What are
Les Routes Blanches?
Multi-day backcountry nordic tours in the Laurentians.
A project to showcase the heritage of backcountry skiing.
A way to promote the sustainability of inter-municipal cross-country ski trails.
A way to promote consultation between cross-country ski network managers.
The heritage of Nordic cross-country skiing
It was at the beginning of the 20th century that the Laurentians region acquired the title of the birthplace of nordic skiing in America. The long winters, hills and open valleys combined with the proximity of Montreal and access to rail transportation make it an ideal location for the development of cross-country skiing.
By the turn of the 1920s, a vast network of off-piste ski trails consisting of unplowed roads, frozen lakes, and farms had developed. This network crosses municipalities and interconnects villages. The practice of cross-country skiing grew so quickly that in 1927, a train dedicated to transporting skiers was inaugurated. This is how tourism became an economic driver that over time would surpass agriculture and forestry.
In 1933, Jackrabbit Johannsen completed the famous Maple Leaf Trail, which aimed to interconnect accommodations in the southern Laurentians to Mont-Tremblant. This trail led to a further boom in ski tourism, with 150,000 skiers taking the train up to the Laurentians annually by 1941! Although this network has undergone many transformations over the years, it still exists.
Almost 100 years later
Les Routes Blanches offer Nordic ski trails from village to village using heritage trails as well as new trails in a spirit similar to that of the great builders of the Laurentians.
The challenges of private property
In recent decades, the explosion of residential development and urbanization perimeters has greatly weakened the backcountry nordic ski network. In fact, the latter is found largely on private property. The project therefore aims to raise awareness among skiers to adopt a responsible cross-country skiing practice that respects the landowners who allow us to ski on the network.
Les Routes Blanches
a project led by SOPAIR
The Pays-d’en-Haut Outdoor Society (SOPAIR) is the organization behind Les Routes Blanches project. SOPAIR is a conservation organization whose mission is to work on the development, access and sustainability of the trails in the MRC des Pays-d’en-Haut. Its mandate extends to neighboring municipalities out of necessity for the operation of the Les Routes Blanches.
We thank the landowners who allow skiers to pass through.
We thank the clubs and volunteers for maintaining the trails.
We thank the many private and municipal stakeholders who support this initiative.
