bon Vivant directly from the top over towards another green run called Nansen on the South Side, which will take you safely back to the Resort Village (you can also read a more detailed trail review of Nansen by clicking here!).

If you’re into glades, The Edge is definitely the right place to be, but you’ll often find lots of powder stashed away between the trees too. We’d recommend Emotion to experts looking for steeper terrain,  and Sensation-Bas (pictured above) for intermediates who enjoy a more playful experience. Be sure to mix it up a bit and have fun exploring different lines!

We’ve also noticed an interesting phenomenon over the years at The Edge. When the majority of the mountain is windy, the ride up the chair lift at The Edge seems to be sheltered and calm. I’ve often found refuge from the wind there, and might suggest taking the kids over to The Edge next time you find it a bit nippy elsewhere.

Because The Edge is only accessible from a single trail just below the Lowell Thomas Chair, you’ll also enjoy relatively shorter lift lines. From Tremblant’s main summit, you can get there by taking any of the North Side runs that arrive at the bottom of the Lowell Thomas Chair, then going a little further down Beauchemin (green) until you come across a sign pointing towards The Edge (immediately to your left as you’re heading down), along a green run called Letendre.

So the next time you’re at Tremblant, venture over to The Edge and have a look for yourself. Have fun exploring… and then wow your friends afterwards with tall tales of how you escaped it clutches!

The name “Nansen” was a dedication to this South Side run by Joe Ryan, the founder of Mont Tremblant’s Ski Resort, to Kare Nansen, the Norwegian ski and Ski Station expert he had retained to oversee the construction and development of the whole project in 1938. Nansen also has the unique distinction of being designed by non other than the world famous “Jackrabbit” Johannsen in 1938, for Tremblant’s first season and it remains a classic ski run even to this day. 

In a lot of ways, Nansen is like your best friend… relaxed, easy to live with, interesting and always there for you in the “long run”. 

The “long run” reference is a bit of humor which acknowledges that Nansen is indeed, the longest run at Tremblant. At around 6 kilometers, the run is comprised of gently flowing contours that are a delight for beginners who can find acres and acres of wide smooth terrain. Nansen follows the South-Western most perimeter of Tremblant, along a very gradual sweeping left hand curve on your way down which explains its long distance. 

Nansen could easily be described as a very “forgiving” environment, and just like your best friend, will help you get past any mistakes, and make you look like a star when you get things right. It’s the kind of run where even experts can go to polish their technique. Consistent, very high quality surfaces on Nansen mean that you don’t have to worry about being distracted by uneven or steep terrain, so it’s easier to focus on subtle refinements in technique. 

Nansen has another interesting characteristic though, that will challenge those with more advanced skills, in the sense that it calls for maximum gliding and carving efficiency to (safely) get the most speed out of it when traffic conditions are light. In short, Nansen rewards finesse from all skill levels that ski or snowboard along this wonderfully scenic route. 

Originating from the very top of Tremblant, Nansen is accessed by turning left when you disembark from the South Side’s Gondola or TGV quad chair-lift unloading zones. From the unloading zones of either the North Side’s Duncan quad chair-lift, or the Lowell Thomas triple chair, you would turn right. Then, proceed along the main mountain top access route called “La Crete”, past “Beauvallon” and “Alpine”, to the well marked upper entrance of Nansen. 

Right away, you have 2 options to choose from: 

Firstly, you could turn left and take “Nansen Pitch”, a short Blue section which is the steepest part of this run, 

Or, 

You can bypass the Pitch and head right taking the most gentle route. This particular way is more like a meandering stream that even the newest beginners will be able to find confidence on. 

For those with a little more skill, the Pitch will get your speed & heart rate up, but only in a very friendly way, for even here, you will find that Tremblant’s grooming team have some of the very best surface conditions possible. For beginners, it means lots of grippy snow, with enough traction to work on building your confidence, or trying out new moves. 

Nansen’s playful split personality, where you have the choice between 2 levels of “Green”, is an enjoyable characteristic through the whole run. You will always be able to find the most gentle way to the bottom by following the “S” shaped alternate routes. 

The winter season of 2008/2009 has seen a reconfiguration to the lower 1/3 rd of Nansen, but has not changed its character to any great degree. The new format has made terrain towards the end of the run a little easier for beginners. Previously, the last pitch on the run was a bit prone to mogul formation and every once in a while it could get a bit choppy, so the new shape equates to a more manageable decent for those learning to ski or snowboard. 

For many years, Nansen has been a family favorite for “Last Run” and even today, a relaxed trip down through the magnificent panoramas that look out over Lac Tremblant, are views that will impress all who are fortunate enough to take this historic 1938 route.

Today’s featured trail review is a North side run called Banzaï, which has become an interesting run through history.

From the very beginning, in 1938, Joe Ryan the visionary founder of Tremblant, knew that the North side of the mountain had special characteristics. He knew that the snow came earlier there, layed deeper, and stayed much later into spring. These are all factors that would become a great asset to Tremblant. However, it wasn’t until 10 years later, in 1948, that he was able to finally open the North side of the mountain. 

Both financial and logistical hurdles had to be overcome, the largest being the construction of the road around the South perimeter of the mountain. But finally, in March of ’48, the North side was officially opened. 

The run we see today, Banzaï, was one of the original upper North side lift lines that Joe Ryan built to service his new terrain. Of course the “T” bar has since been long replaced by high speed detachable quad chairs, so this gem was wisely reconfigured and opened as an official run. 

Banzaï runs roughly parallel to the Duncan high-speed quad chairlift. As you’re standing at the top of Duncan’s unloading area facing down the Mountain, you can access Banzaï by proceeding to the left of the chair between the unloading zone and the Ski Patrol’s HQ. 

As a former lift line, Banzaï is a perfect “Fall Line” run. Its fairly narrow by modern trail standards, but still wide enough to run a packer through it, which makes it perfect for an accomplished intermediate or expert skier who can make turns on a 3 to 4 meter wide space. 

Banzaï also has the natural advantage of having very tall trees sheltering it on both sides, which often act as “Scoops” for the snow laden wind passing overhead. Consequently, Banzaï can have greater accumulations of snow on it in comparison to many of Tremblant’s wider runs, because not only do the trees act as scoops, but they prevent the wind from blowing any of the precious white stuff away. Frequently, you’ll find Banzaï filled with powder snow, long after the rest of the mountain has been well skied. 

Banzaï has 3 distinct pitches along its length, which follows the contours of the Mountains flowing geography. 

First, it starts out with a medium steep, steady pitch that’s like skiing the concave interior of a bowl. You can see this shape as you’re going down, which gives the skier a good view forward toward the turns that need to be made in order to keep speed under control. 

Secondly, Banzaï has a very nice, relatively flat portion, just below the mid-way point where one of the old Mountain access roads cuts across it. This is a beautiful carving area that goes on for about 15 to 20 turns or so until it comes to a brow in the hill. 

Thirdly, it once again returns to a steeper pitch, slightly different from the top in that it’s more convex in character, until it reaches the end, in a hollow at the bottom. You then find yourself with two options; heading left towards the lower part of Lowell Thomas, or turning right to go back to Duncan. 

The most challenging portion is the lower third, which can have moguls on it from time to time, but you can usually find out by looking at the grooming report on the internet or at the top of the mountain. You can also usually find out from the mountain’s friendly Patrollers and Info Personnel. 

Any intermediate ski or snowboarder can do this run, and would enjoy exploring one of the mountain’s historic little “time capsules”. Quaintly tucked away, Banzai showcases some magnificent scenery in a wonderful quiet ambiance that takes you back 60 years with its charming layout.

We created this site for you, the online Tremblant community, to “Express your Tremblant!”, your own content, and actively participate in the fun. It’s a great place to connect with other fans through a variety of social networking features. Tremblant360.com has also teamed up with the people who were at TremblantChat.com to bring you some fantastic content. You’ll find lots to explore, and we invite you to take a look at what the site has to offer. We’ve also included quick, easy to follow instructions on how to join the features you’re interested in, found at the bottom of each drop-down menu from the navigation bar above. It’s all free too!: 

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