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.
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We're driving up from Féchy just above Lake Geneva, 10 November 2013, for a nice autumn hike with no winter clothes in our backpack and summer tires on the car.
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The Route des Montagnes: somewhat unwelcoming for the car, but promising much more fun for us.
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Quite unwelcoming for the car now, but promising otherwise. This VW has such a low draft that he's dragging on the little snow that's here already, ominous.
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We'd better leave the thing here. Dieter VW's just not up to it anymore.
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He will, however, wait for us.
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Slushy snow blowing all round, but we've got a couple of rain shells with us. We're bound for the Mont de Bière Devant, up behind the ridge on the horizon.
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More slush -- we've got a sore knee today and we're trying to favor it with no luck.
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It's nice and quiet, with only the wind in the trees (and the occasional EasyJet passing overhead).
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The grand virage in the forest road
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A long plod it is, but we're gaining height. We haven't decided yet whether we'll go all the way up to the top.
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Technically speaking, we're in the Bois de la Sauge at the moment, probably at about 1440m (we left Dieter at about 1340m).
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Slushy it may be, but it's still a beautiful day.
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Whoa, a checkpoint
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We're still debating whether we'll continue to the summit flagpole or get our dodgy knee out of here in good time.
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Whilst reflecting on our options, we noticed that we'd already put a second rain shell on and tied our baseball cap down.
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Twenty minutes later, we're nearly at the farm at Mont de Bière Devant in the gustiest slushiest day of the year.
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We're admiring the classic 1750s-era Jura farm building through the slushy gusts of wind, and not watching our footing.
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An elaborate sort of slushy dance on a rock that ended badly -- and another twisted knee.
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One cannot lie there in thin trousers waiting for the knee to heal itself, so we're hopping along to the farm building to get out of the wind for a while.
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Ah, out of the wind. A short break.
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We refuse to go anywhere until our twanged knee has fully recovered.
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No use waiting forever. The summit flagpole is just up there.
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The nominal summit of Mont de Bière Devant
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And the scenic tableau to show you what you're not seeing today
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We're getting blown right off this thing. Time to go.
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Goodbye to the farm
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A little trouble finding the good way down, the sunglasses keep icing up.
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Here we are.
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Once off the lumpy pastures, our knees semi-rejoice on the old road.
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A lovely but wet trudge down again
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The longer stretches do go on and on.
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Back off the snow and into the slush -- finally, the grand virage in the road.
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Now emphatically into the slush zone
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The last stretch, with a buffety wind
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He waited.
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Gentlemen, windshield scrapers out!
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Allons-y! Summer tires get an opportunity to prove their worth.
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(We're booked to have the winter tires put on tomorrow in Rolle. Wouldn't that be ironic?)
![Click here](../pictures/buttons/button-winter2013-14a.gif)