Mt. Orford — Mountain layout

Mountain Layout—Skiing

Terrain is spread across three mountain peaks: Mont Orford, Mont Giroux and Mont Alfred-Desrochers. Ability levels are nicely separated.

Expert, Advanced: Triple-diamond labels are a bit hyped, but experts won’t be disappointed either. Take La Quatuor lift to the top of Mont Giroux, and “warm up” on Slalom: When we skied it, there was new powder and the workout left us huffing and puffing with screaming quads. Riding up Le Quad du Village, youll realize what you’re up for as you look at the bodies littered across Sherbrooke below you (probably thought they’d take a break from the glade skiing—hey, its a trail, how hard can it be?).

Once you unload from Le Quad du Village, you’ll find a steep headwall to skiers right. If you’re looking for woods (as if youd be over here for any other reason), stay along the top of the headwall and keep your eyes peeled for the entrance—you’ll probably notice people peering down the ravine that gets you into the woods. A new experience for us: Once you’re in the woods, you’ll see signs for various woods shots off the woods shots. It doesn’t matter which way you go, you won’t be disappointed. Ledges and boulders simply add to the thrill of the woods skiing here. By the way, if its in-bounds, you can ski it. There are about 12 unnamed glades as well, be nice to a local and maybe you’ll get a private tour. Don’t miss the glades off Mont Orford either.

For those who prefer trails to woods, don’t worry, be happy. Trois-Ruisseaux and Maxi on Mont Orford are especially delightful, and both are groomed in the middle of the day, which is a special treat since these are popular trails. Trois-Ruisseaux is a winding trail, narrow in spots with nice steep pitches. Maxi, on the other hand, is steep and goes straight down the mountain. Watch out, you’ll pick up lots of speed before you know it.

 Intermediate: The intermediate trails on Mont Alfred-Desrochers are winding and rolling, sometimes narrow, but with a steady pitch and no unexpected steeps. A wonderful experience! Because the chair is a bit out of the way, you’ll find these trails relatively uncrowded.

Grande Coulée on Mont Orford is a nice cruiser, but it has a steep section that might intimidate some intermediates (if its windy, some parts get windswept and icy too).

Wondering if you might like woods skiing? Try Escapade, a short glade off 4 km.

 Beginner, First-timer: Talk about being friendly to novices: Beginner trails are groomed during the day if its a snowy day.

The scenic 4 km. is a narrow cat track from the top of Mont Orford that eventually widens and has fabulous views of nearby Lake Memphremagog and Owls Head in the distance.

A real surprise is that the “north side” of Mont Giroux, which is covered in black on the “east side,” has trails that are loads of fun for beginners. Take the Le Quatuor lift and head straight, or skiers right. They’re separate from expert trails, so you don’t need to worry about hotshots.

The learning area is at the base of Mont Giroux and has its own lift.