Mont Xalibu & Mont Jacques Cartier

Gaspésie, Quebec

22 July 2019

Solo

A long way in and out to Quebec’s third highest mountain

After going up Mont Olivine in the morning, I set my eyes on Mont Xalibu and Mont Jacques-Cartier, which can be accessed via a gravel road that goes east from the Visitor Centre in Gaspésie National Park. The name “Xalibu” apparently originates from an ancient Mik’maq word for caribou, which roam the area and are quite abundant in the park although I didn’t see a single one during my visit. Mont Jacques-Cartier is named after an early French explorer to the area and at 1270 m represents the highest peak in the park and third highest in Quebec overall. It is typically climbed as part of a two-day traverse from east to west, with a night spent at the Le Tétras hut between Jacques-Cartier and Xalibu. If hiking at a decent speed it is entirely feasible to do it as a day trip from the west, as a long extension from Mont Xalibu. The only restriction is that you cannot enter the summit area after 4 PM, which helps protect this important wildlife habitat.

The initial 1.4 km trail section to the Lac des Américains, a scenic lake tucked away in a glacial valley, was full of people out for a short walk. As soon as I passed the lake, the crowds disappeared and I only ran into a few groups of hikers going up or down the Mont Xalibu trail. I was surprised how rough this trail is; tons of angular rock chunks everywhere. The trail rises steeply to treeline, where nice vistas of the surrounding hilly landscape open up. The broad, rocky summit mass has several wind shelters built by previous visitors and affords good views over the expanse of forest and lakes to the northeast, with the wide and barren summit of Jacques-Cartier behind. About a dozen other hikers were chilling around the summit cairn, taking pictures and eating their lunches.

The next stretch between Xalibu and the Le Tétras hut was eerily empty – I only ran into one other person on the trail which is entirely within dense shrubs and bushes. The route runs across some swampy areas, but thankfully wooden boardwalks have been built that keep your boots dry. I took a short break at the hut, which is right by a picturesque lake and looked quite neat and cozy. Housing up to 8 people in bunkbeds and equipped with a stove and inviting picnic table outside, it’s not exactly cheap for such a rustic abode I thought to myself at first. One night will set you back $30 CAD! On the other hand, if you consider that some of that will go into park protection, trail and hut maintenance, and park wardens’ salaries, it’s entirely worth it and a good cause to support.

Well, I didn’t need to stay at the hut today so after a pleasant chat with some of the hikers staying there (in my miserable French!), I continued on the trail towards Mont Jacques-Cartier. After another long stretch in the forest, the trail gets more interesting as it emerges above the trees, crosses a talus field, and loops around a small bump (called Mont Compte on local maps) along a small drainage where several large patches of snow are still lingering on the east side. The path then winds its way through another small forested area before climbing the final stretch on open slopes to the summit. I was really surprised how barren the summit mass is – just rocks and grass and very little else up here. And the big lookout tower at the top, of course. It was later afternoon and I was pushing my luck with the 4 pm deadline, but I didn’t see anyone else around when I climbed the tower to get a 360 degree panoramic view from the highest peak of Gaspésie National Park. It was super windy and I was glad I had the tower to shelter from the wind as there is really not much else up here. Not even caribou today…

After enjoying my moment of solitude on the summit all alone, I returned the same way I came, stopping briefly at the hut for a short break and another quick chat with some of the hikers there. From the hut back to the parking lot it’s really only about 2 hours (at a decent pace), but of course I didn’t have to lug a heavy overnight pack so I was a bit quicker on my feet. The trail back to Xalibu and down to the parking area was all but deserted. By the time I reached my car around 6 pm I was feeling my legs and was certainly quite glad to be back.

Great workout and probably one of the more scenic hikes in the park.

Note: Access to Mont Jacques-Cartier is only permitted from June 24^th to September 30^th between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM.

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