Mois de Novembre en Neige

Quelques photos d'une magnifico sortie en pô de fuck avec Julien B. and folks from Canada (français)! Wooooo quelle neige! En Novembre c'est espectionnel! -15 deg C, soleil tout c'qu'y faut madonna!

Montée, premiers lacets.


Marie-France et Julien


En chemin


Montée, grosse neige, froide!


Les Gastlosen comme décor, y'a pire!


Hélène fonce avec le sourire, elle s'entraîne pour une course à pied à Bulle l'après-midi (j'vous jure...)


Structures de vent dans la neige


Sommet, y'a du monde, et pressés avec ça! Faut dire que le froid est mordant (des -15C facile!)


Descente, poudre (grosse!) et qqs croûtes mais rien de grave


On se dirige vers un couloir dans les arbres que les canacs connaissent, voyez plutôt!

Hundsrügg (dire très vite 5 fois)

2 jours (ou plutôt 1/4 de jour, 1 nuit et 1 jour, ça fait 1 jour et quart et 1 nuit en somme!) avec ptit bivouac de fin de saison, feu de camp et l'odeur des lynx!

Voici le Jan tombant de fatigue qui se faufile dans son sac:


Le matin, une belle et douce lumière nous accueille:


La longue arête du Huundgsprunghst (dire très vite 25 fois):


Vue vers les Alpes bernoises; au fond à droite, on voit un lynx:

Outing for Rando Decouverte

One picture of the group I took to the Arpille, around the Col de la Croix, a great outing, nice folks and beautiful weather.


Here we are staring at the remnants of a poisonous/hallucinogenic mushroom, the Amanite "tue-mouche"

Commuting to work

Bicycle commuuting to work is GREAT.
I do a 20 kms one-way trip from Moudon to Cheseaux.
My beloved bicycle, a CILO (swiss brand):


My beloved saddle, a Brooks full leather B17 honey colour:

A few beasts from the hills - La Vare to Derborence

Some pictures from animals in the hills. A wolf has been seen in the area since. WWWOOOOOOOO
A Black Salamander:


Gisèle, Fanny and Marguerite, 3 friends from La Vare:


Purple Gentiane


Flags close to Anzeinde, the cliffs of Les Diablerets in the background.

Tour des Ruans - Days 3 and 4

Still trying to catch up on this blog, here goes an account of the 2 last days of zis tour so mighty. I definitely need to cut down on length 'cause I cant follow: this summer we've been out a lot in mountains, bike and sailing, but no way I can keep it up on here and it's probbaly not so bad anyway. I'll stick to walkandtalk, rando-decouverte and aventures alpines trips mostly, although will also post some stuff about cycling and moutain biking probably, or else on this or that occasion when I want some you friends to check out our common adventure pictures.
So anyways, after that long day into France, here's how I got back to Switzerland, avoiding the ladders that might've been still plastered with snow: I took the long way round, it wuz HOT!
Here's a view after passing the Col de Coup, looking into the Champéry valley towards the Dents du Midi.


Yes it was HOT!


Better not fall off this path!


The Susanfe hut:


Evening lights after an 11 hours day, 'tain! Thanks to the warden who let me sleep in the dining room instead of cramped in the bunks with a thousand other stinky, farting and snoring hikers.


HELLLLOOOOOO; TIME TO GET UP!!!!
Next morning I'm knackered goooood. Hardly moving... god, it's hard, I guess 2 days of 11 hours walking have done me in. Here I am slugging up to the Susanfe pass I can hardly see my feet and the cold air makes my eyes run like fountains. Heart is racing although I'm just plodding along, I'm breathless just looking up the path!


Morning lights cheer me up as the scenery just gets better and better. I walk up towards the last high point of the trip.


Looking back towards the cabin:



Down there is the Salanfe lake again, gone round, done it, but next time I'll do it in one more day, tell you that!

Tour de Ruans - Day 2

At last a bit of time for an account of the second day of Tour des Ruans. For the first day, check out previous post.
Day 2 started at the Dam of Emosson.
Let's start with a view of the Old Dam lake, a bit higher up from the new one; somewhere up there are the fossilized footprints of dinosaurs that roamed the area some 160 million years ago:


High up, almost at the top of Cheval Blanc at 2,900 meters, looking back down towards the Old Emosson dam:


The top:


Great view over the famous Drus:


Down into France, the amazing ridge of Freytes de Grenairon:


An Ibex, turning its lazy back on the Mont Blanc:


Further down a splendid Aster des Alpes bouquet:


After an eleven-hour day, finally I get to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, where I find a welcoming camp site and sleep in a hut provided by the owners:

Tour des Ruans - Day 1

I just have time to post a small account of the first day of the Tour des Ruans, a great 4-5 days hike on the swiss-french border: the area is nested between Chamonix and Martigny, with breath-taking views over the whole Mont Blanc Massif. This tour is sort of remote and requires some navigation skills on the higher parts. We had smashing weather, but you wouldn't want to be caught up there in storm or mist. Another thing: once you're over in one valley, there is only one or two ways to get back, and they are not easy walks. This tour was due with clients of Aventures Alpines in August (about now!) and I was out to check it out. We'd just had very unusual cold weather with snow down to 1500 meters (in July!) over several days. Anyway, here are a few pictures of day 1, Mathilde and I together (kids in Valais with friends). Actually this was our second day, since we walked up to Barrage de Susanfe on friday evening and slept at the Auberge in order to get an early start the next morning.

Sunrise on the Tour Sallière, at the far end of Lac de Salanfe:


Walking up to the first pass of the day, here is a "looking back" view of Tour Sallière on the left, the Col de Susanfe in the middle and the western peak of the Dents du Midi (Haute Cime) to the right:


Fealing like a bird:


Getting up to the top of the second pass of the day (Barberine), with a bit of snow. Minutes after this shot, we saw a Gypaète Barbu (sort of large vulture) gliding along the rock walls above us, those you can see beyond the col:


On the Col de Barberine, behind are tomorrow's mountains!:


Walking down into the spectacular Emosson Valley. This valley is probably one of the wildest of the whole area, with nowhere to go at the end of it (apart from the Barberine pass), no huts, no cabins, a remote and preserved place:


On our way to the head of the valley and the dam where we spent our second night, views and flowers are just amazing, here a "bouquet" of Joubarbe des Toits:


More in next posts! See ya, salut.

Vallon de Bonaudon & Dent de Jaman

At Montreux, you can catch a train that goes right through the mountains and comes out in the high country of the Château-d'Oex area (there is still quite a way to get there however). We got off at Les Cases, just out of the tunnel and started ... down to go round a buttress of steep forests. Brian leads the walk, I'm just following and enjoying!

Here's Brian (yep that's my dad) at the start of the walk:


First stretch up grassy slopes:


Still going, I'm trying to keep up with the old man, look at him!


Ouch, 2 hours later, here we are at the top of the col (Bonaudon Col), thanks for the break dad!


Nice views from up here, that's the Eiger right back over there on the horizon.


From the Col de Jaman (upper), the lake comes into view, what a sight...


Going up the Dent de Jaman, hey wait, something just strikes me...


Yes, it's the cap! The man has his racing cycling cap from the '70s on! NOW I understand the pace, that's cheating dad! Not as bad as Testosterone Floyd but doping of a more dangerous kind: Psycho doping!


I turn my mind to kinder matters, a few flowers, the breeze and home-made sandwiches.


Meanwhile, the Rochers de Naye, just behind us, spreads out its long carapace across the eastern sky, this is our "table mountain".


Checking out the map on the way down on the other side,


.. with the Dent de Jaman above us still, it's a different view form this side, it looks almost, like, a mountain!


It was SO hot that day, and at the end of it, this fountain was almost as good as a beer; fortunately, because the bistrot was closed anyway! DAR!