Sentier des Toblerones – Gland to Bassins
Chocolate doesn’t fare well on hot days, so it could have been a very sticky day given the current weather. However, the Sentiers des Toblerones from Gland Golf Club up to Bassins is mostly in very pleasant wooded shade and the earlier than normal start meant that we completed the hike in time for lunch and a subsequent siesta at home in the real heat of the day.
Summer is upon us and many of the usual GIN hikers were away or engaged with visitors. So, once again, it was a select group, this time of Stephen, Rob , Mark2Ts and Drew who subscribed to this outing. Careful planning identified that we would:
- not want to descend during the warmer part of the day and that we would
- be in need of refreshment and revitalising at the end point of our hike.
This ruled out making it to the formal end of the sentier at La Pessette (see below). Bassins, however, offered the possibility of an Auberge Communale and parking to leave a car, ready for the drive back after lunch. As it turned out, a notice on the auberge door indicated that it had decided to take a vacation and so an alternative hostellerie was selected at Le Muids, a short car ride away . At 08.30 they happily assured us that there would be a menu de jour but that what it would be was still undecided. Rob and Stephen then descended by car to meet up with Mark at the parking near the Gland Golf Club. From there we walked along the well-marked sentier towards a suitable pick up point for Drew near to his apartment in Gland (the high rise building where he lives being a significant landmark and famous for a severe fire a few years back…happily now repaired). The only glitch in the arrangement was that mobile numbers had not been exchanged but this was overcome by the resourcefulness of GIN members (and the fact that some of them leave telephone numbers in emails).
Amongst the group, knowledge of the correct route was well covered, some used to heading down and along, others ascending from a half-way up starting point, and some with just a vague sense of direction from earlier walks. All of us though re-acquainted and added to our knowledge of the sentier and covered new ground along the way. A short stop at La Cézille, at the once famous ham and gratin restaurant, now changed hands, allowed us a coffee break (all 4 black, no sugar…what a healthy lot!). From there it was a short but nonetheless meaningful last ascent to Bassins to cover the ca. 350m overall climb from Gland and 10.5 kms, arriving just before midday.
The short drive to Le Muids, in the car left at the Bassins parking, brought us to the promised set menu lunch, now finalised, of salad, sausage and chips (or couscous) but more importantly, perhaps, to a couple of refreshing beers. We remarked on the agricultural nature of most of the clientele amongst other wide ranging discussion topics.
We agreed that the timing, length and severity of the hike had been just what was required, giving a sense of fulfilment without heat exhaustion. Nevertheless, this blogger for one, appreciated the afternoon siesta.
Formidable!