Skiing, it’s been said, is a sport of the wealthy. But it need not be so. Given that hitting the slopes is one of the very few pleasures afforded to us by this miserable thing called winter, it’s necessary to seize the opportunities whenever possible. Here, the season’s best ski deals.
Mont Saint-Sauveur
Best deal: five-day pass, $200
Less than an hour away, the updated Saint-Sauveur is typically the most crowded of the six Laurentian mountains (Avila, Morin Heights, Olympia, Mont Gabriel, Edelweiss), but lift tickets, thankfully, are transferable between resorts.
Mont Blanc
Best deal: weekday pass, $34
Family-friendly Mont Blanc is a solid alternative to nearby Tremblant; with 41 trails, 3 peaks and the same countryside scenery, it’s a cheaper deal, sans Intrawest madness.
Owl’s Head Resort
Best deal: day pass, $42
Near the Quebec-Vermont border rests Owl’s Head, home to a picture-perfect view of Lake Memphremagog and the area’s biggest vertical drop (540 metres) outside of Tremblant.
Ski Bromont
Best deal: after 3 p.m., $38
It’s the best way to spend a weekday afternoon: Leave work for a late lunch and don’t come back. Instead, watch the sunset as you rocket down one of Bromont’s 57 night runs.
Ski Mont Rigaud and Mont Saint-Bruno
Best deal: Rigaud, four hours, $28; Saint-Bruno, three hours, $23
These hills may be small, but they’re a stone’s throw from Montreal, and they’re cheap – good enough if you’ve got an urge to hit the slopes and just a quarter tank of gas.
Image courtesy of Shay Hass.
