Gatineau Park, where most Club outings occur, presents a variety of landscapes through which a participant can potentially pass. For outings classified as moderate and greater these can and often do include:
- rocky, uneven hiking surfaces
- wet or muddy conditions
- frequent rolling passages
- steep and long ascents and descents
- tricky beaver dam crossings
Hike and Snowshoe Levels
| Easy |
Relaxed pace - Typically 3 to 5 hours start to finish - About 3 hours on-the-move (lunch and breaks not included) - On-trail only; see outing description of interest |
| Moderate |
Medium pace - Typically 3 to 5 hours start to finish - About 3 to 4 hours on-the-move (lunch and breaks not included) - On-trail/unofficial trail/off-trail mix; see outing description of interest |
| Challenging |
Medium pace - Typically 5 to 6 hours start to finish - About 4 to 5 hours on-the-move (lunch and breaks not included) - On-trail/unofficial trail/off-trail mix; see outing description of interest |
| Challenging+ |
Medium fast pace on trails - Typically, about 5 to 6 hours from start to finish - About 4 to 5 hours on-the-move (lunch and breaks not included) - Mostly off-trail; see outing description of interest - Steep pitches, including scrambling up and down open rock; many steep ascents and descents |
The Club emphasizes the above is only a guideline intended to frame the detailed outings descriptions authored by our leaders. You can find them posted in our public calendar and, if you're a member, in our weekly 'Upcoming Outings' email.
These detailed descriptions include outing length, route overview, key attributes and other valuable information.
We strongly advise contacting the leader of an outing of interest should you have any questions or concerns about it. The leader's email address is published in each outing description.
Typical Hiking Rates
On-trail medium pace (smooth, wide Gatineau Park trails): 4 km/h
On-trail relaxed pace (and on rougher, narrow Gatineau Park trails): 3 km/h
Off-trail: 2 km/h
Off-trail snowshoe: 1.5 km/h or slower in deep snow
Ski Levels
Unlike hike levels, pace is not used as a factor in ski levels. Generally most classic recreational skiers ski at about 5-6 km/h, a rate that varies considerably due to snow conditions. As such level definitions are oriented more towards technical difficulty rather than energy expenditure which hike pace ratings are indicative of.
| Easy | Moderate | Challenging |
| - less than 12km | - 12km to 20km | - more than 20km |
| - groomed / track set | - groomed / track set | - includes ungroomed (back country) trails |
| - primarily green (beginner) trails | - primarily blue (intermediate) trails | - includes black (expert) trails |
Group Size
The Club limits hike group sizes, to the greatest degree possible, to 15 participants on well maintained trails, and 12 participants on unofficial trails or hikes involving bushwhacking. When sign-ups exceed these limits, the Club will attempt to lay on one or more additional hikes to respect size limits.