Are you looking for a thrilling yet relaxing activity while reveling in the beauty of the fall foliage?
Head out north on a roadtrip and discover the unique attraction in Mont Saint Saveur, a ski resort just a 50-minute drive away from Montréal.
Unleash your inner child and ride the “Viking”, an Alpine Roller Coaster that runs down a 1.5 km hilly path, deep in the forest, richly bordered by trees and the colors of autumn.
Imagine an amusement ride but on a whole different level, with the Laurentian Mountains as your backdrop.
Unlike the traditional roller coasters, you have full control over the speed (and your life, lol).
There’s a brake lever on both sides of the car. You can either push the handle to accelerate (go full speed Vin Diesel at 35 kilometres per hour haha) or pull to slow down or stop. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
But that’s before I decided to one-handedly maneuver the car with the other hand hanging on to my camera for dear life. My little stunt didn’t disappoint, the uphill was one helluva ride. I don’t remember ever putting my muscle groups to use. By the end of the day, my left arm was sore I could hardly lift it.
Dead arm aside, it’s not, in the least, scary (unless you have a coasterphobia?). There is no question of falling, flying or being thrown out of the car. The car wheels are securely locked to the tracks which are installed pretty close to the ground. You could literally step out of it and walk your way down. But I don’t suggest doing that. Although a friend of mine considered the idea. Haha
Each car is equipped with a safety belt to hold the riders on their seats especially around tight curves and sudden “oooohhhh” drops.
The Alpine Coaster operates all year-round. We actually purchased the tickets with our ski passes, so we got a discounted price. Unfortunately, at that time, the rides were temporarily shut down due to the heavy snowstorm. It would have been nice to try it in winter when the mountains are all covered in snow. Nevertheless, it’s lovely in the fall when the leaves are dramatically showing off their vibrant colors.
If you’re not short on time, you can also try the Dragon, a double zipline that takes you up towards the mountains and back down TWICE, if you’re up for it. So that makes it a quadruple zipline. Haha What’s a little extra thrill for free?
Bonne chance!
Life Through the Windshield 