Time to announce the winner of the July's picture contest. The theme was Altitude's Hot! Hot! Hot! We received many a submission and the decision was difficult. In the end, we had to admit there was a primus inter pares.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Fernando :
Looking good, feeling good.
He won a sweet pair of Chaco Fuse flippy floppies.
Also, please check out our finalists.
Ok, so you dropped a few Benjamins (or Sir Robert Borden if your flag has a maple leaf on it) on your sweet down jacket. You, my friend, are rocking the party that rocks the body. And that party is called the streets. Turning heads, you're smoking hot both figuratively and literally and everyone knows it.
But then, you also end up dropping some mustard on it. Oh dear. I don't know of too many stains that make you look cool, but mustard certainly isn't one of them. That's when you come see me for help. The truth is that mustard stains are a little intense for little old me. Here are some general washing instructions :
Tip: if you see that the water is no longer beading (making little water droplets) on the fabric, apply a spray-on water repellent to your washed jacket while it is still wet.
* Always be sure to check the manufacturer label for proper care instructions, as these may vary.
We're trying out a new contest at Altitude-blog.com. A photo contest.
For the month of August, the theme is Altitude's Footloose! Everyone is invited to participate. Let your imagination run wild and send us your pictures before September 6th. You can reach me here magalie@altitude-sports.com.
Read more about Picked Pics : Photo Contest - August 2010 Altitude's Footloose!
The Share and Save Series is pleased to present
I am the owner of Energy Outdoors, an outdoor fitness company in the Laurentians. We are sports training specialists. I am passionate about the outdoors, fitness and teaching.
I play outdoors all day long – all temperatures – all year long. To me, there is no bad weather… you just need to have the right clothes for all temperatures.
I was pleased to get the chance to critique some gear and apparel from Altitude-Sports.com.
I recently bought the Icebreaker Midweight Quantum hood that I LOVE! I thought I could share some of its great features that melted my heart. First of all, it has a flattering slick fit. The subtle lines give it a nice shape which also increases the freedom of movement. It suits my broad shoulders perfectly, and falls just at the right length at my hips, with a little extra in the back. The arms are nice and long with a thumb catch, for those like me who have trouble putting on base layers without the sleeves getting all bunched up. I bought this sweater in Pewter Grey, and the inside of the hood is a beautiful ‘Belize’ blue, which really makes blue eyes pop!
They POP even more in real life!
If you are like me, you enjoy scouring the atlas for random islands in the middle of the ocean. That pastime, along with the fact that my cousin just moved there, recently took me to the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago smack in the centre of the Atlantic. These islands sprung up at the junction of the Eurasian, African and North American tectonic plates, and you know what that means: volcanoes!
I was on Terceira Island, which is made up of 4 major volcanoes that make up the rhythm of the landscape.
Bubbling magma created a series of caves and caverns inside the island that provide non-claustrophobic tourists with many magnificent stalactite and stalagmite viewing opportunities. Here I was heading down into one such cave. Although this picture reminds me of the movie The Descent, it wasn’t actually scary, and I did not run into any bloodthirsty creatures.
The tent you bring along with you on a camping trip can either enhance or complicate your experience in the woods. It’s important to take your time in choosing the right tent for you and the expedition you're embarking upon.
In order to make an informed decision when purchasing a tent, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
• What season/ weather conditions will this tent be used in?
• How many people will be using this tent? Do you want extra room of a 3 person tent to sleep 2 people in a comfortable space? Or you wish to save on weight and sleep in a smaller tent, closer to your “roommate”
• Is weight an issue? Will you be carrying this tent with you every day, by yourself, split the components among the campers or is it more of a base camping trip?
• What is my budget for this purchase?
• How frequently will I be using this tent? You can by a first price tent from a well known supplier for occasional camping, or invest in a technical tent to use every week!
Selecting a tent that is the right size for your needs can be tricky. Find out more on how to choose a tent
A bunch o'days!
A tough hint to guess where I am
As much as I love sharing stories of the outdoors and travelling and other things that help make up an adventure, sometimes we need to live our own. So I'm off on vacation. The blog will be taking a nice little rest in the meantime. See you August 13th!
Don't forget to have fun!
With autumn quickly approaching Altitude-sports.com is hiring!
Are you an outdoor enthusiast? Do you have a passion for technical clothing and equipment?
Take the first step towards an exciting future.
Altitude-sports.com, a leader in outdoor apparel and equipment, is looking for talented people to work at its Montreal-based head office. Find out more about which positions we are looking to fill
A beautiful day indeed
It’s Friday June 18 and it’s a beautiful day, maybe a little late in the year for my first real hike but always better late than never. The goal for the day, Mount Mansfield, 4,393 feet, the highest peak in Vermont and a jewel in the crown of the New England “four thousand’ers.” In the past I’ve summited the peak from three of the four cardinal points. Today would see the fourth side tackled with my approach coming from Underhill State Park lying on the west flank of the mountain face. “Face” is the apt term since Mount Mansfield is said to resemble a lying down face in profile, however, I have always thought this a stretch. Nonetheless, the summit ridge is described using this image with the Chin being the high point, the Forehead at the South flank standing at 3,940’, the Nose at 4,062’, the Chin at 4,393’ and then the Adams Apple along the Northern decent at 4,060’.
From the Laura Cowles Trail looking North West
The drive to Underhill, as with most drives in Vermont, is quite picturesque. Passing through the “Notch” from Stowe to Smugglers Notch is always nice and on such a beautiful spring day there were plenty of people about, hiking to Sterling Pond, bouldering and just stretching their legs. Read on about the Underhill Approach
Achtung! Mark is that blurry human shape in the midground, not the plants
NAME
Mark Smith, Mr Emo, Sasquatch
FAVOURITE SPOT IN MONT-TREMBLANT
My Neck
FAVOURITE THING FROM ALTITUDE-SPORTS.COM
My black and white Chugach 16 by The North Face.
YOU WOULD NEVER…
Play truth or dare. See more Mark Altitude in Tremblant
Hey there, dear Altitude-blog readers!
My name is Rémi. I'm a French student that will soon be graduating from the École Polytechnique de Montréal. You're reading the first article in a long series...that will tell the story of my cycling adventure through North America. Yup, once I get that diploma, my career (anti-crisis) plan is to go ride a bike!
"What an absurd idea" you might be left thinking...well please note that I've been surrounded by bikes since my entire life : I wasn't a year old when I started playing with my parents' tire levers when we'd go on bike tours in Averyon. Today, I've grown a little and I have a deep thirst to see me some countryside. North America in particular! The North America where it rains, the North America where you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere...and not the North America of airports, nor the souvenir shops of Old Montreal... Continue reading North American Tour
Waaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in spring, I decided to make a few outdoor plans for the summer. The only problem was that I wrote them in French and have not bothered to share them in English. UNTIL NOW! So here ya go, without further ado, my summer checklist:
Montreal as seen from the Jacques-Cartier Bridge
1. Ride the entire circumference of the Island of Montreal. In one shot. Distance: about 160km.
This must be kilometre 153-ish
Welcome to Smithers B.C., where the grizzly bears and moose roam in your back yard and you are encompassed by the beauty of the Bulkley Valley with a wonderful ski hill and glaciers right outside your back window. What more could you ask for? Well a The North Face tent delivered by an Altitude-Sports.com staff of course!
At last, I have finally arrived! For those of you who enjoy the great outdoors and have never had the chance to visit, I highly recommend the trip. The Bulkley Valley has everything to offer; rafting, kayaking, incredible river fishing, hiking, back country skiing, camping. You name it, they've got it.
I feel quite close to Mr. Coldwell's tent now that I've traveled across Canada with it, so I feel the obligation to show it around a little. Read on about Very Special Delivery: Smithers
15h00 – And we’re off. We just left Montreal and we’re on our way to our camping site on the Montagne d' Argent (Silver Mountain) in the Laurentians. Upon our departure, the sun was shining. This was getting us down, but we were still hopeful. Luckily, the forecast was suggesting rain, at which point we would be able to test our Outdoor Research jackets. I had my Helium Jacket at the ready.
18h30 – We’re getting supper ready. Still no clouds in sight (sigh)!
22h30 – I’m all snug in my sleeping bag when that magical sound I was waiting for arrives. The lapping of the raindrops on the tent eventually become a rainy 5th symphony. I’m hoping it lasts until tomorrow, for our ascent of the Pic-Johansen in the Mont Tremblant Park. I’ll finally get to try out my Helium! Read more: Helium Jacket: As good as gold on the Silver Mountain
My friend and I left Montreal at around 3 p.m. hoping to get perfect weather, ie tons of rain so we could put my Outdoor Research Revel Jacket through its paces. According to the forecast, everything was in place. The plan was to sleep at the Montagne d’Argent (Silver Mountain) and the next morning hike Le toit des Laurentides trail in the Mont Tremblant Park. As planned, we got to the mountain at supper time. Once we’d set up our tents and eaten a nice meal, I decided to check out the surrounding area. We discovered lots of possibilities: foot paths, climbing walls, not to mention various services at a reasonable price.
Upon our return, we made it a short evening in front of a fire with a beer at hand. The next morning, we got up really early for breakfast and packing up. Next stop : Le toit des Laurentides.
At 9 a.m., give or take a few minutes, we got to the trailhead. Luckily, our friend the rain was waiting for us.
We lunched with the jays and took a half-hour break to recuperate a bit.
The descent was quick and lasted an hour-and-a-half. We ran down the path and I treated myself to two memorable tumbles in the mud. Although the path was quite wet, I managed to keep my feet dry. I can’t say the same for my cotton pants. We ended the day on a nice little beach as we ate our dinner.
Happy trails!
Rock
Hello, my name is Gabrielle and I've been an avid outdoor enthusiast for several years now! I do activities such as hiking, canoeing, camping and climbing. For almost a year now, I've been a specialist at Altitude Sports on St-Denis in Montreal.
I recently had the pleasure of trying out an Outdoor Research waterproof/breathable jacket: the women’s Reflexa. Actually, it’s the first piece of OR clothing I’ve ever owned. I tested it mostly on my bike this spring and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the jacket is made in a very interesting way, especially the zippers on either side. The zipper that extends from the underarm to the bottom of the jacket allows you to comfortably wear a backpack with a waist belt. You can do like me in the photo and adjust it so that the jacket doesn’t constantly ride up your back.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jérôme and I am a specialist at Altitude Sports St-Denis and a shipper for the Altitude-sports.com website. Being a lover of outdoor activity, I definitely needed a soft shell.
A softshell has the advantage of being much more breathable than a waterproof breathable jacket and does a good job protecting from small showers with its resistance to water and wind. In short, it is great for most situations.
Lately, I’ve been wearing my Ferrosi a lot. I have had the opportunity test it on several short hikes and while biking. I am very satisfied with this product so far.
The Equipped to Answer contest came about when Outdoor Research challenged Altitude-sports.com. Together, we chose 10 products and gave them to 10 different employees so they could test them out. The Altitudians had to be honest and report both the positive and negative aspects of the products. The Equipped to Answer entails answering a quiz by finding the answers in articles below. That’ll give you the chance to win an Outdoor Research kit (men or women) or one of 10 Altitude-sports.com membership cards!
Click here to learn more about the Equipped to Answer Contest by Outdoor Research
