Québec Ice Trip 2024
Tanja Schmitt on the variation of “le Pilier” on the rivière Saint Marguerite headwall © Matthias Scherer
No doubt - to die one day without regret as a passionate ice climber - you have to visit Quebec.
The stories of Québec’s ice lines have build up an enchanting song of crazy formations combined with remote access, severe storms and brutal temperatures.
Time to check the reality:
Landing in Quebec City is cool - small airport means no stress and you get the bags quickly. The kindness of the locals let the long flight quickly forget because you feel welcome!
A day to warm up in Pont Rouge on some of the many awesome mixed lines. The rock is crap but so much fun to climb…
Tanja Schmitt mixed climbing in Pont Rouge ©Matthias Scherer
Then the long drive up to Sept Îles. Luckily the scenery is beautiful - at least if you have a crack on the monotony of northern landscapes.
The coffee shops are top notch with the goodness of French bakery combined with the strong coffee of Canada.
Passing rivière Saint Marguerite we know where to start next morning and in the dawn of a slowly rising sun we head out. Following the snowmobile tracks with our cc skis is straightforward. The stiff breeze in our faces will be our companion for the next days - yes the wind was blowing every morning towards the sea - means in your face. Good thing is that the return was fast.
After a mere hour we see the famous headwall with all the lines. Some minutes later we reach the little forest underneath and change the boots. We get joined by the sportive French team that choose the snowmobile approach…
No stress, there are enough lines and everyone gets happy.
We pick Speedy Gonzales on the right side. Tanja is firing up the first pitch and I have fun while watching it from the screen of my drone remote.
The second pitch is mine and, hell yeah, it feels good to climb here. Heike is finishing up the line with a long third pitch and down it goes, back on the skis and preparing the next day.
Le Mulot is the second line we climb. Some approach ice brings us up to three big pitches consisting of steep weird ice formations consisting out of countless blobs and vertical pillars. The climbing is technical, committed and athletic and makes Le Mulot to the best line for me that we’ve done during this trip.
Back again next morning faces in the wind we ski again to the headwall - the variation of the pilier is on the program today. The twins choose the line and I watch from the drones eye, before hammering up the last pitch. The line we climb is on the left of the main pillar and the ice formations are awesome: Steep pillars, medusas and curtains for three 70m pitches. No one around except some snowmobiles checking their speed limits out on the frozen river.
With the strong wind in our backs we ski float back to the dam.
Before heading back towards Quebec City there is still time to visit Sept Îles down town. Don’t miss a coffee at the Clickafé and the general charm of a small community in the universe of the northern hemisphere.
More mixed climbing fun in Pont Rouge next day helps to overcome my sore driving bud and we meet Steve to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Now it’s time to visit the place ice climbing in Quebec has gained world attention: Les Hautes gorges de la rivière Malbaie.
Feels like back home in Cogne the next morning when all the lines are already over busy with teams.
Anyhow the temperatures and winds are harsh that day and the dried out screaming ice of “Hysterie Collective” is just fine to get a first taste of the ice in the canyon.
Temperatures don’t change over the next days and it’s -27 C when we decide to have finally Steve’s birthday party on the famous Pomme d’or.
We arrange with other parties - the line is so popular as our ice gems in Cogne - and even with the Québec national park registration system you will find yourself rarely alone on a line. Fortunately the Pomme d’or has some bends and we know all other teams well - still, I am not a fan of climbing like this, but a birthday party is a birthday party.
The climbing is fun and on the main line completely hooked out.
Tanja and me climb left and Steve and Heike right.
On the upper pillars we take more time and I take some shots of Tanja and video of Steve leading up the first of the pillars.
Then I have the fun to climb the last pitch - is a good one - but I want to be honest: I expected a bit more of the Pomme d’or. For sure is a long line and the climbing is steep on the last two pitches. But even climbing outside the beaten way I found not the exciting ice formations like on Le Mulot … or in the Fjords of Norway.
We hop on our cc skis and back it goes to the parking.
Next morning sees us way later - we decided to take it as it is and see which lines are busy and pick then.
The board in the national park chalet shows no team on la Loutre.
That’s cool ! A good hour later we are starting to rack up. Tanja and Heike are climbing, while Steve is joining me.
To make it short: La Loutre was way more interesting to climb than the Pomme d’or. It had more committing pitches and funkier technical ice. Tanja and Heike enjoyed the final pillar so much that they climbed it twice on the left side, while I had the opportunity to climb the right side and finish off this cool line. The rappels go all smooth on no-threads and the whole birthday party is happily skiing / walking back to the car.
Then it was time to join the Festiglace !
I have the honor to give a talk for my sponsor PETZL about the ice climbing in Norway Tanja, Heike and myself have done over the past decade. The crowd is amazing and the questions don’t cease.
This super friendly inspiring ambiance is going on over the next days in the canyon where Tanja and Heike teach clinics while Steve and myself are witnessing the stoke of the competition while having some fun for ourselves on the ice and mixed lines. I can only highly recommend everyone a visit of the Festiglace!
Time to head home then - and I can only say : MERCI Québec - AU REVOIR !
I updated my Top 100 list - check here for the entries from this trip.