GINs Hike – Grottes and Rochers de Naye
8 July 2021
Rob had chosen an interesting and challenging hike for this mid-summer walk. Challenging for several reasons. 1. The weather was unpredictably dubious. 2. The drive to the start at the Col du Jaman was hair-raising for those with hair as well as those without. 3. The intended hike involved an ascent up a steep cliff on ladders. 4. There was still some snow about. 5. A steep descent, after a full lunch, was hinted at.
Attending Rob, Marks W and W, Richard S, Mervyn, David, Philip, Bill and Peter T. Apologies from several including Thatcher.
If truth be told (which it should never be in these pages) the weather was not all bad. Heavy rains were clearing as we arrived and had started again some 30 minutes from the end of the hike, with some while we were inside having a nice lunch at the Rochers de Naye.
Driving up to the start was interesting. At one point at a red light train barrier, a member of the car behind the leader’s car knocked on the leader’s window and had the temerity to ask if the leader knew where he was going. It seemed he thought he did, but he remarked later that this en-route questioning had been a novel experience and had been slightly unsettling for him. Google Maps had a wholly different routing from the leader’s SatNav.
Three cars driven by Rob, Richard and Mark W2ts eventually arrived at the start col after following wet, winding and steep, narrow roads in brightening weather. We were all exhausted but the drivers perhaps exceptionally so.
It was only 9.30am but the leader urged us to start and so we set off at regimental pace (nb without Steve, a Gintlemen in England now abed) across and up and across again to the misty cliffs guarding the summit of the Rochers de Naye.
Ignoring short cuts offered by Philip, one member decided to force a short cut across a large and steep snow patch that lay across the slope. Opting for a high path on the lip of the bergschrund his unsuitable cheap trekking boots could not get a grip and with flailing sticks and a merry shriek he accelerated down on an imaginary bum-board towards a rock below. Happily terminal speed was low and only pride was hurt. Sadly this episode was not caught on camera.
What followed was outside the norm of our experience. A traverse across wet slabby rocks using a hand chain let to a series of long ladders following a steep line up the cliff. Mist swirled around and it was airy. In truth (see above) the party cruised this crux section with little problem. We passed the entrance to the cave of the Grottes de Naye, surprisingly partially filled with snow after a small entrance door.
With no time or inclination for extensive speleology, we continued steeply up and breasted the crest of the ridge into the promised land of open slopes and flowers. Except there was a lot of mist about. Within 40 minutes we were ensconced, 9 to a table, in the warmth of the restaurant at the top of the RdN railway, a full hour earlier than Rob had booked for.
Lunch was most convivial with beers and white wine washing down excellent and tasty Rösti Montagnards, sausage and chips etc served by friendly and efficient young waitresses. Oh, and Richard had a black burger. No mention was made (to my knowledge) of Scottish independence.
Wanting no dessert (other than coffee) and with little in the way of Scottish fluid in prosect, the time for dreaded descent had come and in view of the pitter patter of rain outside we kitted up for the worst. Oddly the worst was delayed for another 90 minutes and it was dryish as we descended the airy, rocky path below a herd of chamois, enjoying some excellent nourishment on the verdant slopes.
We were given tantalizing views through clearings in the cloud, down to spectacular green ridges below, finally to a window out over shining Vevey and the blue Lac with an approaching wall of grey rain still 20km away. A long, steep rocky gully was descended with little problem and we were soon speeding across the (sort of) traverse line back to the cars in order to minimize time in the inevitable heavy downpour we had seen coming. Bill spotted some cows so he was happy at last. A fit young lady with strong legs in dayglo hot pants passed us running up and many were happy at last.
The rain finally caught us and we had 30 minutes or so of drenching. We said our farewells and jumped into our vehicles out of the wetness. A convoy of cars descended a longer but easier route down through Caux, headlights blazing in the dark cloud and rain that made 4pm seem like midnight. There remained a tortuous maze of back streets of Montreux and an uneventful but wet ride back home along the autoroutes. Mark W2tts was happy, Pakistan had been bowled out for 154.
Another memorable hike in great company. It makes the donated subscriptions that our webmaster extorts from us seem like real value. Thanks to Rob for organising such a super trip. He even carried poles this time, but never used them, so it could not have been that difficult a hike. Thanks again also to our three volunteer drivers for your heroic service. 700m deniv – or was it 880m ? 10.5km
