Here, We Climb Straight Out of Our
Canoes (More Often Than Not!)
The Poisson Blanc Regional Park is a first-rate destination for climbers who wish to have an extraordinary climbing experience. Why extraordinary? Well, because every one of our climbing sites can only be accessed from your watercraft. Most routes start in the water, where you belay from your canoe. The territory offers an impressive variety of climbing types: bouldering, deep water solo, top roping, sport climbing and traditional multi-pitch climbing.
FQME and Community Members
The Park’s climbing sites have been developed in close collaboration with the Fédération québécoise de Montagne et d’Escalade (FQME), among others. The federation’s setters have installed anchors, bolts, and holds in accordance with the most rigorous applicable norms. And thus, to climb at Poisson Blanc, you need to be an FQME member.
Climbing at Poisson Blanc is also possible thanks to the involvement of many volunteers, employees, and other climbing nuts who stay suspended in their harness for 4-5 hours, planning new projects.
Climbing Wall and Bouldering
The Poisson Blanc Regional Park offers 3 climbing sites:
- Blocs des Pères (B2)
- Paroi Écho (P42)
- Paroi Éléphant (P63)
These three climbing locations are surrounded by campsites located on the islands or peninsulas. The classic package is as follows: you rent a campsite near one of these attractions to set up your base camp. Then, you go for some light climbing in your canoe, a bouldering session, or take advantage of the impressive rock walls that rise out of the reservoir’s deep waters.
Blocs des Pères
In 2022, bouldering has been added to the activities offered by the Poisson Blanc Regional Park. This climbing site is located 30 minutes away from the welcome centre by watercraft. Two boulders offering a wide range of difficulty levels are just waiting to be climbed.
2 boulders and 11 problems
V1 to V7-8
The Paroi Écho
The paroi Écho provides a variety of routes and climbing types in the same spot that you won’t find anywhere else in Québec. It’s an open wall of about 60 metres in height.
More than 12 available routes
5.7 to 5.12 deep-water solo, sport, trad and mixed climbing
The Paroi Éléphant
The paroi Éléphant is 35 metres by 100 metres of pure joy. The wall faces due west, and rises straight out of the Poisson Blanc reservoir. The view from the top is simply breathtaking.
More than 20 available routes
5.6 to 5.12 sport, trad and mixed climbing
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Accueil Le Bastion
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The Prisme
60 mètres 2 minutes walk
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The Pic-Flamboyant
300 meter 4 minute by foot
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The Pic-Mineur
300 mètres 5 minutes à pied
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The Cardinal
300 meter 4 minutes by foot
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The Grand-Pic
300 mètres 5 minutes à pied
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1 La Cigogne
0,5 km 15 minutes
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2A Site des Pères
2 km +/- 40 minutes
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3A Site des Mauves
1.3 km +/- 30 minutes
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2C La Pointe des Pères
2 km +/- 40 minutes
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3B La pointe des Mauves
1.5 km +/- 30 minutes
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13 Le Soleil du Midi
3.5 km +/- 1:15
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6 La Sainte Paix
1.6 km +/- 30 minutes
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20 Les pieds dans le sable
1.6 km +/- 30 minutes
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12A Le Cap du soleil couchant
2.5 km +/- 45 minutes
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12C La Pointe aux Harles
2.5 km +/- 45 minutes
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23A L'aurore
3 km +/- 1 hour
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24 La Pointe du Couchant
3.3 km +/- 1:10
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12D La Pointe au Cerisier
2.5 km +/- 45 minutes
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23B La Pointe à Bill
3.7 km +/- 1:15
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27A La Canopé
4 km +/- 1h20
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29 L'île à la Loutre
4 km +/- 1h20
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25 La Retraite
3 km +/- 1 heure
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26 La Lagune
4 km +/- 1:20
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27B La Cigale
5 km 1h30
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31 Le Paradis
4,5 km +/- 1:30
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34 Katimavik
4 km +/- 1:20
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40 L'oasis
5 km 1h30
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36 L'Entrée du Chenal
4.9 km +/- 1:40
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39 Pointe aux bleuets
5.4 km +/- 1:45
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41 La pointe de Granit
6 km +/- 2 hours
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42A La Chanterelle
6 km approximately 2h of canoeing
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42E L'Équateur
7 km +/- 2 hours
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44B L'évasion
9 km 3h
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44A L'Enclume
9 km 3 hours
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44C La pointe à la perdrix
9 km +/- 3 heures
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45A Le Parasol
9 km 3h
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45B La pointe aux Dorés
9 km +/- 3 hours
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47A La pointe du Brochet
9.1 km +/- 3 hours
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47B La Terrasse
9.1 km +/- 3 hours
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47C La pointe Ensoleillée
10 km +/- 3:20
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52A La Plage Cachée
11 km +/- 3:40
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52C Le cap siffleur
11 km +/- 3:40
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55A Le Lagon Bleu
12.5 km +/- 4:10
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55C Le site de la Sand Bar
13 km +/- 4:20
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56 Le Rocher Fendu
13.5 km +/- 4:30
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59 La Pointe aux Bouleaux
15 km +/- 5 hours
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60 La Plage d'or
14 km +/- 4:30
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63A Cap à la Tortue
15 km +/- 5 hours
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63B Site de la Paroi Éléphant
15.2 km +/- 5 hours
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63C La Péninsule
15.5 km +/- 5:10
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64 L'Île Mira
15 km +/- 5 hours
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66A La Pointe au Pin
13 km +/- 4:20
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66D Le cap à l'aigle
13.5 km +/- 4:30
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68 L'Île aux voyageurs
14 km +/- 4:30
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70A La petite Plage
16.4 km +/- 5:30
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70B La grande Plage
16.4 km +/- 5:30
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70C La Pointe aux Chênes
16.2 km +/- 5:30
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70G La Citadelle
14 km +/- 4:30
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70K La Pointe de l'Épervier
16.2 km +/- 5:20
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Le camp de base
6.7 km 10 minutes by car
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Le site de la plage
6.5 km 10 minutes by car
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Picnic Stop 8
2 km 40 minutes
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Picnic Stop 9
2 km 40 minutes
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Picnic Stop 10
2.2 km around 45 minutes
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Picnic Stop 12B
2.5 km around 45 minutes
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Picnic Stop 21
1.5 km 30 minutes
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Picnic Stop 22
2 km +/- 40 minutes
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Picnic Stop 28B
3.8 km around 1h20
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Picnic Stop 30B
3.8 km around 1h20
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Picnic Stop 33C
4.5 km around 1h20
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Picnic Stop 35
4.5 km around 1h20
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Picnic Stop 38
5 km around 1h40
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Picnic Stop 42B
6.5 km around 2h30
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Picnic Stop 48
10.5 km around 3h30
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Picnic Stop 49
11 km around 3h40
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Picnic Stop 54C
12 km around 4h00
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Picnic Stop 55D
13 km around 4h20
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Picnic Stop 55E
13.5 km around 4h40
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Picnic Stop 57A
14 km around 5h00
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Picnic Stop 57B
14 km around 5h00
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Picnic Stop 63D
15.5 km around 5h20
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Picnic Stop 66C
14 km around 5h00
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B2 Blocs des Pères
0,7 km +/- 30 minutes of canoeing débutant à avancé
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P42 The Paroi Écho
7 km +/- 2h30 of canoeing débutant à avancé
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Sentier du Chenal
Intermédiaire
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Sentier le Cap du sud
Intermédiaire
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Sentier de l’île en U
Intermédiaire
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Sentier de la Paroi Éléphant
Débutant
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Sentier La Baie-Durand
Intermédiaire
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Plage du Rapide-du-Fort
5,5km
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Sentier des Merisiers
Débutant
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Sentier Katimavik
Intermédiaire
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Sentier du Sommet
Intermédiaire
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Sentier Desjardins
+/- 4 heures Intermédiaire
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P63 The Paroi Éléphant
15 km +/- 5h of canoeing Débutant à avancé
Crash Pad Available
on Site
To accommodate bouldering climbers, crash pads will be available and stored in a shed on location. For those who already have some, it’s possible to bring them in your watercraft. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they will take up a lot of room in the watercraft.
Who Can Climb?
Here, we spend the day climbing, and talk about our lines at night around a camp fire. Perfect for outdoorsy types looking for their daily climbing rush. The key is to climb as a group with a range of different climbing skill profiles. That way, you can help each other and put your experience to good use. You need to master the techniques and have your own equipment (that matches the climbing type) to engage in this activity. No training is provided for an introduction to climbing at Poisson Blanc, and basic experience in canoe camping is also a must.
Climbing With the Family
For children, the minimum age for climbing is 5 years old. Kids under 16 need to be accompanied by a skilled adult with a right of entry for rock climbing. To find out more about climbing with the family, have a look at Ian Bergeron’s article.
Equipment and Materials
Bring your own equipment and materials required for the types of climbing you plan on doing during your visit. A quick rundown of items you may need: dynamic rope (60 m), helmet, climbing shoes, chalk, cams, nuts, carabiners, quickdraws, anchors, harness, crash pad, etc.
Climbing Ethics
- Adopt a humble and reasonable approach. Choose a route that matches your technical ability.
- Have prior training and/or have adequate outdoor climbing skills.
- Always use safe and appropriate equipment that complies with FQME recommendations. For ex: wear a helmet at all times when rope climbing, and wear your PFD when belaying a climber from your watercraft.
- Don’t climb routes that are being built or that aren’t marked on the map. They aren’t necessarily safe and may contain unstable rocks.
- Do not hook onto fragile trees, use fixed anchors/belays.
- It is forbidden to purge or modify installed equipment without authorization from the Park. If you spot an irregularity, please inform us.
- Tie and protect the canoe at the foot of the wall from any damage that might be caused by bumping and friction.
- Respect the other climbers. The Park authorities reserve the right to limit access to daily climbers in case of overcrowding.
- Bring your waste back with you.
- Be cautious and pay attention to weather reports. In case of rainstorms, evacuate the wall. Since you are belaying from your watercraft, the wind on the reservoir can make your activity rather challenging. Also be careful with slippery walls or rocks after rain.
- Recognize and accept the risks inherent in this activity.
Did You Know
The story of rock climbing at Poisson Blanc goes back to a long time ago, but was not documented very much at the time. Some climbs would have taken place in the 1980s. The first stationary equipment would have been installed on 4 routes by Guillaume Lajoie and Simon Trudeau in 2003. Since 2016, the regional park has been officially developing climbing in partnership with the FQME.