When planning my trip to Canada in the winter, I discovered something called ice canyoning in Québec, where I was going. I had no idea what it was, but it sounded like I might have to sign a waiver. And if you know me at all, you know that’s a prerequisite for all my favorite activities.
Ice canyoning ended up being one of the most awesome travel experiences I’ve had and I wish more people knew about it! So, I bring you this post—all about what ice canyoning even is, why you should try it yourself if you get the chance, and a few helpful tips I learned the hard way. Enjoy!
Also check out: 10 Ways to Chill Out at the Québec Ice Hotel
What is Ice Canyoning?
First, we need to cover what plain ol’ ‘canyoning’ is. Canyoning is essentially traveling through rock canyons be it by hiking, swimming, rappelling down waterfalls, or whatever other fun activities the Québecois can think up.
Ice canyoning is basically the same (without the swimming), but everything is frozen, it’s wicked cold, and you have much more intense footwear. So, hiking through snow and rappelling down frozen waterfalls.
My ice canyoning experience in Québec
Here’s a brief summary of what ice canyoning in Québec involved for me:
Where to go ice canyoning in Québec
In Québec, the best place to go ice canyoning is at the foot of Mont-Sainte-Anne in Beaupré, which is about an hour’s drive northeast of Québec City. (You can check out the best rental car deals here if you need one.) And since this isn’t an activity you can or should do by yourself, you’ll need the best guides around…
Canyoning-Québec
I came across Canyoning-Québec during while searching for activities to add-on to my trip. Scrolling through the page of death-defying adventures, ice canyoning immediately caught my eye. I didn’t know what the hell it was, but I knew I was going to do it.
Our guides Marc and Jeff from Canyoning-Québec were amazing. March knows everything there is to know about mountains, ice, ropes, crampons, bears, sub-zero temperatures, and taking badass selfies. Jeff is absolutely fearless and one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
They showed us such an unforgettable time and we all felt unquestionably safe in their hands. I highly recommend the crew over at Canyoning-Québec.
Why you should try ice canyoning in Québec
If none of this has convinced you to try ice canyoning in Québec, here are a few more of the highlights:
A new challenge
Ice canyoning is an easy way to get about as far away from your comfort zone as possible. If you’re looking for something exciting, rewarding, and weird, this is it.
Ice canyoning is a great way to test out your certain sets of skills. If you’ve never rappelled before, that’s a good one to add. Think you can stay warm while hiking through the winter woods in Canada? Go ahead, give that a try.
Want to try ice climbing? Marc gave me a tutorial and let me try on my own. Spoiler alert: not easy. I wouldn’t survive ten minutes in the woods without him. Think you’ve got what it takes to look good in the woods? You may surprise yourself. This is a good opportunity to work on your modeling skills as well. How’d I do?
Ice canyoning as a whole though is a really fun activity. It has the air of something that’s only for experts, but really, anyone can do it. The challenge here is mostly mental since, physically, all you’re doing is dropping down off a mountain. Thanks to gravity, we’re all experts in that.
Mentally, you have to accept that you’re doing so with essentially just a bouncy piece of dental floss to keep you from going down the super-fast and deadly way.
The scenery
Just in general, I am not a fan of winter. But I do love a good hike through a mountain forest. And I have to admit, the mountain forest in the winter is actually pretty nice.
We saw frozen waterfalls—silent and sparkling on top but still roaring with water underneath. Everything was covered in fresh white snow and the whole place was silent. Without leaves on the trees, you could see for miles across the mountains.
The warm-up at the end
After the six of us and our two guides had descended the last frozen waterfall (the biggie), our leader Marc did the best thing he could have done at that point. He passed out shots. Shots of piping hot chicken broth, that is. The life-giver.
Tips for ice canyoning in Québec
Being someone who avoids being outside in the winter as much as possible, I was ill-prepared for my day ice canyoning in Québec. So much so that our guide took one look at me and goes, “You have the weakest boots of anyone here.” In honor of that sentiment, here are some ice canyoning tips that I learned the hard way:
Wear a lot of clothing
Like, more than you think you actually need. Something in the neighborhood of:
- 3 or 4 light layers on top
- Thermal underwear
- Fleece-lined leggings (I have 5 pairs of these!)
- Water-resistant pants on top
- More than one pair of socks (or at least some thick socks made for cold outdoor activities like this one. I’ve since become obsessed with socks from Darn Tough. They are the GOAT.)
- Headband
- Winter hat
- Warm gloves
- A big fat warm coat
- Really, just keep adding on the layers.
Check out all my favorite winter gear items in my Amazon storefront (in that link).
Wear your sturdiest boots
At the time I went ice canyoning in Québec, I hadn’t become as obsessed with outdoor mountain sports as I am now. The shoes I wore for this were embarrassing, for sure. (I suffered the same boot insults when I did the via ferrata in Switzerland too. I’ve learned my lesson.) If you decide to do this, make sure you have real outdoor shoes.
Now, I wear only proper hiking/mountain boots for stuff like this. For ice canyoning specifically, I would wear my Oboz Bridger BDry boots. They’re super tough, waterproof, and would be perfect for ice canyoning. You can get them on Amazon, Zappos, and REI, depending on your preference.
Trust your guides
Going down a mountain backwards is scary and hard but if they say you’ve got it, you’ve got it. I trusted these guys with my life, literally, and you’ll quickly learn that you can too.
Come prepared for snot
Know this now so you can prepare as best you can: You will produce a freakish amount of snot during the course of your ice canyoning experience. At the last minute, I shoved an entire half roll of toilet paper in my jacket pocket and I regretted nothing.
Don’t forget to look down
I know the number one rule of doing crazy things at crazy heights is “Don’t look down!” but this is one time you’ll want to ignore that. If you keep your eyes on the ice, you’ll miss out on the entire experience.
The biggest thrill of this whole experience is seeing what you’re actually accomplishing. You’re hanging by a string! On the side of a waterfall! On top of a mountain! This will be an adrenaline rush like you’ve never felt before.
More info for your trip to Québec
Like this post? Have questions about ice canyoning in Québec? Let me know in the comments below. Have fun in Canada!
Save this info, pin this image:
