{"id":336,"date":"2025-05-14T05:19:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T05:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.balikesirbirey.com\/?p=336"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:50:43","slug":"mountain-review-mont-sainte-anne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.balikesirbirey.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/mountain-review-mont-sainte-anne\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountain Review: Mont-Sainte-Anne"},"content":{"rendered":"
MOUNTAIN SCORE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n #4 East Coast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n 61<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n #67 Overall<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n See our criteria<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Snow:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Resiliency:<\/strong><\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Size:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Terrain Diversity:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Challenge:<\/strong><\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Lifts:<\/strong><\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Crowd Flow:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Facilities:<\/strong><\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Navigation:<\/strong><\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mountain Aesthetic:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1-Day Ticket: <\/strong>$73-$105 USD ($101-$104 CAD)<\/p>\n Pass Affiliation: <\/strong>Epic Pass (full pass only)<\/p>\n On-site Lodging: <\/strong>Yes<\/p>\n Apr\u00e8s-Ski:<\/strong> Limited<\/p>\n Nearest Cities: <\/strong>Quebec City (1 hr), Montreal (3.5 hrs)<\/p>\n Recommended Ability Level:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Terrain diversity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fast lifts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n St. Lawrence River views<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Available night skiing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Value<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Much more difficult to reach than other Northeast ski resorts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Some navigational challenges, especially around the summit<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Some frontside snow reliability issues<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Skiable Footprint:<\/strong> 547<\/a> acres<\/p>\n Total Footprint:<\/strong> 1,609<\/a> acres<\/p>\n Lift-Serviced Terrain:<\/strong> 100%<\/p>\n Top Elevation:<\/strong> 2,625 ft<\/p>\n Vertical Drop:<\/strong> 2,050 ft<\/p>\n Lifts:<\/strong> 9<\/p>\n Trails: <\/strong>71<\/p>\n Beginner: <\/strong>21%<\/p>\n Intermediate:<\/strong> 46%<\/p>\n Advanced\/Expert: <\/strong>33%<\/p>\n Are you looking for a comprehensive ski resort experience in the Northeast, but don\u2019t want the crowds of resorts further south? Well look no further than Mont-Sainte-Anne. With terrain for all abilities to enjoy, abundant and affordable lodging options, and easy access from nearby Quebec City, Mont-Sainte-Anne is a standout for visitors of all abilities and inclinations. So how does it compare to other resorts in the region?<\/p>\n With 547 acres of skiable terrain, Mont-Sainte-Anne ranks among the largest ski areas in Quebec\u2014and holds its own against some of the biggest resorts on the East Coast. 360-degree skiing and riding is available off the summit across half a dozen distinct terrain pods, giving the mountain a true big-mountain feel. Terrain is generally divided by ability zone, allowing lower-ability skiers and riders to enjoy much of the mountain without frequent interference from faster-moving experts; that said, a few shared junction points do exist.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 360 degree skiing off of Mont-Sainte-Anne\u2019s summit adds to the resort\u2019s big-mountain feel.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \tMont-Sainte-Anne offers a diverse and enjoyable beginner experience. Beginner terrain is spread across multiple areas of the resort, though most first-timers will find themselves descending east off the summit toward the north side base. These green trails feature long, gently-rolling pitches with a pleasant sense of isolation, offering serene views of the largely undeveloped woodlands to the northeast. Thanks to their higher elevation and northern exposure, these zones typically maintain snow quality far better than the base-area beginner zones found at many other resorts.<\/p>\n One of the resort\u2019s most unique features for adventurous beginners\u2014particularly children\u2014is the For\u00eat Enchant\u00e9e (Enchanted Forest), a beginner glade located in the backside zone. This area features interactive elements, including toys and wind chimes, creating a whimsical atmosphere rarely found at other resorts. The glade area itself is widely spaced and in some sections groomed, offering a choose-your-own-adventure experience that\u2019s accessible to a broad range of ability levels.<\/p>\n Once visitors are ready to return to the front side, the long but scenic La Familiale trail provides a wide, straightforward route back to the main base without requiring a lift download. For true first-timers, Mont-Sainte-Anne also offers a magic carpet learning area near the base, set apart from the main skier traffic to ensure a safer environment for learning.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n From the first glance at the trail map, it\u2019s clear that Mont-Sainte-Anne is heavily catered toward intermediate skiers and riders. Aside from the expert-focused Panorama Express bowl, every terrain pod at the resort offers a wide range of blue trails, covering nearly every style of intermediate skiing. For those seeking fast, lower-angle groomers with wide cuts, the north-facing backside trails are the best option. This zone also features two excellent blue-rated glade trails with sustained vertical drops and some of the best snow preservation on the mountain.<\/p>\n Intermediates looking to progress from the north side will find the frontside blue trails particularly appealing, with these runs offering steeper pitches than those on the north side and often incorporating ungroomed sections that would earn a black diamond rating at many other resorts. And on busier days when the Corde Raide T-bar is running, Mont-Sainte-Anne\u2019s often-overlooked west side offers a handful of isolated blue trails that sit well away from the masses.<\/p>\n While Mont-Sainte-Anne offers fewer single-black diamond trails compared to its broad selection of blues, there\u2019s still plenty for advanced skiers and riders to enjoy across every terrain zone. Each major pod at the resort features at least one advanced-level trail, and none feel like an afterthought. On the backside, the M\u00e9lanie Turgeon trail offers a long, rolling groomed pitch that’s perfect for those looking to pick up speed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne caters most heavily towards intermediate skiers, but there are plenty of options to keep beginner and advanced skiers occupied.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n On the front side, advanced visitors will find the Panorama Express pod particularly appealing, with a variety of steep groomers, bump runs, and glades. However, caution is warranted in this zone\u2014many trails carry a legitimate double black diamond rating, and even some single blacks can become treacherous in adverse conditions. Thanks to the sustained pitch throughout this pod, skiers can expect a serious leg-burner on the way down, provided they\u2019re fit enough for the challenge.<\/p>\n Beyond the Panorama Express area, many of the frontside blue trails also feature steep, frequently ungroomed sections, offering additional opportunities for advanced skiers looking to mix things up.<\/p>\n While Mont-Sainte-Anne may not offer the most extreme terrain on the East Coast, its expert offerings are far from lacking. Nearly all of the resort\u2019s double black diamond trails are concentrated off the Panorama Express, a steep, expansive bowl that serves as an expert\u2019s playground. With a sustained pitch and natural separation from the rest of the mountain, this zone often stays uncrowded on most days.<\/p>\n Skiers and riders who enjoy the tight, technical glades the East Coast is famous for will find no shortage of terrain to explore here, with roughly 100 acres of steep woods feeding directly back to the Panorama Express. Trails like Le Canyon, La Rousseau, and La Saint-Laurent deliver the classic, narrow, and challenging New England double black experience experts seek out. For those looking for a true test, La Super S offers a precipitously steep, often icy groomed pitch that demands precision\u2014and is really best reserved for those with sharp edges and strong nerves.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne isn\u2019t the most freestyle-oriented mountain out there, though it does feature one major terrain park with a range of features.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne\u2019s primary terrain park is located on the Grande-All\u00e9e trail, descending east from the summit. While it\u2019s the resort\u2019s only major park, it\u2019s well-built, easily accessible via the gondola, and lappable from the (admittedly slow) La Tortue lift. The park typically features a range of small to medium-sized features, making it approachable for a variety of ability levels, though it\u2019s not quite up to the caliber of the largest parks elsewhere in the East. Its high-elevation location helps preserve snow quality, though its eastern aspect can occasionally expose it to sun and variable conditions. Additionally, a beginner park is often set up near the base area, offering an accessible option for newer park riders.<\/p>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne averages 169 inches of snowfall annually\u2014a healthy total that\u2019s competitive with many East Coast destinations, though slightly behind some resorts in northern Vermont. The resort\u2019s far northern latitude helps it avoid many of the midwinter warm spells that impact stateside resorts; however, the south-facing frontside terrain can still see variable conditions even during the core season. Thanks to relatively modest crowds compared to U.S. resorts, snow preservation often outperforms expectations, particularly in the resort\u2019s large network of gladed terrain.<\/p>\n The vast majority of trails are supported by snowmaking infrastructure, and when combined with the mountain\u2019s colder climate than parts of the U.S., key trails typically remain well-covered throughout the heart of winter. That said, Mont-Sainte-Anne is not immune to the East Coast\u2019s trademark thaw cycles, which can cause melt-outs\u2014with the south-facing front side, which includes all of the true expert terrain, being the most susceptible. That said, even during low-snow periods, the more sheltered northern face tends to hold snow quite well.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Most of Mont-Sainte-Anne\u2019s skiable footprint is served by a fleet of high-speed lifts, although they are generally on the older side.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne’s lift setup is generally a strong suit, although some lifts are starting to show their age. All major terrain zones at Mont-Sainte-Anne are served by a fleet of modern high-speed lifts and a gondola, with the exception of the west side trails. For most visitors, lift placement is intuitive, allowing for quick laps within each terrain pod and maintaining a loose separation between different ability levels. However, skiers looking to lap the primary terrain park on Grande All\u00e9e may find the main lift serving this zone\u2014La Tortue\u2014to be notably slow, with the only alternative being a long runout back to the gondola at the base.<\/p>\n Like most Quebec resorts, Mont-Sainte-Anne rarely experiences the large crowds typical of major U.S. destination resorts, although the busiest holidays and weekends can bring some lines at popular lifts\u2014particularly the gondola. When it comes to crowds on the ski trails, a few choke points do exist near the frontside base, where skier traffic tends to merge onto the La Familiale and Le Court Vallon runs. That said, for most visitors, especially those skiing midweek, long lift lines and trail congestion are not much of a concern.<\/p>\n NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.<\/strong><\/p>\n K2 Mindbender 90 C<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended intermediate ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Nordica Enforcer 94<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended advanced ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Faction Prodigy 2<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended glade ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Salomon QST 106<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended powder ski<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mont-Sainte-Anne offers a handful of well-placed, well-maintained facilities spread across the mountain. Base lodges exist at both the main southern base and the more isolated northern base, and an on-mountain lodge sits just below the summit at the top of the La Tortue lift. Each lodge provides food and restroom access, ensuring visitors are never more than a lift ride away from a place to rest or grab a bite, regardless of which terrain zone they\u2019re lapping. Food quality is about average for a Quebec resort\u2014generally a step above what\u2019s typical stateside, though not a standout\u2014although thanks to favorable exchange rates, prices tend to come in slightly cheaper than at comparable resorts in the United States.<\/p>\n When it comes to getting around Mont-Sainte-Anne, the resort features abundant, well-placed signage across the mountain. However, the resort\u2019s highly three-dimensional footprint\u2014particularly around the crowded summit area with its frequent double fall lines\u2014can sometimes make navigation challenging. Guests aiming to access the north or west sides from the summit should study the trail map carefully and follow signage closely, as it\u2019s surprisingly easy to accidentally drop into the expert-only Panorama zone.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Visitors at Mont-Sainte-Anne are never more than a lift ride away from one of the resort\u2019s three lodges.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While the area around Mont-Sainte-Anne\u2019s southern base feels somewhat developed and commercialized, most other terrain zones\u2014particularly on the north side\u2014offer a more isolated, even remote atmosphere. The Enchanted Forest trail, complete with hidden wind chimes strung through the trees, creates a distinctive skiing experience unlike nearly anything else out East. And on clear days, east-facing trails also offer stunning views of the legendary Saint Lawrence River just a few miles away.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting that Mont-Sainte-Anne offers one of the most extensive night skiing experiences in the East, featuring 19 illuminated trails and the highest vertical drop for night skiing in Canada at 625 meters (2,050 feet). Night skiing typically operates from 4pm to 9pm on Thursdays through Saturdays during the regular season, with expanded schedules during peak periods such as the Christmas holidays and March spring break. The resort’s night footprint only extends to its beginner and intermediate trails, but it\u2019s still quite a bit more competitive than similarly-sized resorts elsewhere in Quebec, Vermont, and Maine, which typically offer no night skiing at all.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n East-facing trails at Mont-Sainte-Anne feature stunning views of the Saint Lawrence River.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n With its far northern location, Mont-Sainte-Anne is north of every other East Coast destination resort, save for nearby Le Massif de Charlevoix. Because of this, the resort can be a challenging drive for visitors coming from major U.S. metropolitan areas, and even for those in Montreal. However, the mountain is easily accessible from Quebec City, sitting just a 45-minute drive up a major highway from there. For those flying in, it\u2019s possible to get from Quebec City\u2019s airport to the resort base in under an hour. Once on-site, visitors will find a massive, free parking lot that easily accommodates typical skier traffic.<\/p>\n NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.<\/strong><\/p>\n K2 Raygun Pop<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended intermediate board<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Recommended advanced board<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n WRITTEN REVIEW
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\n MOUNTAIN STATS
\n <\/a><\/p>\nCATEGORY BREAKDOWN\u00a0<\/h3>\n
\nGOOD TO KNOW<\/h3>\n
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\n \u00a0\u00a0+<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pros
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MOUNTAIN STATS<\/h3>\n
\nMountain Review<\/h2>\n
Size and Terrain Layout<\/h3>\n
Beginner Terrain<\/h3>\n
TRAIL MAP<\/h3>\n
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Intermediate Terrain<\/h3>\n
Advanced Terrain<\/h3>\n
Expert Terrain<\/h3>\n
Terrain Parks<\/h3>\n
Snow and Resiliency<\/h3>\n
Lifts<\/h3>\n
Crowd Flow<\/h3>\n
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MONT-SAINTE-ANNE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nOn-Mountain Facilities<\/h3>\n
Navigation<\/h3>\n
Mountain Aesthetic<\/h3>\n
Night Skiing<\/h3>\n
Getting There and Parking<\/h3>\n
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MONT-SAINTE-ANNE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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