Gaspesie, where the mountains meet the sea

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 8:00 a.m. After an introductory briefing we leave Quebec to reach Bic National Parc. A 33 km2 stretch of land that protects an area known for its large population of harbor and gray seals. For our first hike we get the chance to explore this diverse coastal environment, on a 8.7 km stroll along the little inlets, bays and coves and tide permitting, enjoy the sunset over mighty Saint-Lawrence. Night at the hotel.

Hike

This morning we follow the Saint-Lawrence to reach the Chic-Chocs in Gaspesie National Park. After a lunch in local seafood hotspot, we head out for 7 km hike to the top of the Weeping Inlet Mountain. The trail offers extensive views over the Saint-Lawrence with the charming little villages nestled between the mountains and the sea. After our hike we head deeper into the parc to reach our campground for the night. Your guide will be there to assist you and to help coordinate the preparation of our dinner.

Hike

We leave camp early this morning to tackle a 17 km traverse from the base of Mt Jacques-Cartier all the way to the lake of the Americans. After a short bus ride, we ascend the east face of Mount Jacques-Cartier to reach the summit of the highest mountain of mainland Quebec. From there we travel west along vast alpine plateaus to reach Mount Comte and Mount Xalibu from where a steep descent takes us back to Lake of the Americans. Depending on our elevation, chances of seeing moose or caribou are more than decent. The trail is rocky with forested sections, but a large portion of the trail is in an alpine environment with little to no shelter from the elements. A rugged and exposed traverse that is well worth every effort.

Hike

Today we explore a much lesser-known area of the park on the Mount Vallière-de-Saint-Real ridge trail. This 12 km hike offers stunning view of Mount Jacques Cartier and Mount Albert on an exceptionally long ridge line. Steep and wooded at the start the trail gives way to stunning alpine terrain. A large section of the trail doesn’t offer shelter and one must be equipped to face the winds and rapid weather changes. Returning to our starting point in the late afternoon we transfer to our wilderness hut for the night.

Hike

This morning we ascend over 300 m to reach the massive 14 km2 plateau of Mount Albert. Being some of the oldest mountains on earth erosion has run its course here and left us with this huge alpine plateau home to woodland caribous and some very interesting rock formations called serpentine. This 17 km loop trail lets you explore this incredible environment at the expense of roots riddled ascent and a knee-buckling boulder filled descent. Meals : B, L

Hike

Today we head south and follow the Cascapedia river back to the see. We stop on the way to hike along the river and explore the quaint seaside town of Maria. We push further up the bay to reach Carleton where we enjoy a lunch in a local microbrewery. This afternoon we have the option of taking part in a 2 h 00 sailing excursion to discover the bay with some of the highest tides in the world. Night in a hotel in Carleton .

Hike

Enjoy a full day to explore the area. Many hikes to choose from both in the areas of Maria and Carleton-sur-Mer.
Hiking along the coast or exploring the seaside shops. Evening free to enjoy the night life.

For those on our August departure, you are traveling back to Quebec City and this is the last day of your trip.
For those on our July departure, you continue our adventure on a 3 days canoe trip!
We transfer to Matapedia to board our canoe and start our paddling expedition. For the next two days we’ll go at the river’s pace and enjoy salmon viewing and thrilling white water. We can do up to 30 km per day having our picnics on the shore and setting up camp every night.

Canoe

This is our last morning on the river. We take the time to cleanly take down camp one last time before heading to our take out. From there we make our way to Causapscal for the night.

Enjoy a last breakfast as a group before making your way back to Quebec for the end of the tour.