In October 2017, we launched our contest for a stay on the Monts-Valin in collaboration with Pat Bil, Off-Piste Guide. After several months of waiting, here we are finally with our winner Marko Trépanier on the Monts to live a great experience.
Quebec is known for the quality of its snowmobile trail network, over 33,000 kilometers of trails proudly maintained by volunteers, most of whom are snowmobilers. It can be difficult for enthusiasts who love our marked and groomed trails to understand the ever-changing off-trail craze. Nothing better than to try it! To stay safe and get the most out of this experience, it is essential to use the services of a guide, for several reasons.
For more than five years, Patrick Bilodeau’s company has been offering several off-trail services on the Monts-Valin, with experienced and knowledgeable guides. Three key words are essential to remember: safety, organization and fun! If you are a beginner or if you wish to deepen your knowledge, training sessions are available to help you master the techniques that will allow you to live an unforgettable experience. Positioning on the footboards, weight transfer, front to back weight distribution, throttle versus brake management techniques, technique for untangling, balance on the snowmobile, counter-steering technique and much more!
The guides will even take a few minutes to discuss what to wear. What are the proper layers to wear on the mountain, what to do before starting more sustained efforts to reduce insulation, etc.
For the amateur who does not have an adequate snowmobile, the company offers the rental service in collaboration with the Polaris Evolution-X dealer in Jonquière. And for the occasion, Evolution-X graciously provided us with two Polaris PRO RMK 155 and 163.
The most remarkable point is undoubtedly the organizational aspect, which involves many factors that are validated before and during the activity. First, you will have to fill out a form that attempts to evaluate your snowmobiling and off-trail skills, which is essential to the planning of the stay. Advanced snowmobilers who have a good experience will be offered a different route than the first time snowmobiler. Physical condition is also a factor, as the more extreme the off-trail conditions, the greater the physical effort required to maneuver the snowmobile.
After considering all these factors, the guides will re-evaluate after a few minutes on the mountain to make sure that the self-assessment corresponds to reality. And if necessary, a change of route will be made in order to maintain a good level of safety and fun!
Our group was a great challenge for our guides as it included many levels of experience, from first time to experienced. Our winner, Marko Trépanier and his guest Jean-Philippe Genois, are off-trail enthusiasts. They had used Pat Bil’s services in the past. As for me, I had a little experience that translated into once or twice a year. Marie-Andrée Robert, our columnist, who is an excellent trail rider, was just starting out with a mountain snowmobile. To complete our group, Patrick Bilodeau owner and guide, his special project man Michael Gagnon also guide and André Riverin our host and cook for the weekend.
The fun begins…
Someone who is relatively used to venturing off the beaten path certainly has the driving skills, but before finding the ideal spot, a lot of kilometers traveled and time elapsed can ruin the day. But with a guide who knows the area like the back of his hand, he knows how to find the right place that will be an untracked, safe and ideal playground for his clients. And believe me, it’s true…
After some instructions of use and safety we are on the way for our first stop. Arrived at the playground as we say, first instruction, we remove a layer of clothing before increasing the physical activity, the goal is to avoid as much as possible to create humidity and stay dry, the regulars know what we are talking about here, it’s after a few minutes that we see the truth of the recommendation! Handling a mountain snowmobile requires time to adapt and learn, narrower, longer and especially with much more traction, the reaction of the machine is very different from a trail snowmobile. First of all, the driving is mainly done standing up, which makes it easier to lean the snowmobile or to maintain it in a good axis on a mountainside. It is after a few attempts at handling that one should not hesitate to ask advice from experienced people, and especially to observe them, because pilots of the calibre of Pat Bilodeau, who is one of the rare Polaris ambassadors, are few and far between in Quebec. When you watch them, everything seems easy, their technique is perfect, their weight transfer is done at the right time, which shows little effort. Their reading of the terrain is an essential factor for success, as they say it goes almost everywhere, but the slightest error in the throttle or weight transfer leads to getting stuck or falling…
Off-trail = getting stuck…
There are two certainties in the powder, undeniably we will get stuck or we will fall… And the reason is very simple, the more we ride, the more we become confident, the more we dare…!!! At the beginning of our first day, a relatively steep slope is a reflection, we look at those who have experience, we practice at the bottom of the slope. After a few hours, the feeling of security increases and go! The trial and error part begins, in larger areas we try to lean the snowmobile for tight turns, first observation: Well let’s see… It doesn’t want to! That’s when the expert intervenes by explaining the techniques and the way to use the gas pedal versus the counter-steering. Surely, the first tests will end on the side, the dosage is essential between the gas pedal and the force exerted to lay the car down… The more you counter steer, the more you throttle… The less you counter steer, the less you throttle…
Not so easy in the end… But so much fun… On a steep slope, we find a similar phenomenon, the handling of the throttle is essential… A release of the throttle at the wrong moment and it’s the bogging down… It’s at this moment that we discover the social aspect of the off-piste, in a few seconds the colleagues and guides arrive to give a hand… It’s at this moment that a second very important training session occurs… How to untrain yourself! The 1-2-3 technique… How often at the beginning people are not coordinated, efforts are disparate and do not achieve good results. Contrary to the belief, at least mine, it is the pilot who gives the signal with a good technique! Effective with less effort and better results, but to understand it well you have to live it!
Despite all the techniques and help, sometimes it is impossible to get by without tools. Those who are more adventurous may end up in more complicated situations where a shovel or even a small saw must be part of the equipment to bring.
The off-trail experience with Pat Bil is not limited to snowmobiles, the company listens to the needs of its clients and adjusts to their requests. Many possibilities are offered to you, we also validate several times if everything is ok to make sure you have an experience that will make you want to come back… And what about the evenings where passionate people tell their stories over a good meal…
¨ With Pat Bil, he brings us to safe places, which have not been tracked, we do not get lost, we close our eyes and we trust him 100 thousand times an hour. And in case of glitch we have a professional with us to help us in our day!!! ¨
Marko Trépanier
¨ A first real experience for me and it was incredible, bordering on love at first sight for this sport that I call extreme! Pat Bil is a real eye opener with his prowess, keep it or sell it as he says so well! I’m already planning the next outing, I recommend him to everyone ¨
Marie-Andrée Robert
An off-trail trip with Pat Bil – Conclusion
The experience ended with a smile on our faces and a head full of beautiful memories. We discovered people who are passionate about another discipline of our sport, their enthusiasm and good mood is simply contagious… A big thank you to Patrick Bilodeau of PatBil, off-piste guide for Monts-Valin who deserves to be known! A special thanks to Michael Gagnon for your help and your good mood, and last but not least André Riverin, who hosted us and fed us like kings all weekend!
