Skiing / Snowboarding in Montreal Getting Started

Schrapling the gnar at Le Massif de Charlevoix

Eight years ago, I moved to The Great White North and was told one thing: "If you don't enjoy every season, you're gonna be miserable." This winter don’t stay in; hit the slopes! I’ll go over the basics of getting into skiing and snowboarding: how to get to the hills, what are some goods spots for beginners, how to get something to ride down the hill on and what to wear and looking cool doing it.

Getting to the Slopes

First off, getting to the slopes can be hard if you don’t have a car or someone to go with. Check out the McGill Outdoors (MOC) club, the Concordia Ski & Snowboard Club (CSSC), any of school ski club. MOC and CSSC provide trips with discounted lift tickets and courses on a regular basis to the popular peaks such as Mont Saint Anne, Le Massif de Charlevoix.

If you got a ride to the slopes, two good places for beginners that are an hour away from Montreal are Bromont and Mont Saint Sauveur. Heck, if you pay for gas, I’ll take you!

If you want to sample a bunch of mountains and save some money check out the La Passe Partout, sold at Sports Experts usually starting in October. For about forty five dollars, this little gem gets you discounts at every ski hill in Quebec.

Gearing Up

Break time in the forest

You might want to consider showing up with gear instead of renting at the slopes. The best place in Montreal to rent or buy, by far, will have to be La Poubelle du Ski. Their rentals are cheaper than renting gear at the shops near the mountain.

Once you get hooked on the sport though, you can choose to buy the gear you rented at a discounted price at La Poubelle. Here is a breakdown of what it costs to rent gear and what it would cost to buy some in case you are gung ho to do that right off the bat (that’s what I did):

Rental at Poubelle du Ski for an entire season:

Skis with bindings,  boots,and poles or ~$200 new gear rental or ~$150 used gear rental

Snowboard with bindings and boots

Helmet ~$20

Purchasing gear:

Skis with binding, boots and poles or ~$500 +

Snowboarding with binding, and boots

Helmet ~$70 +

Do I need poles to start skiing?

I personally don’t recommend them. I found that I was using it as a crutch for balance. I ditched them the first season and learnt to ski without. I learnt to stop on a dime and use my core for balance. Poles are essential on moguls and in glades to provide a smaller turn radius for sharper turns and jumps. On the same note, you can learn the ‘pizza slice’ stopping technique but it is a very restrictive method and hurts. Go with someone who can show you how to parallel as it also shortens the learning curve, plus you get to do those cool tricks with snow flying everywhere.

Do I need a helmet?

Yes. In fact, more and more mountains are making it a rule to always have it. I’ve hit a few trees in my days and I can’t stress how much I love having my head safe. Plus, helmets keep your noggin warm. :)

Looking Good Doing It

Cold? What cold?

Having the appropriate clothes can be just as important as having the right gear. Don’t run out to the store and buy all new stuff right off the bat but keep in mind this is what you will need if you plan on going skiing more than once a year.

The basic advice is to under dress slightly so that you are a little cold when you are not moving. When you start moving around, you will get warm. If you have too many layers you will start to sweat which is bad as sweat will freeze when you stop moving. Below is a short list of what are the key items of clothing to wear and what features to consider.

• Jacket & Snowpants: Waterproof gear is crucial for a long day. As a beginner skier/boarder, you want slightly insulated gear preferably with vents (under the arms on jackets and inner thighs for snow pants).  Keep in mind that you can layer up underneath to add warmth.

Arm Pitt Vent

Powder skirt

Thigh Vent

• Baselayer: On warm days, usually a good synthetic base-layer is usually enough with a jacket and snow pants

• Gloves: You probably own a pair of gloves for the winter. You can get away with using them for a while but a good pair of waterproof gloves or mitts are always a plus (when holding a cup of hot cocoa 😋)

• Goggles: Any inexpensive goggle with low to medium transmission (how much light goes through) will do. Typically, red or pink are ok for most conditions. Yellow or clear are the better options for night skiing. For a beginner, I recommend pink. Goggles will also protect your eyes against cold winds.

• Head/face protection:I’m a fan of balaclavas because they offer more coverage than a tuque and are more versatile. It can be used as a (hipster) hat, burglar mask and scarf at the same time. Nose protection is often overlooked on cold day. A quick option is just a scarf or bandana over the face but that freezes as you exhale.

Hopefully, these pointers give you some direction but trial and error or skiing with someone better than you will be your best teachers.

Final Thoughts

So there we have it, I’ve covered what to wear, where to go and your gear options. Whether it’s a work day or a long cold weekend, skiing makes winter so much more bearable. Layer up and shred some gnar!