A rough ride in Montebello – new trails nearby

a rough ride in montebello

New mountain bike trails only 45 minutes from Ottawa

By Michel Gratton

It’s easy to figure out why Montebello was the site of the 1988 Canadian mountain biking championships.

These newly re-vamped trails are a serious challenge. North of the Ottawa River, the trails reach high into the breathtaking landscape very quickly. Departing from open fields, the cardio workout kicks in right from the beginnning. You negotiate a few ravines and cross some small waterways before you disappear under the canopy of the woods. The view is very open initially, so you get a good sense of what lies ahead. As you start making your way up into the labyrinth of well-marked trails, however, your immediate future becomes a sweet mystery.

Remember those Subaru commercials where the SUV bounces over all that great mountain biking terrain? They could shoot that commercial in Montebello. The variety of trails almost overwhelms — it can be rocky going up and down, or hard gravel that invites gobs of speed as you blast through fields and traverse abandoned farm buildings. Elsewhere, a single track on hard earth is buried under a thick carpet of pine needles.

A local club has been maintaining and upgrading the trails for the past three years, so this summer looks very promising. The use of the trails is free, but donations are welcome at the entrance.

In 2001, these trails were used for an outback mountain bike race known in Quebec as Raids. The Montebello trails really squeezed the juice out of those Raiders three years ago. The Raids tend to attract bikers who eat up speed on hard-packed, smooth track trails, but Montebello threw them a curve. The workout was very physical and riders had to yield to the terrain and slow down to stay on their bikes.

Portions of these trails are tough and should not be used by beginners. Riders who are new to the sport could take the smaller circuit, which is more forgiving. Completing the whole 40 kilometre circuit is best left in the domain of those with good hearts, strong legs and tough tires.

So put the bikes on the car and head for the north side of the river. Take Highway 50 east in Gatineau towards Buckingham and when it ends, take Route 148 towards Montreal. When you get to Montebello, instead of turning left on Route 323 to Mont Tremblant, keep going into town and take the second left on Ste-Dominique. You’ll find the trails at the end of this street, over the railroad tracks.

For a map of the trails that you can print, see www.petite-nation.qc.ca/sentiers/montebello.html or get the site map at the tourist kiosk in Montebello on your right as you drive into town along Route 148. The drive from Byward Market takes about 45 minutes. Although you can get pretty much anything you need in Montebello, you won’t find a bike store for parts or repairs. If the trails mess up your bike, you might as well just go sit on the great patio at the Zouk and share your stories.