Dwight Peck's personal website
Winter
2004-2005
as
life's hectic non-stop party threatens to get out of control and really exhausting
Intersessional
hikes in March 2005
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. Between
Kristin's visit in February and her visit
in April, the narrator struggled along hiking-wise as best he could. In Kristin's
absence, Dr Pirri often had to carry the lunch and wine basket.

There's
our reliable Volkswagen, "Dieter", as we suit up for a short walk up
in the forest of Grande Rolat, 5 March 2005. That's looking along the Vallée
de Joux road up towards the Col du Marchairuz on the horizon.

We
leave Dieter behind with a doubtful glance -- a wonderful automobile in all other
respects, his one serious design flaw is a tendency to freeze up his doors in
very cold weather. That would be a real bummer up here at nightfall.

Lots of nice new snow everywhere

This
is a little late-afternoon solo stroll out along the ridge above the Combe des
Amburnex cross-country ski tracks towards the farm of Joux de Bière.

That's
the farm of Joux de Bière in lots
of nice new snow falling, 5 March 2005.


And
there's Dieter waiting patiently for our return. Doors opened like a charm.
This
is the road down from the Col du Marchairuz towards the villages along Lake Geneva,
near nightfall, 5 March 2005.

When
the sun comes out tomorrow, a lot of that ice will fall off the cliffs and clutter
up the road.
Les
Echadex

Trotting
up from the village of Longirod, 6 March 2005, our guide stands at parade rest
whilst the party catches up with him. We're passing the farm of Goncerue.


As
predicted, we're lost.

But
"up" is as good a direction as any.

Our
guide is poking around here, looking for an easy way up through the little cliffie
things.

We were flirting with the idea of walking up to the Crêt de la Neuve today,
but we're not wading along quite fast enough for that. So, as he ponders
the situation, it occurs to our guide that we should make a big loop around the
Echadex farm instead.

-- Who called?

Striding forth

Wallowing helplessly

It's
an intriguing thing about the Swiss Jura -- we're thoroughly lost, and yet we
recognize the place well and we've been here many times before. But we were always
lost then, too.

Slow
going -- this is only at about 1380 meters altitude, but it's starting to feel like the
moon.

At
last, here's the horizontal trail between Echadex and Petit Prés de Rolle,
with a brief blink of sunlight. We're found again!
The
narrator and his shy guide, nicknamed "Guide" (right)

Our
guide takes us off towards Les Echadex farm and a descent by the Tearoom de la
Plage.

Les
Echadex farm, 6 March 2005

The
narrator dreaming of spaghetti con vongole

Beautiful
snow's falling thick and fast.

Dr
Pirri, it has to be said, has been doing a superb job of leading our expedition
so far, as we search about for a negotiable way down below the Tearoom de la Plage.

He
leads us with a firm sense of where the best possibilities lie and with the
forceful decision-making that often leads to success.

But
not always.

In
the end, though, we pass the Goncerue farm again and straggle into Longirod with
no harm taken.
Mont
Tendre

Now
we're going up Mont Tendre on our skinny little skis, 13 March 2005, but in fact
that story's already been told elsewhere.

Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, .
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 3 April 2005, revised 24 September 2008, 5 August 2014.
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