Hut to Hut fatbike trip

Discovering the Papineau Labelle Wildlife Reserve

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

SHOP OUR PRODUCTS

  • Sale
    chic-chocs 2024
    chic-chocs 2024

    Chic-Chocs 2024 – Demo

    Some demo units available. All in excellent 9-9.5/10 condition. The Chic-Chocs has proven its abilities over the past few years in endurance races and winter expeditions. Whether it's for the Raid du Fjord, the Wendigo Ultra, or riding with confidence on groomed trails, the Chic-Chocs delivers. A stable geometry with a long wheelbase increases traction and flotation on soft surfaces. In addition, the Chic-Chocs is designed with a 205mm q-factor, the narrowest available for use with tires up to 5" wide. Not to be overlooked for an ergonomic position. Two Shimano drivetrains available with RaceFace cranksets and cockpit. Quality SunRingle rims and hubs (ready for -30degC!), and studdable tires that can be easily converted tubeless complete the package. Throw on some 29x3" wheels when the snow melts, and you've got a 4-season bike ready for backcountry bikepacking trips!
    2,599$ (CAD)
  • fourche taiga panorama
    fourche taiga panorama

    Taïga Fork

    Transform your hardtail mountain bike into a lightweight and versatile bikepacking bike with the Taïga carbon fork.
    • Axle to crown length of 500mm. Corresponds to a suspension fork for a 29in wheel with 120mm of travel, at 25% 'sag'.
    • Boost 110x15mm spacing.
    • Tapered 1-1/2 x 1-1/8 300mm long carbon steer tube
    • Offset/rake: 51mm
    • Triple cargo cage mounts
    • Clearance for tire: 29x3.0 or 27.5x3.25
    • Post mount 160mm brake standard.
    • Wheel axle included
    • Weight: 675g
    565$ (CAD)
  • Sold out
    backcountry hat panorama
    Panorama backcountry cycling hat

    Backcountry Cycling Hat

    Why stick to the already known paths! #Backcountrycycling has become over time the mojo of Panorama Cycles. Make it yours with this unique cap!
    • 100% Cotton
    • Leather adjustment strap
    39.99$ (CAD)
  • Sold out
    panorama-cycles-tshirt
    panorama-cycles-tshirt

    T-Shirt Slow Travel

    Slow Travel is the state of mind we approach during bike journeys. It is taking the time to live each experience in its entirety, focusing on quality rather than quantity.
    • 100% Cotton
    • Printed by hand in Montreal
    17.50$ (CAD)
  • chic-chocs 2024
    chic-chocs 2024

    Chic-Chocs 2024

    ***Slightly used demo available! Check here for details. The Chic-Chocs has proven its abilities over the past few years in endurance races and winter expeditions. Whether it's for the Raid du Fjord, the Wendigo Ultra, or riding with confidence on groomed trails, the Chic-Chocs delivers. A stable geometry with a long wheelbase increases traction and flotation on soft surfaces. In addition, the Chic-Chocs is designed with a 205mm q-factor, the narrowest available for use with tires up to 5" wide. Not to be overlooked for an ergonomic position. Two Shimano drivetrains available with RaceFace cranksets and cockpit. Quality SunRingle rims and hubs (ready for -30degC!), and studdable tires that can be easily converted tubeless complete the package. Throw on some 29x3" wheels when the snow melts, and you've got a 4-season bike ready for backcountry bikepacking trips!
    2,299$3,734$ (CAD)
  • taiga 2024
    taiga 2024

    Taïga

    *2024-01-10: Updated with the 2024 specifications. In stock! ''The Taïga is a worthy adventure bike through and through. It is perfectly set up for some trail shredding straight out of the box.'' Read the complete review HERE. 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 trails. Our selection of Reynolds 725 tubing gives this frame just the right amount of suppleness and responsiveness, while keeping the weight reasonable. A 67deg steering angle and 75deg seat angle strike a balance between modern and progressive geometry, without falling into an overly radical design. The 435mm chainstay length offers a centered position on the bike (front-center versus rear-center ratio), and can be increased for even greater stability when a rear rack is used. * Complete bike (starts at $2949 CAD) * The frameset (carbon fork) comes with wheel axles, headset installed, seatpost collar and frame protectors. (1649$ CAD) * The frame only option comes with the rear wheel axle and seatpost collar. (1199$ CAD) * The Rohloff option comes with the Speedhub 500/14 A12 DB PM black, the 180mm rear disc, the shifter and everything needed to install the hub on the frame. (+1899$ CAD)
    1,199$3,548$ (CAD)
  • Sold out
    panorama cycles t shirt
    panorama cycles t shirt

    T-Shirt S24O

    "S24O" (aka Sub 24h Overnighter) is, in the jargon of the bikepacker, an adventure of less than 24 hours including an overnight stay. The definition of micro-adventure!
    30$ (CAD)
  • Panorama Boréal Pinion
    panorama boreal pinion

    Boreal Pinion

    ***It's time to pre-order your Boreal Pinion. Use the promo code borealpinion at checkout to proceed to the 50% reservation deposit. Delivery scheduled for April 2024. After conclusive tests on the 2500+km Baja Divide in Mexico and during the TransBoreale expedition (complete winter crossing of Quebec from south to north), the Boreal Pinion bike is offered in a limited series. Each bike will be painted to order, making it completely unique. The Boreal Pinion is designed to carry its rider with confidence on journeys and expeditions around the world. The frame and fork are robust, and the components are extremely reliable and low-maintenance. The highlight of the Boreal Pinion is the Pinion drivetrain. Combined with the Gates carbon belt, it is virtually maintenance-free and extremely durable. The performance of the Pinion internal gear system is unsurpassed, while the wide range of gear ratios is exceedingly large (600% for the C1.12 model - other models available on request) and each gear is evenly spaced. For half-road/half-off-road touring, 29x2.0 (700x50 equivalent) tires will provide an optimum ride. For off-road use, 27.5" tires of equivalent diameter, i.e. 27.5x2.6, are the appropriate choice. The two 32-spoke wheel options (for greater durability) are offered with the purchase of the complete bike. In both options, no lack of mud clearance while the frame and fork can accommodate 29x2.8 tires. *The frame/fork+Pinion set comes complete with Pinion C1.12 drivetrain, forged aluminum crank arms and shifter. Wheel axles, installed headset, seatpost collar and frame protectors are also included.
    4,399$5,999$ (CAD)