Leysin, Switzerland, pearl of the Préalps

Dwight Peck's personal website

Pic Chaussy

near Leysin, Switzerland

The lovely village of Leysin, in the Swiss Alps, sprawls at 1250m-1450m on the flank of a range of six small limestone peaks. These little peaks are wonderful in all seasons.

This is the mighty Pic Chaussy (2352m) at the head of the Ormonts valley, between the Col des Mosses (off to the left) and Diablêrets and the Col du Pillon (off to the right).

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Pic Chaussy from Leysin at sunset, 1980. But the real fun happens on the far side.

The skilift station near the Pic Chaussy summit. This was photographed in 1980 but the station was abandoned in the late 1980s, presumably for economic reasons, and between vandals and the weather it turned into a derelict horror in short order.

Mr Ware and Mr Peck approached the abandoned summit facilities one fine day, crawling up inside a 3-meter cornice waiting anxiously for it to collapse upon them, when a tourist sightseeing helicopter from Col des Mosses came over the ridge with a horrible great clatter and regressed both of them to infancy. The helicopter returned regularly every ten minutes and Prof Ware stood upon the summit ridge screaming unambiguous epithets at the pilot and gesticulating vigorously, but the pilot and the tourists mistook his meaning and waved back merrily.

Châtillon is in the background, where the narrator had ample cause to regret ascending with a broken foot in January 1989 and spent a year in bondage and physio. Behind that is La Para, also called La Tournette, a favorite summertime running route.

Laurie-Carroll (lower left) leading an Algerian called Khadr up from Lac Lioson towards the summit in July 1980.

Laurie-Carroll, Khadr falling behind a bit, approaching the summit, as the ski télécabine passes overhead. Full of Marlboro smokers, no doubt.

Some of the indigenous folks on Pic Chaussy, looking confused and calling for reinforcements.

The reinforcements have arrived.

Lac Lioson below, from past the sheep farther along the summit ridge.

Sir Charles Berman and Laurie-Carroll contemplating more of the indigenes, and they were here first. 1980.

Farther along the ridge, we're looking for a way down, and . . .

. . . it proved to be through that middle ramp.

Sir Charles Berman in a fit of youthful exuberance, dashing down that middle ramp. That was way back in 1980. (Not much has changed with Mr Berman since then.)