The Best Spots to Go Climbing and Canyoning

There are lots of good climbing gyms in Québec City. Whether you’re an advanced climber or simply curious, it can be a fun family activity or a good way to spend time with friends. A lot of people like climbing for the full-body workout. Others see it as a way to step outside their comfort zone. Whatever your reasons for going to a climbing gym, you’ll find a friendly community of climbers there to welcome you.

Roc Gyms

Roc Gyms is the oldest indoor climbing gym in Québec. It was founded by François-Guy Thivierge, a climber and mountaineer who’s summited Everest more than once. Located just steps away from the Videotron Centre, Roc Gyms has 3 bouldering rooms, a huge main space with 13 m routes, a ninja warrior training course, and 3 small indoor via ferrata routes, all in a gym that’s friendly and welcoming.

Délire Escalade

Délire Escalade is a bouldering gym with 3 locations (Sainte-Foy, Beauport, and Lebourgneuf) so you’re never too far from your next climb. The gym also has a three-storey indoor climbing space—the highest in Québec City. Every week, experienced setters create new routes for all levels, from beginner to expert, along the blocks and climbing walls.

Outdoor climbing sites in Québec are affiliated with FQME, the province’s mountain and climbing federation. You’ll need to be a member to enter the sites or get a day pass. You’ll also need to have your own equipment.

Here are a few popular spots for outdoor climbing:

Lac Long Sector, in Saint-Alban

This outdoor climbing site located in the Portneuf Regional Natural Park enchants with its setting by the river. The rock is gneiss, providing shallow cracks.

Forêt Ancienne Park, Mont Wright

Located less than 30 minutes from the city centre in a deciduous forest, this rock face has mostly easy routes, which is why it’s used to teach rock climbing. It’s a popular site, so be sure to get there early.

Ice climbing is a winter experience unlike any other. Try it at Montmorency Falls Park, where the frozen face of the waterfall is exposed to the sun for most of the day and can reach up to 83 metres high. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’ll love the view on the pain de sucre, or “sugar loaf,” that forms in winter at the bottom of the falls. With ice pick in hand and crampons on your feet, you’ll be ready for a thrilling winter activity.

Does the thought of rappelling down a waterfall, swimming or hiking through a rocky river, and jumping off a cliff into a river seem exciting? Then canyoning is for you. You don’t need to have any rappelling experience, but you will need to be in good shape.

Summer or winter, Canyoning-Québec offers an exceptional site to enjoy the rocky cliffs at  Jean-Larose waterfalls near Mont-Sainte-Anne. In the summer, it is also possible to try canyoning at Vallée Bras-du-Nord. You’ll need a swimsuit, sneakers or hiking shoes that you don’t mind getting wet, and a beach towel.