What is travelling without the memories?
A great way of preserving and stimulating memories is through pictures. Of course, pictures can do more than that. In fact, they can also encourage you to go travelling. Perhaps these great pictures of India will do just that!
Read more Picture Time in India
At the beginning of the year, I went to Arizona.
A part of Arizona
The idea was complicated, not simple. My grand-mother used to live in Phoenix. She moved recently to be closer to the family. She still has her home and car there. The car however, was not running properly. My Dad brought it to the mechanic's and was given an estimate of 5 000$! That's a lot of money. Especially for a 20 year-old car.
As luck would have it, my cousin Frank dropped by one day and we started discussing the problem. I was eager to get his feedback as he's already taken a Toyota 4Runner apart, only to rebuild it. This, in my book, makes him a car expert.
This is what a car expert looks like
He said we were getting taken advantage of and that everything that had to be done was rather easy and the parts plentiful on the internet. With my family, we concocted a plan to go over there with him and have him do the repairs. Yes, it would cost less to fly him over 3500 km than to go to the garage. Read more about Raiding Arizona
La saison était déjà commencée depuis plus d’un mois et demi avant que je n’aie la chance de m’élancer sur les pistes à la recherche de cette sensation enivrante de liberté. Que ce soit en snowboard, en ski ou en télémark, tous ces moyens ne sont que de prétextes pour sortir prendre l’air entre amis, sur les sentiers enneigés des nombreux centres de ski du Québec.
En solo sur les pistes
Coup de cœur personnel ? Nous avons tous nos montagnes préférées. Mais si je vous parlais simplement du Massif de la Petite Rivière Saint François ? C’est mon coup de cœur personnel bien sûr, mais semble-t-il qu’il soit également un coup de cœur assez commun. Il ne suffit que de se retrouver sur l’une de ses 48 pentes ou sous-bois pour en comprendre le sens. Avec sa vue magnifique, il devient presque impossible de regarder ou l’on va tellement notre regard est absorbé vers l’horizon éblouissant du Fleuve St-Laurent. En lire plus sur Escapade en snowboard au Massif
Ahhh, winter. Season of breathless beauty. Season of heavenly outdoor activities. Season of hellish weather.
That hellish weather sure takes a toll on your footwear. Especially if you're inclined to wear running shoes or sneakers. Boots simply aren't made for everyone. I for one prefer shoes simply because my bike is my main mode of transportation and you pedal better with sneakers than with boots. Not to mention that once you are inside, shoes are much more comfortable. We all have our reasons and whatever those are, we want something for the winter.
Here's why I like my Snow Sneakers:
Des amis de Janick Altitude ont entrepris de faire le tour du monde en un an! Je vous invite à vous joindre à leurs aventures sur leur blogue, Aller simple. Ils sont présentement en Nouvelle-Zélande avec comme prochaine destination la Thaïlande. Voici l'intro:
Quelques jours avant le départ. Je suis fébrile, je suis aussi prêt (je crois)! Un an loin de tout, un an prêt de tout : de celle que j'Aime, de moi, je suis prêt... comme un scout! 365 jours pour faire des découvertes : le monde, et aussi mon monde intérieur tiens! Le sac de 65 litres me regarde du coin de l'oeil, il est aussi fébrile que moi!
Je suis maintenant vacciné pour faire le tour du monde, j'ai tellement de médicaments que je songe à m'ouvrir une pharmacie à Fidji, ou pourquoi pas en Inde tiens! More
La Grande river lives up to its name. It is a gigantic, fast flowing river, half a km across river that feels no smaller than the St-Laurent. But for all that, it is not too technically demanding. Before setting off, I made sure to call Hydro Quebec to find out how I can legally get to the river. Upriver from LG2 is nothing but an endless artificial freshwater sea called the Robert Bourasssa reservoir (see picture of Dam, above). I figured I would canoe the river part from LG2 to the James Bay, somehow portaging around LG1 along the way. I learned from Hydro’s helpdesk that I could access a boat launch behind the security portal if a native Cree dropped us off, since the Cree have access rights. So I hired a man from Chisasibi to drive us in and to drive the car back to Chisasibi. As a bonus, this would eliminate the need to call in a bush plane to fly back to the car at the end of the trip since a new dirt road connects Chisasibi, on the bay, to Radisson on the James Bay road.
Wow! Quelle première journée de vente nous avons eue hier. Ce fût un franc succès!
Beaucoup de gens se sont pointés
Toute l'équipe d'Altitude-sports.com vous remercie de vous être déplacés en si grand nombre pour cet évènement. Merci aussi pour votre patience et votre bonne humeur.
Nous sommes conscients que certains ont attendu pour entrer et pour payer. Nous croyons quand même que cela en valait la chandelle (tous convenaient que les rabais étaient bons). C’était notre première fois et comme toute première fois, fierté et humilité sont d’office.
Alors, au menu pour ce soir:
Cliquez ici en apprendre plus sur la vente de ce soir (vendredi 29 janvier)
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Je suis un homme chanceux. Vous voyez, j’ai un nouveau chandail préféré. L’Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 Slalom Zip pour homme pour être précis. Je le porte à chaque occasion qui se présente, ce qui est assez souvent. C’est une pièce merveilleuse lorsque vous voulez passer beaucoup de temps dehors lorsqu’il fait froid. Mais attention aux niaiseux qui iront le porter tout seul l'hiver, il n’est ni imperméable ni coupe-vent et il n’est même pas si chaud que ça. Ce qui ne change en rien du fait qu’il est une excellente couche pour le multi-couche.
Comme un de mes calins, le Slalom est beau et confortable.
En lire plus sur le Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 Slalom Zip pour homme
The first snowfall of winter covers the sidewalks of the big city. Children run, throwing snowballs at each other. The first day of this season is a shared experience and stirs up different emotions for everyone: lovers of the cold rejoice, while others plan their annual vacation down south.
But this winter, why not go to a far-off corner of Québec where there’s lots of snow? One of the best ways to spend this season is to do outdoor sports in one of Sépaq’s biggest parks, where you’ll find yourself among some of the highest mountains in Québec. A slight change in routine will help you enjoy this snowy time and pull yourself out of annual urban hibernation.
Chics Chic-Choc
Read more aboutWinter, Snow, Québec, Gaspésie, and the Chic-Choc Mountains
Bargain hunters, remember these historic dates!
January 28-29th from 5pm to 9pm (this Thursday and Friday), Altitude-sports.com is opening its doors for the first time, to liquidate its inventory surplus.
Take advantage of rebates of up to 60% on current year clothes, shoes and equipment. Get up to 75% off on previous seasons' stock. A great opportunity to get your hands on quality products at tiny prices.
We'll do our best to have you remember this event for a long time with a great selection of top brands such as The North Face, Arc’teryx, Icebreaker, Mountain Hardwear, Outdoor Research, Merrell and many more.
Where is this mysterious warehouse?
6600 rue St-Urbain, Suite 410, in Montreal(between Beaubien and St-Zotique). It's on the fourth floor. Exit the elevator and you're there.
Click here for some Google Maps help.
En primeur (mise à jour en date du 29 janvier) : CLIQUEZ ICI POUR VOIR LES ANNONCES SPÉCIALES CONCERNANT LA SOIRÉE DU 29 JANVIER
Chasseurs d'aubaines, retenez bien ces dates historiques!
Le 28 et 29 janvier, de 17h00 à 21h00 (jeudi et vendredi prochain), Altitude-sports.com ouvre les portes de son entrepôt pour la première fois, pour écouler ses surplus d’inventaire.
Profitez de rabais allant jusqu’à 60% sur des vêtements, des chaussures et de l'équipement de l’année. Profitez aussi de rabais allant jusqu'à 75% sur certains items des saisons passées. C'est l'occasion idéale pour mettre la main sur des produits de qualité à prix minimes.
Nous ferons en sorte que vous vous rappellerez longtemps de cet évènement en vous offrant une grande sélection de produits de marques renommées telles que The North Face, Arc’teryx, Icebreaker, Mountain Hardwear, Outdoor Research, Merrell et bien d’autres.
Où se trouve ce mystérieux entrepôt?
6600 rue St-Urbain, Suite 410, à Montréal (entre Beaubien et St-Zotique). C'est au quatrième étage. Juste en face, en sortant de l'ascenseur.
Cliquez ici pour le plan de Google Maps.
Part 1: The Road
I took the 15 North out of Montreal, past the ski hills to where it becomes the 117 and continued northward towards Parc La Vérendrye. The last town before the 200km of untouched nature in the parc is Grand-Remous, a living ghost town since the recentclosure of the local saw mill. So far, I was still on familiar grounds, having been as high North as Senneterre for canoeing trips in the past but that changed after the parc.
I got to Val d’Or near sunset, and noticed that I had been driving straight West, not North, for the past little while, so I bought a map to see what’s going on. You’d figure I would have bought one before leaving, but hey, I already knew how to find the 15.
As it turns out, the 117 heads West from Val d’Or towards Ontario. If I wanted to go North, I had to take another, smaller country road (by now, the 117 was no more than a two-way street itself) called the 111N. That led me to Amos, where I once again had to pick another road to avoid going west. It was 200km of night driving before I reached Matagami, which used to be the end of the world before the James Bay road was built. The cold dark road seemed eerily deserted and I was glad I had a jerrican, just in case. In the sunlight of the return trip, I would find out that this segment of the road actually presents the last northern agricultural communities, tiny and sparsely distributed but beautiful, where the northernmost farms reach the limits of arable land.
Rush Hour on the James Bay Road: Note the fire damage to the forest
Hey there!
To start the new year on the right foot and so you can be aware of our many activities, we've started a contest in collaboration with Outdoor Research.
How does it work?
All you need to do is join our Altitude Sports newsletter from here on until January 28th for the chance to win one of these Outdoor Research jackets:
Women's OR Aria Down Hoody
Men's OR Transcendent Sweater
How do you join the Altitude Sports newsletter?
Enter your email address in the top right corner and click on subscribe.
Good luck!
Salut à tous!
Pour partir l'année du bon pied et pour que vous soyez bien informés de nos différentes activités, nous lançons un concours en collaboration avec Outdoor Research.
Comment ça fonctionne?
Il suffit de s'inscrire à l’Infolettre Altitude Sports d'ici au 28 janvier prochain
pour courir la chance de gagner l’un de ces deux manteaux Outdoor Research:
OR Aria Down Hoody Femme
OR Transcendent Sweater Homme
Comment s'inscrire à l'Infolettre Altitude Sports?
Entrez votre adresse courriel dans la case prévue à cet effet en haut à droite de cette page et cliquez sur "s'abonner".
Bonne chance!
Chez Altitude Sports, nous sommes de grands amateurs du Banff Mountain Film Festival. Pour vous encourager à y aller, nous avons mis en place un concours pour gagner 1 de 2 paires de billets pour la représentation de samedi après-midi ! À qui la chance ?
The road on the way to work this morning
The morning after a snow storm in Montreal leaves you with the same problem year after year: do I buy insulated boots, or continue to wear my wanna-be boots that leak, or worse my shoes? Many of us think we don’t need winter boots in the city because there’s a lot of snow and everything is close. I admit it: until last year I was one of those people...
After buying a good pair of boots, I would never spend another day in wet socks. The five boots reviewed here all have a waterproof layer that keeps your feet dry when walking through even the biggest slush puddles (very common in the city). The rubber on the soles is softer than those on regular uninsulated boots. This keeps the boot from slipping, as snow tires do, even in the coldest conditions. The average person going to work in the city on public transit walks on enough icy sidewalks to need this kind of sole. What’s more, the treads are specially designed to keep snow from collecting on the bottom of the boot and high quality insulation keeps your feet warm. These boots are made for urban life as much as for participating in your favourite winter sport. I chose boots with a classic look: ones that won’t make you look like Bernard Voyer when you go to have a drink with friends. Tempting isn’t it?
1. Men's Merrell Chameleon Thermo 8 WTPF Synthetic Boots 159,99$
Withought a doubt, the Chameleon is THE number one classic boot for the Altitude staff. One out of every two employees has this boot, and I am one of them. The Chameleon is well insulated with 200g of Polartec and 400g of Primaloft. It is the warmest out of the McMurdo and the B52 (see below). I especially like its aggressive Vibram sole. The molded rubber heal counter is for easily attaching snowshoes. When worn with pants, its rugged look has a simple style. I particularly like the exterier material which repels calcium. The proof: after a year of wear, Alex Lapointe’s boots still look like new.
Read the rest of Top 5 Men's boots
Amidst the tragic news coming from Haïti, I must admit I feel overwhelmed. I want to help people but what can I do really? At this point, I figure the best thing I can do is to give to the proper charities (done!) as well as encourage others to give.
And although my financial power is limited, as Mother Teresa said so well: '' If you can't feed 100 people, then feed 1''. You can help out by giving to charities such as Partners in Health.
I also wanted to share this photo with you:
Cindy, notre amie et contributrice a un bon projet : gagner un concours pour se rendre et faire un reportage sur le Fashion Week à New York !
Aidez-là à ajouter une saveur québecoise au Fashion Week en votant ici.
When you are out in the wilderness, it’s important to be prepared. You don’t want to end up eating Ramen noodles or Cup o’ Soups when you can easily warm up with your own delicious variety at camp. By equipping yourself with canned or dry beans, and vegetables that are easy to bring to camp such as carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes-- you won’t have to worry about spoilage.
My personal take on cooking, (which you will soon catch on to) is that it shouldn’t be something to fear and you don’t always have to rely on recipes if you understand a few basics. Most importantly, my advice is to trust yourself and constantly taste the pot and adjust the flavours according to your unique taste buds.
Yes, soup for you. Image by stu spicack @ flickr
I like to throw beans/legumes or grains to make a thicker soup and get in some extra protein and nutritional value. You don’t have to worry about the right proportions of bean or grain to water in this case because it is in a soup and the consistency doesn’t matter. If you need more liquid, add more. If you want a creamier consistency, use a handheld immersion blender to puree your soup. If you are at camp, you can add a can of coconut milk for extra creaminess. Read more about this tasty soup recipe
It is with pleasure that I present you a blog mini-series by Jean-Yves Domenjoz. A four part series detailing his adventures travelling through Northern Québec, we'll publish one part per week.
Enjoy!
Juan Altitude
