The circuit around Mont Tremblant in the Laurentians is mostly known for cycling in summer. The entire circuit has over 1000 meters in elevation change and features twists with bad camber. However, it’s almost impossible to cycle safely in the winter, so it’s mostly cars between December and April.

This was the first mountain pass I had the opportunity to drive on since living in Ottawa. There aren’t too many mountains unless you head up north. Even so, most of the mountains don’t even go over 1000 meters tall, but it’s cold enough to ski on them anyway.

It’s no match for Swiss alpine passes such as the Splügenpass that tries to kill you or the Julierpass that is so high in altitude it tries to kill your car, but it’s fun nonetheless. It’s a very safe two-lane road with winter service, you just need to look out for other idiot drivers who received training in flat cities and aren’t used to driving on hilly terrain. Glare from the sun and ice on the roads are also very real dangers in winter.

Difficulty: 1/5 in summer, 2/5 in winter, 4/5 after a snowstorm