The future is uncertain for the quaint Laurentians ski area located in Val David. After 3 consecutive bad years, last season was finally a good snow season north of Montreal, however Mont Alta didn’t open in 2012-13 due to a number of circumstances. The long time owner Osward Lingat has recently put the ski area on the market.
A small piece appeared in SBC Skier on Alta back in 2008 which presented a good description of the place.
Mont Alta is the last vestige of the ski-wherever-you-damn-well-please attitude (…) no fake snow here, no grooming and no highway flattop. There are also no beautiful people, fake tans, or bad skiers. Off-limits at Alta is governed only by fear and inability. Jutting branches and rock cliffs are teaching tools, and come dump time, powder piggies line up for first tracks and snort to their heart’s content.
With an old double chair, people might think that not much has changed at Mont Alta. It ain’t really the case. Skiing started on the slope in 1952 under the name Mont Chevreuil and renamed Mont Alta in the 1970s. In the late 1980s the ski area had 22 trails with two chairlift included a quad and snowmaking. Hard times forced the owner to sell his quad chairlift and stop snowmaking due to the important hydro cost.
This week we presented a ski map that represents that era, vintage circa 1985-1995 which mentioned “22 runs, Snowmaking, Double Chairlift and Quad Chairlift” and indicates multiples parking lots. This map was still being offered, along with recent maps, during my visit in January 2007.
MadPat’s TR : Mont Alta, QC – January 29, 2007
Source and further information :
SBC Skier (Oct 2008) Mont Alta, Val David QC by Sandy Wolofsky
Point de Vue Laurentides (April 2013) : “Je ne suis pas un millionnaire” – Oswald Lingat, propriétaire du Mont Alta
ZoneSki (juin 2013): Mont Alta, le chant du cygne
ZoneSki (2004-2013): Histoire des stations de ski du Québec – Mont Alta
What Mont Alta needs is just a little development, and everything will be as good as before!
Hope it doesn’t close. That would be a real shame, and I’d have to add it to my list of ski areas I missed skiing before closing permanently (Grey Rocks, Alta…)