Visiting Mont Grand-Fonds is a bit like going home for a family gathering. There’s something comforting about this mountain. Although it isn’t as steep as its cousin in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, its legendary natural snow cover makes it a great place to ski. And for the more adventurous, there’s the expert backcountry area of the Versant du Lynx.

For ski touring, there are two trails to choose from: La Trappeur and La Paddy. The first, longer but not as steep, runs along the southern part of the mountain past the Lac Gravel lookout. It’s worth stopping to take a look, as the view to the east is breathtaking. In addition to the river, you can also see Les Palissades de Charlevoix and mountains as far as the eye can see.

The second option, La Paddy, climbs the northern flank at the far end of Versant du Lynx. The trail is named after the illustrious Yves Bergeron, who pioneered ski touring in the areas and created this trail. Steeper than La Trappeur, La Paddy includes a series of switchbacks going up to the summit and offers a view of the double-diamond Mur run. Once you’re almost at the summit, you have two options. The first takes you to the start of the Mur and Nid d’Aigle runs and the L’Émérentienne mogul run.

The Lure of Backcountry Skiing