Advice needed - climbing in/near Montreal

Hello community, I'm new to Montreal and looking to get outdoors for some climbing. Can anyone recommend some places for weekend trips from Montreal? Or any other resources for rock climbing near Montreal. Thank you!

Hi, While I'm not from Montreal or even Quebec ( or even Canada), I can provide some information. While I believe that there are a few small outcrops ( and several gyms) within the city limits, the most established and well-known area close to the city is Val David--in the Laurentians roughly an hour north of the city on the way towards Mt. Tremblant. There are several crags ( and bouldering) most trad, but some sport as well, most one or two pitches on excellent granite with short approaches.

There are numerous other crags in that part of the Laurentians--I have heard good reports about Mont d'Argent but have never been there. Heading southeast towards the US border in the Estrie region ( near Sherbrooke) there are several good areas--Mt. Orford is mostly sport or bouldering, while even closer to Vermont ( just north of the border) Mont Pinnacle above Lac Lyster  (near Coaticook) is an excellent multi-pitch granite crag with a great spread of grades. Heading northeast along the St. Lawrence past Quebec City, there are large, wild granite cliffs in places such as La Malbaie valley and Le Parc des Grands Jardin on the north shore of the river/estuary and beautiful sport climbing at Kamouraska on the south side. That should be enough to get you started.

Hi Rene,

Do you have anything specific you are looking for? There is alot 1-1.5h from Montreal. Mountain Project can be quite lacking for certain areas although most main crags will be pretty well covered. 

For sport Val-D may not be the best crag although lots of TR opportunities. Tons missing on MP, topo available for purchase that is fairly good. Just beware, grades around the region can feel quite stiff depending on the crag (especially trad heavy places). It's the same ratings as in the NE and similar to ADK grades. 

Closest to Montreal are Rigaud (well covered on MP) and Baldy (well covered on MP). Both mainly sport with the latter consisting of harder climbs.

Montagne d'argent has a good variety of everything, trad, sport, TR, slabs, cracks, faces, but can be lacking on MP. Topo available on location for 20$ that also covers lac Gervais.

More in Lanaudière Tranchant is very popular and almost exclusively sport (it's straight in the sun though). You can find a bit of everything there( all bolted). MP covers it well, but you can find Socrate's topo on-line that is very good.

Notable mentions are Weir's west end, lac boisseau, pic au corbeau (Orford), Labedan.

There is tons to cover when you know where to look. Finding the info on-line can sometimes be hard in QC. There are many many crags depending on what you are looking for. Alot of up and coming places that are not advertised anywhere too.

There is bouldering around as well although those are even more obscure to find on MP.

If you are looking for something in particular or particular grades I could better direct you.

Welcome to Montreal!

@Sean B - thank you for the welcome to Montreal and for all the information you have listed! To be honest I'm not looking for super difficult things, probably looking to stay in the 5.10-5.11 range. However, I would love to find some longer multi-pitch stuff... do you have any recommendations?  I will definitely start looking at the places you have listed and start planning some weekend outings.  Is the climbing in Ottawa good too? Lastly, if you live in the area and are going to a crag and need a belay let me know :)

Cheers, Rene

Sean B wrote:

Hi Rene,

Do you have anything specific you are looking for? There is alot 1-1.5h from Montreal. Mountain Project can be quite lacking for certain areas although most main crags will be pretty well covered. 

For sport Val-D may not be the best crag although lots of TR opportunities. Tons missing on MP, topo available for purchase that is fairly good. Just beware, grades around the region can feel quite stiff depending on the crag (especially trad heavy places). It's the same ratings as in the NE and similar to ADK grades. 

Closest to Montreal are Rigaud (well covered on MP) and Baldy (well covered on MP). Both mainly sport with the latter consisting of harder climbs.

Montagne d'argent has a good variety of everything, trad, sport, TR, slabs, cracks, faces, but can be lacking on MP. Topo available on location for 20$ that also covers lac Gervais.

More in Lanaudière Tranchant is very popular and almost exclusively sport (it's straight in the sun though). You can find a bit of everything there( all bolted). MP covers it well, but you can find Socrate's topo on-line that is very good.

Notable mentions are Weir's west end, lac boisseau, pic au corbeau (Orford), Labedan.

There is tons to cover when you know where to look. Finding the info on-line can sometimes be hard in QC. There are many many crags depending on what you are looking for. Alot of up and coming places that are not advertised anywhere too.

There is bouldering around as well although those are even more obscure to find on MP.

If you are looking for something in particular or particular grades I could better direct you.

Welcome to Montreal!

@Alan - Thanks for all the tips. I'm guessing you live in the USA? Hopefully the restrictions end soon so you can visit Canada for climbing soon :) (and so that I can go back to USA to climb there too...)

Alan Rubin wrote:

Hi, While I'm not from Montreal or even Quebec ( or even Canada), I can provide some information. While I believe that there are a few small outcrops ( and several gyms) within the city limits, the most established and well-known area close to the city is Val David--in the Laurentians roughly an hour north of the city on the way towards Mt. Tremblant. There are several crags ( and bouldering) most trad, but some sport as well, most one or two pitches on excellent granite with short approaches.

There are numerous other crags in that part of the Laurentians--I have heard good reports about Mont d'Argent but have never been there. Heading southeast towards the US border in the Estrie region ( near Sherbrooke) there are several good areas--Mt. Orford is mostly sport or bouldering, while even closer to Vermont ( just north of the border) Mont Pinnacle above Lac Lyster  (near Coaticook) is an excellent multi-pitch granite crag with a great spread of grades. Heading northeast along the St. Lawrence past Quebec City, there are large, wild granite cliffs in places such as La Malbaie valley and Le Parc des Grands Jardin on the north shore of the river/estuary and beautiful sport climbing at Kamouraska on the south side. That should be enough to get you started.

alan and sean covered a lot of it but for bigger than 3 pitch climbs like those you’ll find at Weir (awesome wall) you’ll need to go north and east towards charlevoix where 400m+ climbs or to NH / daks when the border is friendlier. which actually should be july 5 provided you have a pr in canada or other legitimate reason to be here and a US citizenship (plus jabs). 

ontario has some decent bouldering and single pitch close to quebec and some world class stuff farther afield but you are starting to talk about drives that are too long to intrigue me because the rock is in general very good here. 

if you’re not a member of the fqme you should sign up so your access to places like baldy, weir, etc is on the up and up. and while you’re on the site, there’s a handy map of all of the locations they had a hand in developing trails and installing anchors at, on of which opens for the first time this weekend with 300 routes up to 5.13+. 

Rene De Santiago wrote:

To be honest I'm not looking for super difficult things, probably looking to stay in the 5.10-5.11 range. However, I would love to find some longer multi-pitch stuff... do you have any recommendations?

Hi Rene,

Multipitch around Montreal does exist, mostly in trad. In the lower range, Weir's adagio, Paturage, Val-D's Arabesque (currently closed to public), few lines at Lac Gervais (although lots has been bolted), some slaby lines at grandes falaises at foret ouareau. On the south shore lac lyster is nice with many options although many have gotten dirty over the years and are pure choss. At Lac Lyster there is Camay which is pretty classic (tough 5.6) with few other lines to the right and left all going at 5.5 - 5.7. There is tons more at Lac Lyster (Pinacle). In the higher trad range you have many lines going at 2-3 pitches at Weir with probably the most famous being Black and White. For true multipitch you will need to go towards Quebec where grands jardins has many lines. Dome has some 3-4 pitch lines (granuleuse, voie de rappel, voie d'évitement, l'initiation, etc..), Mont de l'ours has 3 pitches (puf! puf! puf!, directe de l'ours), gros bras is a bit more involved and you need to be ready for adventure (hals und beinbruck, all fine, lido and harder). Gros bras is up to 7 pitches. There is also gros bonnet, but I have never been as I am not strong enough of a climber.

For sport multipitch, around montreal there are fewer options. Montagne d'argent has le centennaire (3 pitch), Weir has many 3 pitch in the 5.11 grade, the 5.9 slabs on top of Baldy, Lac Gervais has some 3 pitch bolted stuff that are good for starting but pretty underwhelming in terms of climbing, Grandes Falaises at Foret Ouareau has some bolted 3 pitches with a 3 pitch leading to a ledge with varying finishes (Doug Frippon which for some reason is trad on MP). The mountains are smaller so none of these are very long, they still make for a grat day out though. Palissades de Charlevoix has Sport 400 which is the longest in QC, its a slab like ones found in Cathedral Ledge or Whitehorse ledge that was bolted into a 400m route. It can get crowded and getting stuck behind a slow group can slow you down. At Palissades there is also L'arête (5.7 4 pitch), Yves Laforest (5.9 2 pitch).

I don't know too much about Ottawa climbing, but there is Lac Sam that is supposed to be nice.

This should cover most popular multi pitches that are accessible from Montreal. There is always towards the US once the border re-opens too!

Hey, everyone covered everything pretty well. I live about an hour east of Montreal if you ever need a partner though! Send me a text if you ever want to head out 434-989-6848. 

i just had an awesome day climbing single pitch. i am noticing there’s a meta sandstone that’s super enjoyable to climb in spots. i like the canadian shield gravite but this bother stuff is a little friendlier on my hands and affords a lot of diversity. granted, single pitch. but still there is so much high quality exposed rock it’s impossible not to be stoked up here. 

as far as multipitch goes, did anyone mention cap triniti? grand jardins? grand morne? i know we said east a lot, i just wish i had more time. what a great place. 

Hey Petzl, while it looks like I won't be able to travel north of the border anytime soon (the border closure is getting a bit ridiculous), I am curious about which crags feature that meta sandstone you described. Are any of them listed on MP?