Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2015-2016

Retirement is still as much fun as ever

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.

A short walk to Mont Sâla

We've been here a thousand times, but it's still fun.

Dr Joe is having a laugh at our expense, again, and for no reason. We've walked up the notch path to the Combe des Begnines, and that's the farm of Le Couchant (1446m) on the hiking path to Mont Sâla; 4 October 2015.

We're on top of Mont Sâla (1511m) on a beautiful day, in the shadow of the summit cross

The radar installations on La Dôle in the distance to the southwest

The Combe des Begnines to the northeast

Just below us, the farm of Les Pralets, also a mountain restaurant for summer walkers and, in winter, for long-distance cross-country skiers on the track along that dirt road. Three hours from Marchairuz, a quick cheese fondue (with white wine), and another two hours to the Col de la Givrine.

Looking at the forested Mont Pelé in the centre, and in front of it a small, unnamed bald little thing at 1515m

To get over there, there's an unmarked little path leading down into the nasty ground, not on any maps, and so far memory is not helping Dr Joe find it.

Persevering as ever, Dr Joe has found the unmarked path.

Just this side of the bald clump, there is also an unmarked, unmapped little trail steeply down through the cliffs to the left -- we usually find it, sometimes don't, but we have buoyant hopes.

Still persevering

We've just run out of path.

Not there. That plunges down into the creux d'enfer, we'd never be found.

Once again, perseverance. We resume our way on our faint little path.

A sixth sense whispers to Dr Joe that this might be our way down . . .

. . . and so it is.

We take it at a run.

-- Don't stand right underneath.

That's our little scrambly place

Kristin in our little scrambly place, April 2007

Even up here, we're still within the Commune of Bassins, and this huge tree has been put off limits from the foresters, as "a gesture for Nature".

Not all trees will live to the same age as that one, though.

Back out to the pastures, near the farm of Les Pralets

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 8 November 2015.

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