He Said, She Said : Perspectives on Hiking @ Tremblant

We’re trying out a new concept at altitude-blog.com. Janick Altitude and I are going to share a hiking story with you. We’ve chosen five key words that we must use in our texts: Rain, Wind, Garbage, Cheese and Running. The rest is totally our point of view. We wrote our respective articles without having the read the other’s. Enjoy!

*Please note that Janick’s article is currently in French. Translation coming soon.

It’s morning. It’s raining. It’s cold. Janick asks me with a worried look whether we’re still on for the hike. Fearing she’s having doubts, I answer: “Yeah!” Her response warms me up: “Sweet!”

The plan was to hike up Mont-Tremblant. I was looking forward to it. I also was hoping for a rigorous experience. You know, to kick up the intensity a notch or two. It started off well, what with the rain and the cold. As we started hiking, we realized that we were simply generating too much heat. The sweat was going to wet us more than the drizzle. So off went the shells. I was covered in merino wool, a little rain wasn’t going to faze me. I also decided to shed the bottom legs of my convertible pants. God bless convertible pants. With clothes set at breathable, I was more comfortable than a warm hug from someone you love. Ok, I wasn’t that comfortable, but close enough.

He Said, She Said : Perspectives on Hiking @ Tremblant

Juan converting

The first part of the hike was quite nice. An easy yet demanding incline incited extra effort. Varying scenery just made things better. We noticed that we could not stop for long before getting cold. It wasn’t much of a problem since we were there to hike, not to meander. Yet, at one point, even moving quickly on steep parts wasn’t enough to keep us warm. The rain was coming down stronger, the wind had picked up. Our shells came back on. I believe this video sums up the weather. Although it is in French, I’m sure you’ll agree that weather needs no translation.

Things were getting intense. My smile was getting brighter. By the time we got to the top, a storm was upon us. Fierce wind and rain greeted us. It was feeling like an adventure. We were completely soaked. Luckily, we were well equipped with technical base and mid layers not to mention our sweet shells. The mountain was closed. Nothing was open. Finally, we took shelter by finding an unlocked area. Our haven was a room with a pile of garbage. At this point in time though, comfort was defined solely by protection from the elements.

Juan's a trashy guy

We added a layer for warmth. For energy, we proceeded to seriously savour some baguette and cheese. Rarely has cheese ever hit the spot like that. Hmmm, I’m salivating right now, thinking of it. The gooeyness, the saltyness, the flavour. For a cold meal, it was absolute perfection to counter the nastiness outside.

More cheese please!

Warmed up and energized, we headed back down. We were on fire, Janick especially. She took the lead and started running. And run down the mountain we did. It was awesome. My lungs were screaming and my legs were burning from the running and bouncing around while my brain was reeling from the split-second decision-making about where my next step was going to be. I was completely satisfied.

At one point, we got to a magical spot. The rain had stopped. The wind was blowing through the forest at a continuous pace, between soft and strong. I love the sound of wind blowing through leaves and here it was in surround sound. It was visually mesmerizing as well. The video does not give it justice, but with every leaf in the forest twisting to and fro, thus showing both its dark and light sides, it was like being in a anime.

All that to say that my desire for an intense hike was fulfilled. It was a mission accomplished. To top it off, our awesome hike was pleasantly completed by a nice dinner of quesadillas and fajitas at Mark Altitude’s place. Sore muscles and a tired body ensured a good night's sleep.