Most people feel as though they have dominion of the ground. They walk, they run, they ride, and they drive. Many feel as though the water is also theirs to enjoy. They swim and float, snorkel and dive. But the sky remains unreachable. It is the place that we can only reach from the window of a plane or looking out of a high-rise building. Well this summer, we have found seven exciting ways to explore the sky and resurrect the feeling of adventure and heart-pumping adrenaline in or around our wonderful Montreal.
SkyVenture
Most people around Montreal have heard of Skyventure but have never actually gone to try it. The idea is to skydive, but indoors without the risk of falling to your death. The vertical wind tunnel will blast wind at over 175km an hour upwards, allowing you to feel as though you were actually falling from a plane at 10 000 feet. With an instructor to train you beforehand and another right there in the room with you, you will be able to control your ‘free fall’ as though you were a trained aerial acrobat. The experience is truly unique for those who’d rather keep their feet relatively close to the ground. Each minute you spend in the tunnel will have you craving for another. So it is a good thing they have a four flight special going on all summer at $94 as opposed to the two flight package at $62.
2700 Ave Du Cosmodome, Centropolis, Laval, QC H7T 2X1
(514) 524-4000
Diner Entre Ciel et Terre
Adrenaline can also raise a mighty hunger as it burns through your system. Thankfully, there is Diner Entre Ciel et Terre, a spinoff of the world touring Dinner in the Sky which graced Old Montreal a few years ago. Strap yourself into the comfortable rotating chair and have a glass of Prosecco as you are lifted 50 meters into the air by a giant crane. The view will dazzle you and the chefs will amaze with a menu unique to each event. The wind will cool you off even as your adrenaline mixes with the alcohol to make you positively giddy. These events will be occurring throughout Montreal and its surroundings all summer so don’t miss out on a one-of-a-kind dinner. The next one is at Dix30 from July 15th to the 18th and is hosted by the chefs of Huston Bar & Grill. A cocktail ‘flight’ will run $45 while the VIP dinner will be a cool $195 per person. Can you say best dinner date ever?
The Next Event will be at:
9200 Boulevard Leduc #150,Brossard, QC J4Y 0L1
(514) 629-0929
MTL Zipline
If you have explored Old Montreal this summer, you have no doubt noticed the new towers set up near the Clock Tower pier. MTL Zipline has you zooming from one edge of the Bonsecours pier to the other. With us being such fans of Terasses Bonsecours, it is only natural that we take notice and try it out. The exhilarating experience crosses over the water and into the second tower. The view is great, but at the speed you fly, you may be yelling too loudly to take notice. At $20 a ticket, the ride has been seeing huge crowds all summer. What will be particularly exciting is that they are open on firework nights until 11:30pm. We have no doubt that seeing fireworks while your adrenaline is pumping will be a whole new experience in and of itself!
Hangar 16, near Clock tower Pier Old-Port of Montreal
(514) 947-5463
Parachute Montreal
The ultimate experience in the sky must be skydiving and few have the 25 years of experience that Parachute Montreal do. Situated 30 minutes north of Montreal, the small outfit is a hub to both seasoned veterans and newbies alike. The skydivers offer three different experiences for those who have never skydived. The first is a parachute only option at 7 500 feet where the instructor hooked up to you will immediately pull the cord after exiting the plane ($199). The second is a freefall and parachute combo at 13 500 feet for the adrenaline junky ($260). The final, for those who feel that the first two just would not get your blood pumping, is an 18 000 feet jump with oxygen mask ($369). Having never jumped ourselves, we would be hard pressed to describe the intensity and the freedom one feels falling out of a plane. Let your imaginations lead you on high to Parachute Montreal.
29 Québec 125, Saint-Esprit, QC J0K 2L0, Canada
(450) 839-1111
TreeGO
Those who love nature will know that walking in a national park means seeing trees so big they touch the sky. TreeGO offers you the chance to walk, climb, and zip line among those behemoths high above the ground. Though many courses exist, none are as accomplished as those built by d’Arbre en Arbre Canada. Among those are the Mirabel and Havelock treks, 40 and 60 minutes outside of Montreal respectively. These will have you exploring amazing national parks from a new perspective you would never get otherwise ($31). Alternatively, the Drummondville TreeGO park also has Moonlight Hikes with headlamps. Alone in the woods at night, suspended 20-30 feet in the air? Sounds like the beginning of a great horror movie to us.
10423, Montée Ste-Marianne Mirabel (Qc) J7J 2B1
(450) 433-9773
Balad’Air
The International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has exploded in popularity over the last few years with incredible performing artists and beautiful balloons. However, it is not the only time you can ride in a hot-air balloon. In fact, it is quite a bit harder to get tickets to fly during the festival than regularly. As such, Balad’Air is one of the burgeoning hot air balloon teams based in Saint-Jean. Take to the sky in an hour long journey guided by the wind and your pilot’s skill ($200). Our first flight, years ago, involved a champagne toast and the pilot expertly shaving off the top of corn stalks. Enjoy the thrill of height without the constant whine of engines or wind blasting your ears. We have heard that the romantic flight is an ideal way to pop the question too ($550/couple).
566 Rang de la Montagne, Mont-Saint-Grégoire, QC J0J, Canada
(514) 990-1492
Trapezium
Cirque du Soleil is often the first introduction one gets to trapeze artists. The flying acrobats make swinging and tumbling in midair look like a walk in the park. For the rest of us, it would probably be a very funny adrenaline rush followed by a catastrophic failure. But that is not a problem. The Trapezium is there to teach us how to do it properly without hurting ourselves… too badly. The school offers group classes ($40) or even private classes if you do not want others seeing you fail ($85). Either way, you are sure to feel the air rush by as you grip the bars and swing 20 feet in the air over a very wide and very forgiving net.
2350 Rue Dickson Montréal, QC H1N 3T1Canada
(514) 251-0615
