6. Val-David

Article by Greg Hill - ACMG Ski Guide extraordinaire and soon-to-be Assistant Rock Climbing Guide

Val-David is the birthplace of rock climbing in Quebec. It has a nice Eastern Canadian feel to it and climbing here on a nice September day while surrounded by the fall colors is an unparalleled experience. About an hour outside Montreal, there is rock climbing to suit every style, from V13 boulder problems, big walls, sport climbs, to 5.14 trad climbs, it has it all. The rock is part of the Canadian Shield and very compact granite.

Val David Climbing — **One of the best times to visit La-Val is in early fall when the leaves change — a striking backdrop to hard granite climbing.**

The quaint little villages that surround these cliffs are a tourist’s dream, dotted with small lakes everywhere, it would be easy to rent a cabin on a lake and climb all day. How perfect does that sound?

A few classic climbs include L’amphitheatre (5.8), the Crowne Directe (5.10a), and the mega-classic, Hallucinoreve (5.11c).

About the author

Greg Hill

ACMG Ski Guide extraordinaire and soon-to-be Assistant Rock Climbing Guide

Greg Hill is known far and wide for incredible first ascents and all around skiing prowess. He’s also a good friend of 57hours. His on mountain accomplishments are too many to list here, but he’s been known for skiing the odd 2,000,000’ in 2010; he skied 50,000’ in 24hrs because he can. Oh, yeah, he also climbed and skied 100km in the month of March, 2014. Not too shabby. Of late, Greg’s changing the world one adventure at a time with his Chevy Bolt for zero emission skiing and adventure.

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