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 Dwight Peck's personal website
Winter
2003-2004
US
politics continue as before. No use crying over spilt milk. Let's snowshoe.
Le
Noirmont
Le
Noirmont ('black mountain') is a cute ridge lying just north of the Col de la
Givrine in Switzerland, hovering over the border with France on its northwest
side. There are many entertaining routes up the SE side of it, and even more fun
to be had by proceeding off the long ridge running to the NE towards Mont Pelé,
where limestone holes begin to become a tantalizing issue.
The
southern side of Le Noirmont, with Les Coppettes farm (1323m), 30 December 2003.
But
today, 8 February 2004, former Academic Deans Pirri
and Peck are out for a bracing sprint for the top and back again, in order
to get a little welcome exercise and then get back to grading student papers and
washing up the dishes, etc.
Former
Dean Pirri takes advantage of the cross-country ski piste called the Boucle
de Sollier, between Givrine and La Cure in France, to gain some time in
getting to the foot of the Noirmont in declining weather. Here he's pressing ahead
and refusing to talk about the US Democratic primaries.
Here,
as the weather begins to cut up rough, Former Dean Pirri surveys the farm Les
Coppettes and prepares himself to lumber up to Noirmont on the right.
Passing
Les Coppettes farm in a significant wind, Ex-Dean Pirri is summit-bound,
intensely focused and still refusing to discuss the Democratic primaries.
Leaving
Les Coppettes behind in the wind . . .
. . .
Dean Pirri wonders where next. The steep and exposed SE side of Noirmont is probably
not pleasant in such a vigorous wind, so Sly Dean Pirri chooses instead
to sneak up onto the ridge through the trees and get the wind behind him for the
assault on the summit.
On a
beautiful little wooded plateauey sort of ledge on the way up to the ridge, Former
Dean Pirri searches for his Snickers Bars or any other restorative substances.
He's probably a little bit depressed because he was supporting General Wes.
Mr Chamois
comes out to greet the ascending hikers and has a good laugh at them before sauntering
off to visit some of his friends nearby. They're all going for Kerry.
Dean
Pirri loves spying on chamois, as we all do.
"Anybody But Bush" is the
word out here on the windswept slopes of Le Noirmont in a strong northern wind.
The
French village of La Cure, seen from the Swiss ridge on the Noirmont.
Once
onto the ridge, Dean Pirri seeks the way to the summit. (It's
up to the right.)
Dean
Peck arrives at the abandoned ski installations on the first of Noirmont's two
summity things (1547m) and celebrates their abandonment.
Whilst
Dean Pirri plunges on, in somewhat declining weather, towards the higher Noirmont
summit.
Former
Dean Pirri reaches the top (1567m) in a somewhat mortifying sleety sort of weather
spasm, and turns to . .
.
. . gaze out upon France. Not presently visible,
however.
Dean
Peck is seen faking his own crucifixion again. It's a hobby.
Whereupon
former academic deans desert the summit and, in their rush for the ground floor, make the stupid choice of trying to come
down the SE side directly. Very bad news for the old knees.
Former
Dean and Former President Pirri pauses on a flattish area on the SE side of Noirmont
to admire an icy tree.
Dean
Pirri, briefly lost in the storm at the bottom of the SE side of Noirmont, re-emerges
from obscurity.
Unenlightened.
The
farm of L'Arzière looms, but it's time to head for home now.
As
the storm begins to get really invigorating, Dean Pirri pulls on some more gear
and, unfortunately, the Fuji camera freezes up, so
there'll be no more pix of this particular hike. But there's less and less
to be seen anyway.
(The Fuji A303 later unfroze, luckily, and emerged as good
as new.)
from SwitzerlandMobility (http://map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en)
 Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative,  .
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 11 February 2004, revised 28 September 2008, 27 November 2013.
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