Tucked away in the heart of the Diable River valley, right at the gate of Mont-Tremblant National Park, you’ll find four luxurious micro-chalets just steps from a friendly bistro. In the latter they serve the produce of a Nordic farm rooted at the base of the surrounding mountains. And that’s not all. Farouche* also provides excursions on standup paddle boards on the Diable River as it winds past beautiful beaches and virgin forest. We tried out the experience.

The shelters: welcome to glamping

The micro-chalets, like cozy cocoons on pilings, are an invitation to relax. A soft king-size bed and a downy coverlet await the guests come bedtime. Built of Québec white cedar, the four-season insulated shelters provide all the comfort of a fourstar hotel room… minus the extra space. Isn’t the whole idea to play outdoors, after all? For that matter, there’s a private beach reserved for the shelter occupants.

These ecological mini-lofts – in which there’s even a four-seater sofa – are equipped with a small refrigerator and a gas stove for cool nights. Each shelter has its own complete, private bathroom just seconds away. Pretty unusual luxury in the outdoors.

A wildly farm-based café

Located about a twenty-minute drive from Mont-Tremblant, the café, open to all, is a destination in itself. Campers from the national park appear to have understood that message since it opened on July 15. It serves excellent coffees – made with a master’s hand by barista Philémon – wine from the Zyromski vineyard, and delicious, homemade dishes made from the produce of the farm, where everything is organic except the certification.

“It’ll come,” notes Geneviève Côté, co-owner of the premises. “Getting that certification is a fairly long, tough process and we prefer to concentrate our energies on the site itself.”

And the site offers a lot. Nothing seems to have been altered and the view of the valley – and of Tremblant’s North Side and Edge – are a call to contemplation. Once you’re comfortably installed, golden chai in hand, all you have to do is enjoy the present moment.

Adventures: standup paddle boards now, and Hokking in the snow later

Farouche also offers rental of standup paddle boards. Again, it’s an unusual offering. Thanks to an association with the Taiga brand, you can – after taking advantage of advice from staff – try the board that will suit you best.

In winter you’ll be able to opt for skisnowshoe (Hok skis) outings. Hok skis are designed for powder snow and are a hybrid between snowshoes and off-piste crosscountry skis.

A project fueled by heart and passion

This type of tourist project, which combines a farm, a bistro, luxury shelters and outdoor activities and excursions, is unusual in Québec.

“The basic idea was the farm,” explain owners and creators of Farouche, Geneviève Côté and her spouse Jonathan Casaubon. “We asked ourselves where we could sell our vegetables, because we had no intention of producing large quantities. We told ourselves that it would be super to be able to accommodate people here and offer the produce on-site. That was behind the idea of the café.”

“The land inspired us and still does,” Jonathan continues. “We’re also going to build three other shelters this fall and then we’ll consider building larger chalets in the maple bush on the mountain. It’s really a project that came from our hearts,” he emphasizes. “We’ve combined our passions for agriculture, the outdoors and the wish to create a gathering place where we could accommodate people.”

“And it’s not finished. We still have a number of projects in mind,” Geneviève concludes.

farouche.ca

*Farouche means wild or fierce.

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