Dwight Peck's personal website

Some bushwhacking near Marchairuz


A chilly afternoon with great snow, and no destinations in mind.

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Exploring near the Col du Marchairuz, 14 March 2013

-- Are you coming, or not?

-- Yes! Wait for me.

If there was a signposted path somewhere round here, we've got off it.

Now what?

This may not be as straightforward as we thought.

We're too high up now. Jump!

Lower down, our guide spies a way forward . . .

. . . but alas thinks we need to go back up again.

We compromise on a contour on the level.

And then go back down again.

Despite the fact that we're in a fairly circumscribed area of forest, we seem to be really-really lost anyway.

Quel surprise! We've just realized that we've crossed over the Chemin des Crêtes and started down off the wrong side of the mountain. And we've got more obstacles in our way again.

Like vacation balconies overlooking the beach on the Costa del Sol, except for the snow.

Our guide is leading us back to near where we intended to be an hour ago.

Now what?

Wonders of nature

When the guide instructs you to follow up this way, you have to do it.

Poof, we've got on top of the Mont de Bière and the sun's come out, and it's dazzlingly beautiful.

And that's not snow on the trees -- it's a windblown frozen mist come in overnight from France.

What's next?

At least we know where we are. That's the three-sided shed near the top of Mont de Bière proper.

It's beautiful here. The guide is weighing the pros and cons of never leaving.

The shed on Mont de Bière

To complete our rapturously fantastic Jura experience, it's finally started to snow again.

And to top it off, we know more or less where we are now.

But [pause] . . .

. . . which way now?

It's all about trust at this point.

More downhill.

But now what?

Landmarks, more or less, and an old track in the snow (in fact, it's our track from last Sunday)

Our guide's confidence has been restored and he's striding out boldly.

It can't be far off now.

It's probably up this way. Come on!

At last, we're here at the Marchairuz road over to the Vallée du Joux.

And Dieter the VW is waiting for us at the Col du Marchairuz at the end of the day. Had it just snowed somewhat more during our little hike, it might have been our finest day ever -- but we always say that.

GO!


Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 25 March 2013.


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