Easter services

Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2008-2009

The best snow we've had in the Jura in a decade, and now it's going back to wherever it came from.

Easter services

It's Easter day today, hosanna! Or yesterday. Anyway, it's a long weekend, and we're stepping out to get some fresh air for a while.

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.

We've got the playground to ourselves these days; perhaps everyone else is in church. We've set out from the Col du Marchairuz in the Swiss Jura mountains, 12 April 2009, and now we're coming up on the farm of Monts de Bière Derrière.

What a difference a few days make. Two weeks ago this place was over the rafters in snow -- mouseover the photo to see it.

And mouseover the trailsign, too, to see the thing on 29 March 2009.

We're leaving Monts de Bière Derrière now and heading up towards a first stop at Grand Cunay. The concept, or business plan, is to make a sort of Grand Tour today -- or rather a sort of Petit Tour -- and end up, if all goes to plan, back at the car.

Wonders of nature

Near the top of Grand Cunay

The farm at Grand Cunay

Similarly, mouseover this to see the place a mere two weeks ago.

That's the second part of Grand Cunay, 30 meters higher, and we'll go on up there now to get the views.

A little grey today for great views, but, anyway, there's the Grand Cunay farm just below. Mont de Bière is on the left.

The Chalet des Combes directly below to the north

Down into the forest now, with a wave and a smile for Grand Cunay as we depart.

We're looking for the right way into the Creux d'Enfer to the south; that's not something you want to get wrong.

A lone skier has preceded us a few days ago; his or her track follows the narrow track between the cliffs up on the left and the Creux d'Enfer down to the right.

Limestone anomalies and marvels all round

Mind the step.

Hallooo? No reply.

A roadblock.

Another roadblock. We'll go around it.

Another roadblock. We'll go around this one, too.

Here's the dirt road that comes up to the farm at Monts de Bière Derrière. Our next stop is that hill up ahead and then over to the right to Mont de Bière Devant.

Moments later, we're approaching the top of Mont de Bière Devant.

Nearly there

That's the flagpole at Mont de Bière Devant -- the farm building is over on the far side, through the gap.

That's our second high point for today, so it's all downhill from here. More or less downhill from here.

We'll pretend that it's all downhill from here. (Hi, Mom.)

Here's some of the downhill.

But here's some of the uphill.

An exceptional hike, as always in the Jura -- they're all exceptional -- and now we need to rush home and catch up on The Guardian on-line whilst our dinner fries up nicely.

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