Photos and Text by Karine Corbeil and Alexandre Provost
English version to come…
La Réserve faunique Papineau-Labelle, idéalement située entre Montréal et Ottawa, était notre terrain de jeux désigné l’histoire d’un de ces froids week-end de mars. L’idée était à la fois de découvrir un coin inédit pour le fatbike et de faire connaître les charmes et attraits de cette grande réserve faunique, une des plus grande au Québec.
On a bien beau être qu’à 2h30 d’un grand centre à l’est ou à l’ouest, on n’est pas moins dans l’bois pour autant ! Les charmants villages de Chénéville et Duhamel (et ses nombreux chevreuils…) ont été les derniers hameaux sur notre route avant d’arriver à l’accueil Gagnon de la SEPAQ.
Brigitte et Gilbert étant d’un accueil des plus chaleureux, ont pris soin de nos bagages alors qu’on se préparait à prendre le sentier. Nous avons roulé sur les sentiers Petit Train et Grande Allée au coucher du soleil et à la frontale pour se rendre au le chalet Vieux-Foyer. Les sentiers sont prometteurs avec une base tracée par les motoneiges de la réserve et durcie par le froid (pas des sentiers de motoneiges grand public). Arrivés sur place, l’endroit est à rêver : chalet vintage, bois, poêle à bois, eau puisée à même le lac Ernest, tout le kit !
Par -23°C au petit matin, on prend un peu le temps de déjeuner, mais on sort vite pour aller explorer. En direction nord, le sentier nous amène au chalet Fascinant où nous croisons Brigitte qui fait sa tournée. C’est grand soleil mais le sol ne dégèle pas du tout et on roule bien.
On s’arrête en chemin au chalet Héron pour se réchauffer un peu. Le concept des chalets ouverts à tous durant le jour est intéressant, on peut jaser avec les autres gens sur place.
Ce froid sibérien a créé une épaisse couche de glace sur les lacs, ce qui permet de s’y aventurer et d’explorer le Lac Ernest avec nos Chic-Chocs en soirée. On va même faire un coucou à des amis Français dans le chalet Doucet et son igloo !
Dimanche matin, nous quittons notre havre sous le soleil, direction sud via le Lac Ernest. On rejoint le sentier du Petit Train à nouveau et virons vers l’ouest. Notre exploration nous amène ensuite dans les chalets Sourd 1, puis au Sourd 2 via le Lac du Sourd.
Des infrastructures bien entretenues, un superbe réseau de sentiers roulants et un accueil des plus agréables vous attendent, vous et votre fat à la Réserve faunique Papineau-Labelle.
En bref,
Où ? Réserve faunique Papineau-Labelle
Quand ? Mars 2017
Température ? -23°C
Kilomètres ? 60
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Backcountry Cycling Hat
ClothingWhy stick to the already known paths! #Backcountrycycling has become over time the mojo of Panorama Cycles. Make it yours with this unique cap!39.99$ (CAD)- 100% Cotton
- Leather adjustment strap
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T-shirt Bikepacking
ClothingA fully equipped fatbike ready to take off. Bikepacking pure and simple.30$ (CAD) -
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Chic-Chocs 27.5
Fatbikes*** Pretty much all of our fatbikes are already sold for fall 2021. If your size is currently 'out of stock' on our website, please contact your closest PANORAMA CYCLES dealer to know what they have on hand or will be receiving. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first informed of when the next pre-sale will be launched. *** Opportunities for adventure are infinite with such a versatile bike. Let the Chic-Chocs carbon fatbike take you to the mountains, rivers or beaches you’ve always wanted to discover. At 29 lbs and equipped with tubeless 27.5” x 4.5” tires, this is a seriously fun bike to ride on newly discovered sandy, rocky or snowy paths. You’re into bikepacking? We’ll get along pretty well! In addition to 3 water bottle mounts, top tube bag mount and anything cage mounts on the fork, everything is ready for you to install a rear rack (if you prefer this setup versus minimalist frame bags). That way you can carry your skis to get to this remote backcountry spot, or bring some extras on your trip for a memorable night around a campfire. Your friends will thank you!4,099$ (CAD) -
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Taïga
Mountain Bikes*** If your size is currently 'out of stock' on our website, please contact your closest PANORAMA CYCLES dealer to know what they have on hand. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first informed of when the next pre-sale will be launched. *** In between a trail bike and a multi-day adventure bike, the Taïga has multi purposes. Take it on your local mountain bike trails, or for a bikepacking outing in the more rugged backcountry paths. The geometry of the Reynolds 725 frame is developed with stability and comfort in mind. A steering angle of 67deg and saddle of 75deg strikes the balance between a modern and progressive geometry, without however falling into a too radical design. Hunt Trail Wide MTB wheels fitted with WTB Trail Boss 29 "x2.6" tires, SRAM NX drivetrain, and a choice of FOX 34 Float or rigid carbon fork complete the package.2,899$ – 3,099$ (CAD) -
Derailleur hanger
PartsAlways a good idea to have a spare derailleur hanger when venturing a little further than usual...25$ – 40$ (CAD) -
Thru axle – Front wheel
PartsThru axle for the front wheel. Bolt-on type (no lever), install with 6mm hex key.40$ (CAD) -
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Anticosti
Gravel Bikes*** If your size is currently 'out of stock' on our website, please contact your closest PANORAMA CYCLES dealer to know what they have on hand. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first informed of when the pre-sale will be launched. *** When you venture on the less traveled roads of the backcountry, sometimes, the beautiful road becomes much more bumpy than what was predicted. The asphalt becomes gravel, and the gravel literally becomes an off-road trail. It is for this kind of adventure that the Anticosti was created. The Anticosti bike is built with a bespoke selection of Reynolds 725 steel tubing, thinned where it is needed to reduce weight. A generous clearance allows you to install 27.5x2.1 or 700x50 tires with fenders. You will find all the necessary mounts to carry the equipment for a night in the tent, or for a more ambitious multi-day trip project. Do not let your current bike limit your desire to explore. Take the path you want with the Panorama Anticosti.3,099$ (CAD) -
Katahdin
Gravel Bikes*** It's time to reserve your Katahdin 2022 in GRX 2x11 or Rival 1x. Use the promo code katahdin2022 during the transaction in order to complete your 25% deposit for the reservation. Deliveries are scheduled for May/June 2022. The deposit is refundable. Contact us for any questions. *** The first generation of the Katahdin has proven itself both in races, gravel events and in bikepacking trips. For its second iteration, the Katahdin gets a makeover with progressive gravel geometry and new features to make it even more versatile. A relaxed 70deg steering angle, longer reach, 75mm bb drop and 430mm chainstays increase the wheelbase of the bike and place the rider in a stable and comfortable position. The goal is less fatigue, and more speed for long outings and / or races. The internal cables for an adjustable seat post, the fork adapted to the use of a dynamo hub, a threaded bottom bracket shell and all the mounts necessary to install bags and accessories are among the features of the Katahdin. The frame is dressed with the Hunt wheels fitted with WTB Venture 650b or 700c tires, as well as the Shimano GRX 2x11 or Rival 1x groupset, which make for a versatile and efficient bike.3,799$ – 4,249$ (CAD)
