Visit Ottawa for the annual Canadian Ski Marathon
- Ottawa Travel Guide
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- Wednesday, 02 January 2013 15:06
No travel in Canada is complete without some fun in the snow, but more advanced winter athletes may want to travel to Ontario during February for the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM), the longest and oldest Nordic ski tour in North America. The 47th annual event, known as a celebration of Canada's winter, is taking place February 9 and 10 and, when hundreds of skiiers will race from Lachute to Gatineau, Quebec.
The two-day, 160-kilometre event is divided into five sections each day, each section about 16 kilometres of winding trail through privately-owned lands in the western Laurentian mountains. There is also an overnight stop at the Chateau Montebello, one of the largest log-built hotels in the world.
Skiiers of all ages and abilities will take part in the event, which has no winners or losers. However, completion of the race means a skiier is entered into the ranks of the Coureurs des Bois. Hundreds of others will come to Ottawa to support the racers and take part in the festivities that will surely surround the event.
