Skiing at Tremblant

I skied for three days straight at Tremblant in sub-Arctic temperatures of January and loved every minute of it. The mountain is friendly to all levels of skiers and there are long trails for all levels. However, this is not a one-horse town. Apres-ski only begins to describe what happens here when the lifts close. Everyone wants to have a great time. I met people from Toronto, New Zealand, and Hoboken. I took a lesson with a Brit who lives in the Bronx. Everyone (except maybe the French-Canadian crowd) is very friendly and looks forward to telling you about their favorite part of Tremblant. Listen to them! Have a drink with them apres-ski. Or, sit by a window and curl up with a good book. You can do that here, too.

Quick Tips:

On the mountain, I took a lesson to get more familair with the slopes. Our instructor, Guy, took us to the top of the mountain and got us down despite the lack of visibility. At the base, you can be your own Guy-de. (Make sure your lodging is in or near the Village!) There are enough restaurants and bars here to eat at a different place for each meal. Take advantage of this. There are French bistros and pizza places; microbrews and creperies. I learned that a snifter of Grand Marnier certainly does make one warm inside when it is cold outside. Enjoy.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once you are at the village, there is no need to drive. My rental car sat in the parking lot consuming a daily parking charge. Everything in the village is in walking distance and the village is best explored walking. Next time, I will take a shuttle bus from the airport!

The Fairmont Tremblant rests at the base of the mountain. You can ski out of the hotel and onto a lift no more than 50 feet away. You pay for this location. And on this, the Fairmont delivers. It delivers, though, on very little else. The rooms are appointed as well as any Holiday Inn. The decor is hardly stellar. And, even with the positive exchange rate, it is very expensive. The hotel houses The Amerispa, which offers excellent body scrubs and Vichy shower massage, which I recommend. But you don't have to stay here to go to the spa.

Le Shack may be the ultimate apres-ski place. Located smack dab at the base of the mountain in the Village, it almost begs you come in and have a drink after a day on the slopes. And drink and laugh and have a good time you will. Le Shack had a great DJ and a waitstaff that added to the good time. The inside is constructed like the outdoors, so one can rest against a tree trunk and look up at the stars. (Though there is not too much resting going on.) I met a group of New Zealanders who were out to have fun. I recommend the Sol beer. It's unclear whether it is the Canadian equivalent of Coronoa. The music helps the vibe. For some odd reason, Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler" caused people to get up on the bar and dance. Le Shack is that kind of place!

This microbrewery is located in the heart of the Village. The restaurant/bar is in a converted cottage that, according to my new Canadian friends I met here, was one of the original guest lodging structures before Tremblant became what it is today. There is room for maybe 15 people to sit around the bar and there are other tables in the restaurant.

The food was quite good. I had French onion soup and chicken cordon bleu. The chicken was covered in a mushroom sauce, which I did not expect. I chalked it up to being in Canada. The beers, though, make the place. My Canadian friends said they would drive four hours for the wheat beer here. I agree that it is very good. But I also sampled their Trappist brand (they just call it Strong) and that worked as well.

After dinner, I ended up hanging out, and drinking, with two Torontonians for quite some time. I think it''s just that kind of place!

Pizzateria is a cool pizza place (as the name would imply) located in the village at Tremblant. It's a great stop for a lunch break from the slopes (I also saw many families with kids heading there for dinner). The pizza is good. The offerings are creative (Hawaiian pizzas, for example.) The service is great and, for the most part, quick. Good beers on tap.

A Canadian suggested I add some pepper-infused oil to the pizza. Although it gave it a bit of a kick, one rarely needs to add oil to pizza. But when you're in Rome, or Canada, give it a try.

The Bullseye is a great steak place (the categories above need to be expanded) located right at the base of the mountain. Hearty food mixed with good Canadian beer after a day of skiing is a good combination, as far as I am concerned. (the Canadian beer, by the way, is Borreale. It is served with either Blonde or Rousse. A polar bear is its symbol). I sat at the bar and had a nice steak with a volume of mashed potatos and veggies. I did not leave hungry!