hello! The Quebec bikepacking traverse looks like an amazing labour of love: https://www.bikepacking.quebec/itineraire-qcbt/. The website is still in development so there is not a ton of info about each segment. I am curious about riding Riviere-du-Loups to Gaspe (sorry about the lack of accents folks, bad keyboard!) but really could take on any segment from Mtl east. Looking for beta from anyone who has ridden any/all parts and also looking for insider info about which parts might offer a good mix of delicious eats, cool things to see, and enough towns along the way so we wouldn't need to carry food for more than 2 days at a time (ideally).
by Traditional-Basil427
2 Comments
Just completed segment 3 in July, started in Quebec (via the Quebec City connector through the Véloroute de la Jacques-Cartier) and finished in Montreal (via the Montreal connector through the Petit Train du Nord). 6 days total with 5 nights and 750ish km.
The only places you can really eat complete and delicious (kinda) meals along the way are in Mont-Tremblant, La Tuque and Quebec City. The rest is going to be mostly dépanneurs and small grocery stores with very limited options. The only stretch where you might need to carry food for 2-3 days straight is between Saint-Zénon and La Tuque. Quick note about that stretch: I highly recommend to book a camping spot at Lac-Dunbar in the Réserve Faunique du Saint-Maurice. It’s halfway between Saint-Zénon and La Tuque. You are not allowed to do wild camping in Réserves Fauniques and the camping spots are limited (maybe less so if you’re gonna do this in September).
The ride really was in the middle of nowhere which was lovely to be honest; it’s very meditative. We didn’t see any bears but we saw lots of other wildlife (deer, birds, foxes and the freakin mosquitoes) It’s mostly abandoned forest roads with occasional ATV paths and some limited hike-a-bike, especially if you’re on a gravel bike. I highly recommend at least 45mm tires.
There is a 20 km long narrow stretch with some hike-a-bike that crosses the Matawin river between the Réserve Faunique Mastigouche and the Zec du Chapeau-de-Paille. It’s a closed path as the bridge is in poor condition; no vehicules go through there. It’s perfectly fine for bicycles though and it’s a good place to filter your water. The river crossing is also a good break from mosquitoes.
I’m at work right now so I’m gonna stop there but feel free to ask questions. I can send some pictures later if you’d like.
Edit: Keep in mind that hunting season is coming very soon so access to some trails will be restricted.
I did parts of segment 2, 3, 4 and 6 last year, as well as part of the extension to come back to Montreal from Rivière-du-Loup. I went in and out of the route, often going back in civilization when I felt too lonely.
I agree with pretty much all that the other commenter said. The route is remote. Only option for resupply is often dépanneurs, which can be crazy expensive in the backcountry (10$ for a tuna can). Carrying only two days worth of food won’t cut it, IMO. I sometimes carried up to 6 days of food, but that’s mostly because I’m a cheap fuck who resupplied at Maxi in the big cities.
Some climbs can be quite hard. It’s mostly gravel roads made for pickups and ATVs, so steepness is real. I recommend getting a low gear ratio.
Wild camping in national parks and Reserves fauniques is illegal (exception being the Reserve des Laurentides; cyclists can camp anywhere for 15$). The SÉPAQ sucks and doesn’t seem to know that things other than cars exist. This makes the route logistically hard to accomplish, since you can be days within a réserve. However, it’s still possible to wild camp in Réserves fauniques, but don’t get caught, leave no trace and leave early.