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.
Another early snowstorm in Switzerland; the forest of Grande Rolat beckons.
The farm of Meylande-Dessus in the sunlight. That was yesterday.
The farm of Meylande-Dessus today, 5 December 2010, whilst the Swiss road crews are out doing their best to keep up with events.
Joe is preparing his equipment, and Dieter is preparing to sit here all afternoon and concentrate on not freezing up his doorlocks on us.
Joe sets off for we're not sure where yet.
Joe is re-preparing his equipment, and Dieter, in the distance, is deciding whether to freeze up his doorlocks anyway in spite.
A citerne shed appears in the distance
It's highly prized because it's our last landmark before barging into the forest, where landmarks are a fond dream.
We used to be able to talk Joe into posing for photographs under huge cornices, but he won't do that anymore.
Goodbye to our last landmark.
Joe enters forest, photo 1.
Joe in forest photo 12. We're already lost and just plowing upwards more or less at random.
Joe in forest photo 27
Joe in forest photo 41. We're entering hole country, and still completely lost.
Suicide Joe plunges across the limestone forest floor as if it were the Preakness or the Grand National.
Joe gets mired, but his luck is holding so far. We're following along carefully, stepping wherever he seems to have lucked out. So far.
That's not always a winning strategy: more than once over the years, we've stepped into one of Joe's tracks and plummeted straight into a hole -- even had to beg his help to get us out of it.
Joe in forest photo 52. Scrutinizing the surroundings for a way out.
Joe still tempting the Limestone Fates on the forest floor, photo 11
Joe eluding a great whacking hole, photo 7
Joe and an eluded hole
We're totally lost, becoming disspirited, but we're not down a hole.
Just because we're carrying a piece of old map of the region, Joe looks to us for a decision.
Joe in forest photo 112.
Joe in forest photo 232, as the heavens dump on us again.
Joe drives onward in what may or may not be the right direction.
Ha ha. We've popped out of the forest just over the little ridge from Dieter VW, who's still not freezing his doorlocks up.
Even though it's a surprise, we can take this as a vindication of our map-reading skills.
More exquisite timing just at dusk
And even Dieter plays along. The doors opened flawlessly. One of our best days out in years.
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 28 December 2010.
