Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Jul 21, 2022
Some people make us walk through life. Lucie Cormier specializes in this area. With her husband, Pascal Brien, she’s currently developing a mini Compostelle, the Parcours Les Sources, which stretches over 115 km through seven municipalities of the MRC Des Sources, the most important being Val-des-Sources.
By Yvan Martineau
Better still, this long-distance route, set alongside the roadways, also includes the spectacular Route des Sommets and the magnificent Townships Trail. “Visitors will enjoy our mountain region, the unexpected landscapes where you can often look far out into the distance, and the mining spoil tips that are part of our decor, and our history,” explains Lucie, an art teacher at the Mitchell-Montcalm school in Sherbrooke.
Please allow me to personally highlight the Place de la Traversée, in Val-des-Sources. One of the largest open-sky mines in the world is located here, with a crater two kilometres in diameter that visitors can admire from an observatory. And since 2018, the crater has become a high-flying site: slacklining is practised here. Some people cross it on a 1.9 km long wire, suspended 200 metres in the air. Truly incredible!
But let’s get back to the Parcours Les Sources, for which the stage is the region that stretches between Sherbrooke and Victoriaville— still quite unknown and yet so amazing—. “There were already four routes in the Townships and after seeing the one in Mégantic concocted by Chantal Ladouceur, a spark went off,” says Lucie. “I thought it would be wonderful and that it would truly dazzle visitors.”
What makes these long-distance routes so appealing is the variety of possible loops, depending on the number of days we have available. And because we can walk them as we wish, at a pace that suits us. “Ramblers get to discover the agritourism farms, and the activity is accessible for all budgets,” notes Lucie.
Along the way, on your adventure, you will travel across Val-des-Sources, Danville, Ham-Sud and the beautiful Mont-Ham regional park, St-Adrien and St-Camille, then St-Georges-de-Windsor and Wotton. I recommend a stop in Danville at actress Geneviève Boivin-Roussy’s GdeBR art gallery. At the Mont-Ham regional park, a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, you will find yourself in the heart of the Route des Sommets.
Among her favourites stops, Lucie mentions the Fermette de l’Art Tisse, the welcome bureau for Parcours Les Sources, and the section of the route between St-Camille and St-Georges-de-Windsor for the 360-degree views overlooking Mounts Stoke, Orford and Ham.
“And you absolutely must stop by La Vallée des nuages vineyard in Danville,” she concludes. “You’ll not only discover their grapevines, but also their fruit trees and a variety of small and large animals raised on the site, such as rabbits, ducks, geese, quail, partridges, chickens, pigs, calves, cows and horses.”
So, are you ready to follow the one who’ll make you walk? Let’s head out on the adventure trail, and thank you, Lucie Cormier. Thank you so much for these great vacation ideas!
Nature, sports and outdoor activities
Outdoor Enthusiats - Dominic Arpin
