Northwest Quebec was once a part of Canada where only the hardiest of men went. They went to work as miners, lumberjacks, log drivers and more. Fast forward a couple hundred years and it is now bikepackers that are the tough men and women taking on the challenges of Quebec by riding the Northwest Quebec Explorer.
The beautiful thing about the Northwest Quebec Explorer (NWQE) is that there are so many places where one could start riding the loop. Originally created as a means of connecting the Grande-O (Outaouais Loop) to the Trouble in Tremblant Loop, it has since developed into a legit challenge of its own. Taking the rider through the Papineau-Labelle Nature Reserve, across rail-trail, onto Devil Mountain single-track trails and through rugged ATV trails as you make you way through the regional park, beautiful gravel roads leading you to Maniwaki after which you will ride a combination of rail-trail, gravel roads and single-track as you wind your way back towards Gracefield.
Chris Panasky, host of the Bikepack Adventures Podcast.
From easy rail trail to rolling gravel roads to rugged and unrelenting terrain with steep climbs, the Northwest Quebec Explorer provides some amazing riding opportunities. The Papineau Labelle Nature Reserve is a very rugged part of the route with short punch climbs that are often littered with loose rock. Because of this, the Northwest Quebec Explorer is more difficult that you may anticipate. Montagne du Diable will challenge you with singletrack, ATV trails, and backcountry roads and trails, much of which would be in the difficulty range of 6-7.
The Northwest Quebec Explorer bikepacking route gives you every type of trail imaginable to ride. From the smooth gravel rail trail of the Petit Train du Nord to the Papineau Labelle Nature Reserve with it’s continuous roads that are rocky and plastered with loose rock, the singletrack of Montagne du Diable and beautiful rolling gravel roads in cottage country are sure to provide exactly the technical challenge one would expect on a 621km long route.