Important Changes to the 2010 Canadian Ski Marathon
Management and Board of Directors of the Canadian Ski Marathon have decided to re-route the event due to insufficient snow conditions resulting in an unsafe trail between Lachute and Gatineau.
The good news is that Fairmont Kenauk has generously offered us their 100 square mile land reserve to hold the event similar to that of the 2007 event except that the course is now much more elaborate and covers new terrain never skied before by CSM skiers. The conditions are excellent as many of these summer roads and trails have adequate snow coverage to safely hold the event. The course is outstanding and we are sure you will all enjoy yourselves during the CSM weekend.
The Skier's Guide and Trail Maps have been updated with the changes and are available to be downloaded off this site. We will be reproducing a limited number of paper trail maps but will not be re-printing the Skier's Guides.
Here are some important highlights to note:
- The new trail is 10 sections long for all skiers (158.3 km) except the Gold CDB's which is only 9 sections (152.3 km) over the two days.
- The course starts in Montebello both days and finishes at Sedbergh School both days, so there is no downhill back to the Chateau Montebello. Shuttle buses shall return you to parking and accommodations points as per the revised Skier's Guide.
- The Gold Dorm originally to be in Buckingham on Friday night has now been moved to the Louis-Joseph Papineau High School Dormitory in Papineauville.
- The Banquet on Sunday night shall also be held at the Louis-Joseph Papineau High School Dormitory in Papineauville starting at 5:00 pm.
- Additional parking is available in Papineauville and we have prepared a special map indicating the locations of these parking areas. IMPORTANT: The shuttle buses will only pick up CSM participants at the following locations: 1) at the Papineauville Dorm at 378 Papineau Street (Highway 148); and 2) the southwest corner of Route 321 and Route 148. You must walk with your equipment to one of these three locations to be able to get free shuttle bus service. Click here for the parking map.
- Parking is still available in Lachute at City Hall and in Gatineau m at the Nicolas-Gatineau High School. Please check the Skier's Guide for bus schedules to and from these parking lots.
- The start and finish times for each section remain essentially unchanged including cut-off times at the last checkpoint. Please study the trail map carefully so that you will be able to pace yourself accordingly.
Enjoy yourselves and have a safe CSM weekend.
Fall in love with winter for the first time or all over again while participating in the 44th annual Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) the weekend of February 13 & 14, 2010. The world’s longest ski tour has something for everyone.
The Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) is North America’s longest and oldest Nordic ski tour. By tradition (since 1967), it takes place during the second weekend in February on a unique ski trail that is only groomed once per year on privately owned land in the picturesque Western Laurentian Mountains between Lachute and Gatineau, Québec. There is an overnight stop in Montebello, the home of the famous Fairmont Le Château Montebello, the largest log château in the world.
The CSM is a two-day 160 kilometre event that is divided into 5 sections each day with an average of 16 kms per section. There are feed stations, first aid and toilets available at the end of each section as well as shuttle buses that run between accommodation and checkpoints throughout each day. Each year, the CSM alternates its direction from east to west, and then west to east.
Unlike most ski loppets, there are no winners or losers at the Canadian Ski Marathon. Each participant can select his/her own level of challenge and ski the distance desired without having to complete the entire event. One can ski as little as 12 km to the maximum of 160 km throughout the weekend.
If you love the outdoors you owe it to yourself to experience the ultimate Canadian winter event. The CSM offers cross-country skiers of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy a bit of paradise on its pristine double-tracked trail through the Québec countryside. You can ski as little as 12km or as much as 160km. You set the pace.
Performance Category:
The Coureur des Bois (and Junior Coureur des Bois, who must be accompanied by an adult CDB) is the category for participants wishing to ski the entire 160 kms over the two days. Within this category there are three subcategories: bronze, silver and gold. They are progressive in the sense that one must ski the bronze before the silver and then the silver before the gold. The Gold Coureur des Bois is the ultimate performance challenge as it means skiing the full distance with a backpack weighing not less than 5 kilograms, containing all the necessities for an overnight camping adventure, including food, sleeping bag, clothing etc. near the midway point in Montebello, Québec. The only amenities provided at the campsite are water, toilets, two bales of hay and wood for an outdoor fire. The Silver CDB must ski the full distance with a backpack of not less than 5 kg. of weight, but does not have to sleep outside. The Bronze CDB is not required to carry a backpack.
The Half Marathon is a one day 80 km event for those who want to get a sense of what it takes to ski 80 kilometers in one day. Although the price is the same as a Tourer, there is a special award for those who complete between 3 and 5 sections of the one day event. Junior Half Marathon participants must be accompanied by a Half Marathon or CDB participant as the start is at 6:00 am.
Although the CSM is not a race, skiers must complete the first four sections before 3:15 pm each day to be permitted to ski the final section of that day. Failure to make the cutoff disqualifies the skier from earning his/her Half Marathon or CDB designation.
Individual and Team Touring Category:
The majority of the participants of the CSM register in this category because there is no requirement to complete all 10 sections of the event. Most skiers set a goal to ski a certain number of sections each day and then attempt to attain their goal accordingly. Individual and team award recognition is given to skiers who complete a minimum number of sections throughout the weekend. Skiers may choose which sections they wish to ski, but cannot start before 8:00 am each morning.
Family and Child Participation:
The Canadian Ski Marathon has three categories available for children and families. The Junior Tourer Category is subdivided into three categories for children between the ages of 13-16, 9-12 and under 8 years of age (Mighty Mite) who must be accompanied by an adult. There are awards for each of these categories based on the number of sections skied. Family Fun Day is a one day event that is very affordable for families where kids can ski 3 km along the Château Montebello trail, followed by a lunch at the hotel and a swim at the pool. This is really a CSM “sampler” for young children and their parents. The Family Fun Day always occurs on Saturday of the CSM weekend. The Mini-CSM is a category where families can ski only one (usually the last) section each day of the Saturday or Sunday. This category is particularly attractive to local residents who want to experience the wilderness aspect of the Canadian Ski Marathon.
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