Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2004-2005

as life's hectic non-stop party threatens to get out of control and really exhausting

January 2005 in the bise

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.

Global Warming brings not just warming, but violent extremes in both directions. In Europe, the north wind (the "bise") blew for nearly a month.

Nyon, Switzerland, for example, iced up completely for a few weeks in late January 2005 (and the main road to our village of Bassins was closed for three days).

Nobody told these hikers, though, on 24 January 2005, as they got fitted out near the rubbish dump above Le Vaud to experience these climatological changes for themselves.

Suitably fortified against the wind and cold.

André, or Dante (left), has just become a medical doctor in Switzerland, and his Mum is similarly bundled up but very proud.

La Poilleuse farm, a few hundred vertical metres above Le Vaud, with a sort of buffeting wind

The forest above Le Vaud with a nasty wind blowing snow off the trees. We're meant to be following our guide, Dr. Pirri, but he's nowhere to be seen. Or is he?

Wait, there he is. But is it really he, or a wraith? (We always have to ask this question. His answers are never convincing.)

Snow on a tree. Let's check it out.

Topping out for the day at the Fornets meadow, about 1200m, near Les Chenevières, and taking a moment to relax.

(from left) Dr Dante (Andrea), Lisa, the narrator

Lisa and André celebrate a good hike, just before . . .

. . . the wind picks up again.

En route

A shortcut

The same shortcut

Ooops.

Better weather on the descent and a good view of the forest above Le Vaud

Dr Andrea Dante Guillaume Durham with his proud mum

Ooooops.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 30 March 2005, revised 3 October 2008, 17 August 2014.

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