Photo: Jean-Pierre Huard

A sea if mountains and ice awaits you! Just a few steps from your vehicle, on a technique route by the sea or as your climb in the heart of the Chic-Chocs, the breathtaking panoramas will have you saying, "Gaspésie, I love you!"

The quantity, quality and diversity of ice cascades are what characterize ice climbing in Gaspésie, not to mention that the majority of sites are located only within a few meters of Route 132, which is ideal for climbers who prefer short approaches.

You can find ice climbing sites adapted to all tastes and levels in Gaspésie. The curious amateurs can start on gently inclined cascades while the most experienced ice climbers can take up the challenge of routes, renowned for their difficulty level. The more adventurous prefer to explore the valley bottoms or to climb one of the highest mountains in northern Quebec.

Wherever you stick your crampons and ice axe, the sea and scarped mountains are right behind you, just look over your shoulder!

For the climbers who also like backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, telemark skiing or snowshoeing, Gaspésie is the ideal place to combine multiple outdoor activities in one vacation. In Gaspésie, the ice climbing season starts early and finishes late in spring.

For more information on ice climbing in Gaspésie, click on one of the following subjects to access them directly:

Photo: Mathieu Dupuis

There are 750 km between Montreal and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. You can then take Route 299 to get to parc national de la Gaspésie or continue to Mont-Saint-Pierre, where you will see majestic ice waterfalls one after another for miles on end, on the side of 132, right up to the little town of Manche-d'Épée. The most renowned ice cascades are located in the Mont-Saint-Pierre area.

For more information on the FQME, on how to become a member and discover what benefits you will enjoy, please visit www.fqme.qc.ca.

Photo: Vertigo

• La Cigarette bleue, Marsoui
• Mur de Corneille, Mont-Saint-Pierre
• Le Mont-Saint-Pierre, Mont-Saint-Pierre

To get more information on authorized sites in the parc national de la Gaspésie, please refer to the Ice climbing sites inventory list (coming soon).

The following sites are located on property insured by the FQME. Climbers must have their FQME membership card to access them. They must also follow all parking and access path regulations.

• Les Barrières, Rivière-à-Claude
• La Gueule de requin, Mont-Saint-Pierre*
• Les Cavaliers du vent, L'Anse-Pleureuse
• Bébé surgelé, Gros-Morne

* All waterfalls mentioned above are located on the curb of Route 132 except for the La Gueule de Requin site where climbers need to take the access path. Please park your vehicle at the end of Georges-Émilile Cloutier Street, walk about 100 meters to the east and then to the south, following the markers. Make your way by following the brook up to the waterfall. Beware of avalanches.

A site map and topography of certified sites will soon be available online. Until then, we invite you to read the Guide des cascades de glace et des voies mixtes du Québec (in French only).

Where parking is permitted on the shoulder, the vehicle must be parked completely outside the white line, in the same direction as traffic, close to the waterfall and on the same side.

For safety reasons, parking is not permitted on the side of the road near Mont-Saint-Pierre and near the Corneille wall. Please use the Renaud Coulombe parking garage for the Mont-Saint-Pierre and leave your vehicle in the village to access the Corneille wall cascades.

Photo: Vertigo Aventures

Vertigo Aventures wants to initiate you to winter climbing on ice waterfalls or in mixed mountain terrain in the majestic Gaspésie shores or in the Chic-Chocs Mountains, assisted by a professional guide.

• Crampons, ice axes, harness and helmet included
• Initiation starting at $60/day per person
• Guided climbs: $200-$300/day, depending on logistic difficulty
• Mandatory reservation
• Contact: (418) 737-4983
• Web site: www.vertigo-aventures.com

Located in the heart of the climbing sites, the Mont-Saint-Pierre and Mont-Louis villages offer the following accommodations :

• Motel Restaurant Au Délice, Mont-Saint-Pierre
• Hôtel-Motel Mont-Saint-Pierre
• Maison le Capitaine, Mont-Louis
• Gîte Ô Berge de l'art, Mont-Louis

Two hostels located in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts offer rebates for FQME members :

• Auberge festive Sea Shack
• Auberge internationale Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

For your safety, don't forget that…

• Ice climbers and mountaineers are exposed to avalanches as much as skiers;
• You often have to go through corridors and slopes to get to an ice waterfall;
• In the high mountain area, you must continually travel on big snow slopes;  
• The snow slopes which have an incline between 30 and 60 degrees are considered as avalanche-prone terrain;
• Therefore, it is critical to have some basic knowledge of avalanche safety to minimize risks of accidents;
• All climbers should, like skiers, carry avalanche rescue equipment including an avalanche beacon (ARVA), a shovel and a probe when they are located on avalanche-prone terrain.

Two Major Types of Avalanches

Photo : Mathieu Dupuis

• Point release avalanches, which occur in wet or powdery snow;
• Slab avalanches, which can be identified by the linear fracture left at the slab sliding point.

Some Detectable Signs of Instability

• Recent avalanche activity on similarly oriented slopes (if natural avalanches occurred, it is possible that you could trigger one); 
• Crackings and collapses in the snow cover while one is moving (indication of a weak layer);
• Recent episode of new snow accompanied by strong winds (wind-slab formation);
• A sudden warm-up period (weak cohesion of snow layers).

For more information on avalanches in Quebec and on available classes, contact the Centre d'avalanche de la Haute-Gaspésie: www.centreavalanche.qc.ca.