Leysin, Switzerland, pearl of the Préalps

Dwight Peck's personal website

Tour de Famelon

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.

The Leysin Six, from left, La Riondaz, La Berneuse (behind the tree), the Tour d'Aï and Tour de Mayen in the center, the long hump of the Truex, and the Tour de Famelon on the right.

The very most fabulous collection of local mountains anywhere, 7km across from left to right.

The long ship-like shape of Famelon (2137m) hangs beautifully between the end of the Truex ridge and the descent towards the pass into the Ayerne and Hongrin valley (Pierre de Moëllé) and Mont d'Or on the far side of that. It has two summits, and the normal hiking trail leads up into the saddle (photo below), then up through the rocks to the higher one, with a little chain to help with the top bit.

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Many people's favorite Leysin mountain, the Tour de Famelon, sitting there like a goofy ship with its prow facing down towards Les Fers off to the right. Seen from somewhere along the Truex. (Mont d'Or is at the upper right.)

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And here's Famelon from the prow end of the ship, from the Chalet des Fers, back before the skilifts were extended out that way in the early-mid '80s. Avalanches from the Crête des Fers (left) were a common occurrence then and now.

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And the same, with the Chalet des Fers (before the skilifts), at dusk, with a nice avalanche scar running down from the left. The present narrator has been caught in three avalanches in that same place (some people never learn), in one of which (in 1987) we almost lost ACS Prof. Ware, and in another of which (in 1992) we almost put away the narrator.

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Another summery shot of superb Famelon, to lighten the mood.

The Tour de Famelon from back behind in snowcaving country, 1991 or nearly so. The Col de Famelon just right of centre.

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And a fine winter picture of Famelon from the back side, above Pierre du Moëllé, bound for that long route up the ridge, the Rochers de la Latte, on the right.

Skier (D. Peck) moving up the Rochers de la Latte towards the back of Famelon, late '80s or early '90s.

Snowshoer C. Berman toddling to Tour de Famelon on a late afternoon in 1980.

Prof Berman in the saddle between the two Famelon summits, getting closer to his lunch at the top, 1980.

Ms Wilson preparing to set up camp near the end of Truex in 1982, with the Tour de Famelon behind.

Ms Wilson darting up to the Famelon summit at dusk, 1982, before camping on the pass in a very awkward storm.

Mr Peck marching up from the Pierre du Moëllé, onto the Rochers de la Latte, up the back side of the Famelon.

Famelon from the back side, Rochers de la Latte in the center and right, with Mr Peck and Mr Mackenzie deciding how next to proceed, 1995 (Photo: C. Berman).

Profs Berman and Peck return to Famelon on a rainy day in July 2002.

Professor Charles Berman, reliving earlier scrambles onto the Famelon summit some two event-packed decades on, hustles up the chain to lunch at the top, July 2002.