The Grand-Prix des couleurs- A 2.98k Hike in Mont Tremblant, QC

We had such a fun weekend in Tremblant last weekend! Mont Tremblant is, of course, known for its ski runs, and for being a ski town. So we hadn’t really paid it too much mind, because we don’t ski. But it turns out, Tremblant is also an amazing destination for fall hiking! Now THAT is up our alley. We may have found a new favorite hike to add to our list of best fall hikes around Ottawa…

There are TONS of hiking trails that wind up towards Mont Tremblant’s summit (okay, there are actually 11).

We opted for the shortest and most efficient route, a trail called the Grand-Prix des couleurs. Normally, we opt for the longest route, but given my state at the time (34 weeks pregnant), the shortest route seemed like a really good idea.

Dogs are not allowed on any of the hiking trail on Mont Tremblant. And it turns out Mont Tremblant is pretty steep! Our old dog would have been exhausted, so it’s for the best that we left her behind at our AirBNB.

Getting There

The Grand-Prix des couleurs is on the south side of Mont Tremblant. We drove to the village and parked, paying $15.00 for parking for the day. Not too bad. In order to reach the trailhead, we walked up through the pedestrian village. Which was actually pretty great because it gave us the opportunity to think about everything we were going to eat afterwards!

We had decided that we were going to hike up, and then take the Gondola down. So, near the “top” of the village, we found the ticket office and bought our tickets before setting off. It cost us seven dollars each, but to be honest, it was totally worth it. I highly recommend it for new hikers, pregnant hikers, or families with little hikers! They also gave us a map of the trails.

Across from the ticket office was The Luge, the Rock Climbing Wall, and the Eurobungy. There was also a big sign with a map of the hiking trails. We started our GPS tracker at this point. Looking behind all that, we saw the trailhead. There was another big map at the trailhead, so it would have been tough to miss.

The Trailhead

We set out from the trailhead around 9:30 a.m. The village was pretty quiet when we left. It was MUCH busier and livelier when we got back.

The The Grand-Prix des couleurs essentially runs right up the ski slope. There are other trails that wind through the forest, but on this trail you’re on the ski run the whole time. We were lucky because it was a nice cool day. On a hot day in the summer, you would constantly be exposed to the sun (so keep that in mind!).

The trail immediately started to climb upwards, but it felt easy enough at the beginning. We followed the trail along the edge of the forest, keeping the forest to our right.

A Waterfall

We had been hiking uphill for less than 300 metres when we saw a sign announcing that there was a scenic view off the trail to our right. We could also hear a waterfall, so we decided to head in that direction. The waterfall was literally steps off the trail that we were on, and it was really pretty! There was also a second waterfall just a few steps down the trail.

We snapped some pictures, and then got back on the trail.

After hiking for half a kilometre, we reached the start of The Luge. It looked pretty fun, but also a little scary, so we decided to stick with hiking.

Gaining Elevation

The elevation gain on Mont Tremblant was quite steady. I ended up taking a lot of breaks. But, the major bonus of being out in the open was being able to look back and catch really beautiful views of the village and Lac Tremblant. Not to mention the thousands of trees!

There weren’t too many trail markers along this trail, because we basically just had to follow the ski hill up. There were a few spots where ski runs/wider paths crossed with the trail that we were on. At each of these points, there was a sign to point us in the right direction.

Things felt like they got a LOT steeper when we reached the 2.4 kilometre mark. Looking at the elevation gain chart now, I can tell you that it in no way reflects how steep the hill FELT near the end.

We could see Le Grand Manitou as we approached, so we knew we were getting close to the summit. Le Grand Manitou is the main summit building. We continued to take it slow and steady with breaks where we needed them.

By the time we reached the summit, we had hiked a total of 2.98 kilometres. It took us about two hours and ten minutes. This hike could definitely be done more quickly though- we took about fifty minutes’ worth of breaks! There was also a very impressive gentleman in blue compression socks using the mountain for trail running- he went up and down TWICE in the time we took to get to the top. Kudos to you sir!

The Summit

There was a ton of construction being done on the summit. Not our typical summit experience, and kind of lame. However, there was a little restaurant still open at the top while Le Grand Manitou (a bigger restaurant) was under construction. There were also bathrooms available.

Of course, there were chairlifts running off of the summit, and a zipline that started up there as well! There was a neat set of coin operated binoculars too.

We wandered around the summit for a bit, eating lunch and checking out some of the views. The views were really stunning, and made even more so by the fact that the trees had started to change colors.

It was a bit chilly on the summit, which was to be expected. Our rain jackets and our buffs were enough to keep us warm.

Not far from where we were, we could see the observation tower. Soon though, it started to rain (and hail a little bit), so we decided to hop on the gondola to get back down.

The Gondola

It felt a little bit like cheating to take the gondola down. But after the hard work of getting UP to the summit, I was happy for the ride down. The gondola is NOT for those who have a fear of heights. Maybe that goes without saying…

Anyways, aside from being a much easier way to get down, we got some really exceptional views from the gondola too. It was a very different vantage point, and I’m glad we were able to take in the changing leaves from every angle available!

I love a challenging hike, and Mont Tremblant didn’t disappoint. Plus, after our hike we quickly found ourselves on the patio of Oh la Vache. Their ice cream was super yummy, my husband liked their coffee, and their comfy patio chairs were the perfect spot to relax and people watch.

I can’t wait to head back to Tremblant to check out some of the other trails in the area!

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.

Gear We Brought

• Hiking Clothes
• Wool Socks
• Hiking Boots
• Rain Jackets
• Fleece Sweaters
• Buff Merino Wool Headband
• Hiking Poles
• 2 Litre Hydration Pack
• Coghlan’s Bear Bell (we didn’t need it, it was just attached to the pack from last time!)
• Nalgene 32 Ounce Bottle
• Lunch
• Snacks
• First Aid Kit (with water purification tabs and Tick Removal Tool)