Calling All Adventurous Families To Tremblant's Mountain Resort

By Amy Suski

Tremblant is best known as a great Canadian ski resort, but it has SO much to offer in the summer too.  Once the ice and snow have gone, the street cafes open up, mountain wildflowers begin to bloom, and outdoor festivals abound.  My favorite things about a summertime Tremblant trip:

• Location: The french-speaking province of Quebec casts an old world charm over the pedestrian village that is unique in North America.  The lakeside location in the Laurentian mountain range provides the right combination of world class amenities surrounded by the extraordinary Canadian wilderness. Adventures for the whole family are all within a short walk, gondola ride, or drive.  In one day you can be hiking in bear country with no signs of civilization and then return to a gourmet dinner with french wine.  

• Accommodations: The extensive variety of lodging options ranges from full service luxury hotels to four-season treehouses.  As a family of five in need of a kitchen and laundry, our pick for summer lodging is any condo unit within Tremeblant-Les-Eaux, which is walking distance from the village and has family-friendly heated outdoor pools and a waterfall (which the kids especially enjoyed at night).  
• Activities: Whether its yoga, mountain biking, or horseback riding, there are more activities than anyone can do in a week -- which is not to say we didn't try!  Grown-ups may enjoy the Casino or any of the many golf courses or spas, but most of the activities are designed for family fun.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Luge, Karting, and Dune Buggies: The first thing our kids wanted to do was the Luge.  This is a quick but fun activity that takes you up the base of the mountain on a ski lift where you disembark, get a quick lesson on how to control the luge, and then steer your way down a winding mountain track. [Tip: There is a circular practice run at the bottom that kids are free to try without cost.]  For gas-powered driving, kids 12 years and older can go to a driving school on a nearby kart track.  If you don't mind a bumpy ride, the whole family can enjoy guided tours in 2 or 4 seat dune buggies up and down the mountain and through the forest.  

Rock Climbing:  The big rock wall at the base of the mountain is a challenge all kids will want to master.  Below are two of our nimble spiders just about to ring the bell at the top.  Littler climbers can also get in on the action with a free climb on a smaller rock wall with mom or dad as a spotter instead of a harness.  Adventurers as young as 5 can also learn to climb a natural cliff face and climbers 8 and up can join a guided rock climbing excursion in the Mont Tremblant National Park. 

Ziplines/Aerial Courses/Bungee

• For your littlest thrill seekers (preschoolers and up) there is a petite aerial course at the base of the mountain that will give them a chance to try on a harness and do a few easy obstacles all just above mom and dads' heads.  The short course takes just a few minutes and ends with a tiny zip across a rope net.  
• Children six years old and up can fly high on the Eurobungy (below) while being safely harnessed.  Minimum height is 2'10".  
• For school age kids that love to climb, there is a fun aerial course that the whole family can do  (minimum height of 3'6").  Although the course only takes about 30 minutes, paid access is for 2 hours.
• For thrill seekers ages 7 and up, Ziptrek Ecotours will send you down a series of 5 ziplines from the summit.  We didn't have the budget to try this, but on our next trip we will for sure.   
  

Mountain Hikes:  Hiking opportunities abound throughout the resort and in the nearby National Park. But if your little ones are only up for a short trip, just a 5 minute walk up the mountain will bring you to a picturesque spot with a waterfall.  

Boating Fun: There are many different ways to enjoy the lakes and rivers in the region.  The easiest way is to take a cruise aboard Le Grand Manitou on Lake Tremblant, during which you'll hear stories about the history of Mont-Tremblant.  Families can also rent various pontoon and motor boats, go tubing, or try other watersports on the lake.  If you want to put some muscle into it (like we did), families can kayak down a gentle 12 km section of the Rouge River which took us about 3 hours, including a picnic stop.  For faster water, there are guided kayak and rafting trips down the rapids of the Diable River.  

Gondola Ride to the Summit:  if the weather is clear a gondola trip to the summit is a must.  We recommend timing your trip with the Birds of Prey show and making the short climb to the 360 Observation Tower. From the observation tower you'll get an unforgettable view of the lake and miles of forests in every direction (see below).  

Believe it or not there are even more activities including indoor Aqua Club, falconry, helicopter tours, airplane tours, tennis, and fly-fishing.  But we couldn't do it all.  On our bucket list for next time: (1) whitewater rafting, (2) Ziptrek,  (3) horseback riding through the forest, and last but not least, (4) mommy will definitely be needing a spa treatment.  But as many things as there are to do, its important to just sit back and enjoy the jaw-dropping beauty of the place.  The lakes, rivers, and mountains in the region are too beautiful to remain in the background.  Finding a moment of Zen from the mountain top, within the warmth of a scandanavian bath, or in the middle of a warm chocolate croissant should be every busy parent's goal.  For those pleasures alone I will be back.

Kid Trips Tips:

• Sign-up for Tremblant's mailing list or follow them on Facebook or Twitter@MontTremblant to learn about special discounts on lodging and activities.  By booking our trip in the spring we saved 35%, which combined with the favorable currency exchange was a great deal for us (around US$160 a night for the condo).  
• If you have school-aged children, purchase an Activity Card for access to the beach and tennis club, Aqua Club, and a choice of certain kids' activities including mini-golf, the rock wall, luge, and bungee.  Tickets are also available on location for these activities, but its much easier to purchase a card in advance.
• For the bigger activities, call or visit The Activity Centre.  It was helpful for us to talk in person with one of the guides about each activity and what was appropriate for our kids.  The activity guide then made all the arrangements for us and gave us good instructions on where to meet and what to expect during the outing.
• If you are driving up, consider bringing your bikes.  Whether you like an easy flat ride for the kids or a challenging mountain trail, you will save a lot of money on bike rental fees by bringing your own.  
•  Almost everything you need can be found within the resort village, including shops, restaurants, paint-your-own-pottery and a mini-market.  However, nearby villages are also worth exploring.  In Mont-Tremblant Centreville we found a good grocery store (Metro), galleries, and restaurants.  
• Mont-Tremblant is about a 7 hour drive from Boston or a 7 1/2 hour drive from New York.  The closest international airport is in Montreal, which is about a 1 1/2 drive.  Since it involves an international border crossing, be sure to have your passports ready for the trip.
• Although the summer is coming to an end, fall is both a beautiful time to visit and a great time to plan a winter trip and take advantage of preseason discounts.  For a review of our exhilarating (and teeth chattering) ski trip to Tremblant click here.

The opinions expressed herein are entirely my own and do not reflect those of Tremblant.  We did not receive any compensation or special deals on lodging for this trip; however, each member of our family did receive a free activity card. All copyrights reserved to Kid Trips.