Frankontour
New member
I'm back from another multi-trip in Lanaudiere, with the 3 peaks, this time. After 15 years of questionning me, I can finally say that VSC is the 2nd biggest vertical in the north, after Tremblant. Garceau is third and la Réserve is 4th. The differences between #2,#3 and #4 are little, though. <BR> <BR>For the highest peaks skiable, La Réserve is 2nd after Tremblant, followed by Garceau and VSC. <BR> <BR>But as the title said, the big new of the day is really the new trail of Val Saint-Côme. I already skied that place in jan 2001, but damn, this deserve easily a third or even a fourth black diamond and the Pins Rouges are not "alone" anymore. VSC already have some of the best trails in Quebec for each ski levels, but with this new one, we're in heaven !! <BR> <BR>So the new glade (9th of the resort), located on the top side, between the "Grande-Allée" and l'"Audacieuse" (above the "Périlleuse") have some serious resemblances with the Upper Boubou of Sutton, but with the cliffy terrain of la Réserve added. (Let's say it's a lethal mix) It was already skiable as an off-piste for few years, but it was just too much crazy, too narrow. Now, it's less narrow and still features many different """skiable""" lines. I think there is an exit to G-A before it becomes too much crazy. There is just 0,5% or less of the skiers/boarders that will be able to do this and knowing about the 8' cliff to jump and not possible to avoid for final, it should keep its snow enough well. <BR> <BR>Here is the beginning of the trail... be cautious, the easy part is not long 
<BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2700.jpg" ALT="easy beginning"> <BR> <BR>Normal terrain now : <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2701.jpg" ALT="less easy"> <BR> <BR>After hiking down this one (and it's way steeper than it looks on the pic), I realized that I hiked down the easy line of the trail, at this place. The right part is a big sequence of cliffs with very few stops to breath. <BR> <BR>About the steepness, as I also had my "inclinometer". The Pins Rouges pitch zone have 215' high and an average of 43 degrees. I must say it can be a little more in reality, cause from the top, even standing on the big rocks, it's too much convex to see the lower pitch. The last part is well over 50 degrees. <BR> <BR>The Avalanche drop off have 50 degrees, but it's just 50 feet high, so I don't count this one The top pitch of Avalanche (excluding the drop-off line) have an average of 28-29 degrees. <BR> <BR>I also took my inclinometer once again at la Réserve and I didn't mistake, the first time, the middle part of the top pitch of la Pirouette really have 65 degrees. You can see what I mean on this pic taken today The wooden part to avoid the top cliff have 55 degrees (with 7' wide and full of rocks... ouch !) <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2702.jpg" ALT="Feel the steepness !! ouch"> <BR> <BR>It was fun, they already cut the 2 pitches of the Chute Libre and the lower pitch of the Pirouette, so it was extremely cool to hike that, although the top part of the Pirouette is just too dangerous, with kind of rock crevasses and just too steep, except the wooden part which is less worst.
<BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2700.jpg" ALT="easy beginning"> <BR> <BR>Normal terrain now : <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2701.jpg" ALT="less easy"> <BR> <BR>After hiking down this one (and it's way steeper than it looks on the pic), I realized that I hiked down the easy line of the trail, at this place. The right part is a big sequence of cliffs with very few stops to breath. <BR> <BR>About the steepness, as I also had my "inclinometer". The Pins Rouges pitch zone have 215' high and an average of 43 degrees. I must say it can be a little more in reality, cause from the top, even standing on the big rocks, it's too much convex to see the lower pitch. The last part is well over 50 degrees. <BR> <BR>The Avalanche drop off have 50 degrees, but it's just 50 feet high, so I don't count this one The top pitch of Avalanche (excluding the drop-off line) have an average of 28-29 degrees. <BR> <BR>I also took my inclinometer once again at la Réserve and I didn't mistake, the first time, the middle part of the top pitch of la Pirouette really have 65 degrees. You can see what I mean on this pic taken today The wooden part to avoid the top cliff have 55 degrees (with 7' wide and full of rocks... ouch !) <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/2702.jpg" ALT="Feel the steepness !! ouch"> <BR> <BR>It was fun, they already cut the 2 pitches of the Chute Libre and the lower pitch of the Pirouette, so it was extremely cool to hike that, although the top part of the Pirouette is just too dangerous, with kind of rock crevasses and just too steep, except the wooden part which is less worst.