Skiing Quebec's Bromont Mountain
Night and Day an Eastern Canada Family Ski Resort Destination
Mar 21, 2008
Bromont offers a sense of European skiing for the whole family and it's only a day's drive through Vermont. from Boston and Hartford. Close to the U.S. Bromont includes seven hills, all tied together for easy access. Trails on these peaks are on both the eastern and western faces of the mountains.
Abundant trails keep skiers of all skill levels happy. This is particularly true of novice (green) and intermediate (blue). There are green and blue trails on each of the "versants" ensuring that everyone gets to see the views east and west from the top, including views of the nearby lake, Lac Brome.
Of the several ski areas in the Eastern Townships (Cantons del L'Est), Bromont is the closest to Montreal, only an hour away by car. This proximity means that it is the favorite of Montrealers and those who live in its suburbs.
Good For Beginners
Along with its good ski school programs for kids and beginner adults, the separate slopes on Mont Soleil provide broad open areas on which to hone skills. With its own lift, it removes the pressure of experts whipping by.
From the top of the two Quad lifts in front of the main lodge there are a pair of two of the nicest cruising trails. Toronto, ranked green but with challenges, drops over the edge of Mount Brome and down the valley between it and Mont Spruce along blue-ranked glades on one side. It leads to a high-speed quad back to the top of Mont Brome. The Brome trail winds down on the shoulder between Mont Brome and the Pic du Chevreuil, another section of the resort. This gorgeous cruiser has a side trail (green) to add variety.
Intermediate Choices
The Detroit, New York and Augusta trails from the top of Brome, all end at the same quad at the bottom of Mount Spruce and provide intermediates with challenge, as does the long Cowansville blue-ranked trail from the top of Brome all the way to its base. There are also several good intermediate trails off the back (western) side of the three main peaks.
And For Experts, Too
For the more adventurous there are a number of single and double black-diamond trails on the east and west sides of Mont Spruce, all with First Nations names, Mississauga, Ottawa and Petawawa. On the back side look for Los Angeles and Anaheim under the double chair that feeds the top of the west face of Mont Spruce. There are also several challenging blacks on Mont Brome to the left of the two main quads.
The Night Option
Night skiing not only expands the experience but adds a whole new flavor. They have a great philosophy here at Bromont. They put in more lights than are required and they put them on most of their trails, improving both the safety and the variety of night skiing.
The appearance of the base area leaves something to be desired, Although Bromont's base area is not the most attractive, with big box-like buildings and massive overbearing condos, it does offer a fine large place to boot up just inside the main entrance, a plus for them. Upstairs there is also an attractive lunch room and lounge overlooking the slopes. Up on the mountains, there is the sense of woods and nature, a good feeling.
Another great thing about Bromont is its proximity to other ski areas at Sutton and Mont Orford, all three being within an hour or less drive of one another. This proximity allows visitors an even broader range of winter sport experiences from one location.
Getting There
US visitors can follow Interstate 91 all the way to the Canadian border, where it becomes Route 55. Follow it to Trans Canada 10 west, and look for signs at Route 241 (exit 78).
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