Change of air: Uplà and the Érablière Charbonneau, a fun combination for spring break

DAY

At the foot of Mont Saint-Grégoire, half an hour from the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, Uplà, a new course in the trees inaugurated by the Arbraska team last summer, will be in activity during school break. It is on the Érablière Charbonneau site. 

Huge net trampolines are suspended and connected to the trees high up. Parents and children hop together. Even children from the age of three are allowed. 

Playing as a family

On the trampolines, we walk, we jump and we play with a giant ball. The whole forms a labyrinth with tunnels and rope slides allowing you to descend to the ground. 

Walks lead to the Tree-in-the-sky Village, made up of colorful huts perched in the trees. Children walk from one to the other, visibly amazed. 

Side nets are installed to ensure their safety, allowing them to explore.

Snackhouse

The cozy sugar shack housing the snack bar and the dining room.

A few steps away, on the other side of Chemin du Sous-bois, Érablière Charbonneau has a snack bar featuring maple-flavored products. It serves, among other things, the poutine of the cabin, to which are added sausages, bacon and eggs cooked in maple syrup. 

Also on the menu: a vegan maple chili. I tasted it. It is not bad at all. To drink, I really liked La Tubulle sparkling maple water. To try: their alcohol-free Cabanak beers (0.5) (rousse, pilsener and NEIPA). For kids and teens, there's maple slush. 

Also during sugaring-off

At Érablière Charbonneau, the three bears will no doubt be woken up for spring break…

Uplà is also open every weekend, the Érablière Charbonneau being active every day with its traditions such as cabin meals, taffy on snow and a ride in a tractor-drawn car. 

Children who still have energy can play to their heart's content in the playground near the hut. Depending on the temperature, in early March, a mini-farm will brighten up the place.   

L'ÉRABLIÈRE CHARBONNEAU

• Snacks and traditional meals
• Playground, tractor rides, mountain trail, cross-country ski trails  
• Open: every day, until April 30
• erablierecharbonneau.qc.ca

UPLÀ

• Day rate (reservation required): $22.50 per adult, $35 per child< /li>
• Minimum age: from 3 years old during the day and 5 years old at night 
• Experience and equipment not required
• Open: during spring break (February 27 to March 3, 2023) and during weekends, day and evening
• upla.ca 

OTHER OUTING IDEAS 

From the cave to the forest

30 minutes from Ottawa, at the Arbraska Laflèche adventure park, explore a cave with a guide for an hour. On the site there is a course in the trees and trails for snowshoeing (rental). 

►arbraska.com

Wild Mont-Tremblant

In Mont-Tremblant National Park, a snowshoe hike leads to the Corniche lookout (7 km round trip). The panorama of the mountains and Lake Monroe is one of the most beautiful in the Laurentians.  

►sepaq.com

< strong>►Alain Demers is the author of the book Rediscovering Quebec: 101 destinations, published by Éditions du Journal.