Dwight Peck's personal website

Mid-February hikes, 2013

A cold snap and still more snow in Switzerland gets us off the sofa
and out into the plein air.

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.

Mont-sur-Rolle in dribbly snow

Work, work, work. We're slipping out in the afternoon for a walk in the villages near Féchy.

Today we're up above Bougy-Villars and coming down onto Mont-sur-Rolle. 11 February 2013.

That's Mont-sur-Rolle amongst the vineyards, and we're turning downhill now.

That's the Château Malessert in Perroy (known for its exceptional wines for the past 1,000 years, the sign says) on our local main road, called 'L'Etraz' when it leaves Nyon, from the Latin strata for a paved road. It's the original Roman road from Nyon through Aubonne, past Cossonay, all the way to Yverdon on Lac de Neuchâtel.

And we're bedraggled walking alongside it.

Mont Bailly (or Bally)

We've left the Marchairuz road below La St-George and are circumambulating the cliffs above which are the ruins of an old château called Guyon, on our way to Mont Bailly. 16 February 2013.

The farm called La Palud tucked in amongst the trees

We've joined a cross-country ski track to improve our mileage.

La Palud, as we trot along on the machined ski and snowshoe track

M. Renard the fox has preceded us.

Kristin and the ski du fond track

The Jura ridgeline near Marchairuz in the distance

Winter shrubbery

We've got almost as far as Mont Bailly itself, alas not quite, but a vote has been taken and, given the lateness of the hour, we're turning back now.

That's Mont Bailly farm -- last year -- and today we're up in those trees somewhere.

Back past La Palud farm

Back up into the forest

And back to the car.

The forest of Petite Rolat

We're at the carpark on the Marchairuz road to the Vallée du Joux, 17 February 2013.

And we're off northeastward into the forest of Petite Rolat, with lots of new snow.

Dr Pirri is, as usual, grabbing the lead.

It's a cold day (by our standards), but sunny.

Snow still hanging off the trees

There's an expanse of limestone holes near here, worth our demonstrating to Kristin, but we haven't found it yet.

Jura shrubbery

Dr Pirri maintains his lead. Not, unfortunately, in the right direction.

We're content just to follow along at a more relaxed pace, secure in the expectation that Dr Pirri will stop and wait for us at some point.

-- Whither? Dr Pirri asks.

-- See? Kristin affirms.

We've missed our field of limestone holes but we continue exploring.

Jump!

Each at his or her own pace

We're out of the forest and onto La Plateforme, the vast flat with the two peaks of Grand Cunay up on the right and Mont Tendre in the distance.

Kristin on the ski track, preparing for more thrashing about in the forest.

Dr Pirri is in charge of the forest-thrashing.

Another mid-forest stone wall

Chilly Ears!

Whoops!

A few more obstacles

A last bolt for the carpark

Jump!

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 26 February 2013.

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