Peter Taylor – Page 6

Thurs 21 Sept 23 – Biking to 888 and Founex Tennis Club Lunch

The forecast was good and indeed the sun was shining as 6 bikers set off from Everness shortly after 10am. Our BLeader being in the hills, and Mr Drew in Fleurie, I stepped in and put into practice a sketchy sort of ride to 888. This ride gives some strong deinvellation up the Barillette road (well the bottom part), and was chosen in particular to assist Mark and Mervyn in their fitness drive before their Himalayan jaunt next month. Also attending were Ivan with his two-speed Ukrainian machine and Richard Flett and Mike Muller with their e-bikes. I was tasked with keeping the team together, this time.

Setting off passing by the Centre d’Epuration added a bit of spice and we were soon up at the watering place in Grilly. There was some discussion about how to deal with bats in the house, not related to cricket, and the solution seemed to include a tennis racket. Turning right along the bike path gave us an easy ride to Charly’s Pub for an early coffee.

Time for some more serious biking, so we ambled up through la Rippe and Tranchepied to the foot of the Bonmont Hill. I told Ivan that the target was 888 but he somehow forgot and forging ahead in 2nd gear he simply disappeared. Struggling on up the awful gradient my i-watch was telling me that my heart was beating at 143bpm. At the same time Richard and Mike passed by chatting pleasantly and I heard something about the “power levels” each were using. They disappeared ahead too. E-biking certainly has a more sociable side to it (and I would think of getting one except that with role models of Mark and Mervyn five years ahead of me, I really can’t do that, …yet).

Arriving exhausted at last at 888 after those interminable bends in the road I was a bit taken aback to find nobody there. A call to Mike found that he and Richard were waiting higher up the B road, not having seen any sign saying 888, nor finding Ivan. A call to Ivan found him hauling up the road behind us, after waiting 10 minutes at the Bonmont top. I was relieved when the whole team assembled at 888, not only because I had been tasked to not lose anyone, but also because it was now pretty much all downhill.

We wended our way down, passing the Bonmont top, and gently down through Tranchepied, Borex and past God’s Crossing to Founex tennis Club. The weather held fair and the ride had been enjoyable, after 888. (It rained heavily later in the day).

Mervyn skipped lunch and Ivan stayed for a pint only. Four of us enjoyed variously moules-frites, porc, and salads, while enjoying the wide vistas from the terrace in the weak sun. We drank to all absent friends. The ride home for me was 3 minutes.. 🙂

Apologies were received from Stephen, PeterD, Paul and Rudi.

Mark clocked 43km and 600m ascent. I hope that this has helped him and Mervyn a little bit in their fitness programme.

Thanks to all for another nice ride.

GIN Hikers end summer on La Dôle

The summer heat was starting to dissipate, especially after the horror of 40C just the Thursday before. Sadly the sparkling weather only appeared on the Friday – the day after this hike – and we were faced with a cool and cloudy start with the prospect of lurking sun.

The plan was to start from the car park at La Givrine and ascend via my secret back route up to the Pointe de Fin Château, the Pointe de Poêle Chaud and La Dôle. Most of the ascent is through beautiful and little trod forest and the following ridges are airy with fine 360 views.

(I had checked this out the week before with Kobie on that hottest day of the year. We were cooked but survived…).

Eleven brave souls signed up, and with Nessie and Kobie we were a dozen plus two hounds. Attending :- Nathan, Mark2rs, Mark2ts, David, Richard S, Richard F, Philip, Bill, Stephen, Mike M (and Nessie), Peter S, Peter T (and Kobie).

Having negotiated the Easypark App, we set off from La Givrine in good spirits just after 10am. Shorts were being worn by a third of us, despite my warning of possible cool weather.

Sadly the start was not great for Kobie as he trod on an electric wire and received a shock that spooked him a bit. Cows in the Jura in summer are a hazard for the hiker and for the hound. Undeterred we escaped off up my secret path (which for the record turns left from the road up to the Couvaloup de Crans at W3W rooting.snuck.horizons). We were soon up into the very pleasant forest.

Team in good cheer on the way up

The good thing about this route is that it is shady in sunny weather and it delivers one out onto the ridge between the Pointes de Fin Chateau and Poêle Chaud. Stephen and I turned left to tick off the PdFC.

Selfie on the PdFC with Kobie and Stephen and with my sweater that I cannot wear at home..

Reunited on the ridge there followed a pleasant 100m ascent up to the top of the Pte de Poêle Chaud 1629m. Duly conquered, it was time for some apèro and Richard S extracted his bottle of many dubious potions and distributed what he told us was Aquavit – very pleasant it was too.

View of La Dôle from the PdPC on the hottest day of 2023, the “dangerous path” is obvious

Suitably refreshed and fortified we set off down towards the Col de Porte looking out for chamois but seeing none.

The team split several ways for the final ascent of the day, with three brave souls tackling the open and “most dangerous” path of the Jura, while others and dogs went round the back.

Peter and Philip. Looking back to the Col de Porte.

We were soon at the Domes of the Dôle and Stephen and Richard established lunch camp on the edge of the precipice, with what would normally be stupendous views to the alps. We could not complain though; it was warm with little wind and the view we had over the Lake was superb.

Interestingly two (Mike M and Richard F) of our party met their better halves at the top – they had hiked up from St Cergue and were lunching right next to us. They had probably done a bigger hike than us !

Stephen opened his rather impressive and heavy bottle of Salice Salentino, Epicuro, aged in oak, which went down rather nicely before some of Mark2ts’s Luins chasselas and some of my own Gruener Veltliner. We managed to remember to toast absent friends

With the team lined up as if to launch themselves over the edge and me behind them catering for a hungry Kobie, there was little opportunity for me to record conversations, but there was some talk of Spanish kissing. Happily I noticed nothing of Scottish independence. Kobie impressed me by being able to see half a dozen or so chamois grazing at a large distance below and to our right, and he took a keen interest in their progress before taking up his position between Richard and Stephen (see photo).

In due course David emerged his really rather excellent grappa and Mark2ts his strong black coffee. Thanks to all for their contributions.

Well sated, some took the opprotunity to grab forty winks.

All too soon it was time to pack up and leave, an easy route down planned via the ski slope to the Couvaloup de Crans. Again this was slightly marred for Kobie by him touching another live wire as he went through the gap in the top wall. With that and the assorted herds on the descent, I had to guide him down and around through the forest.

The descent – note Mark’s natty braces (more anon)

Suitably ensconced on the outside tables at the CdC, the beer and panaché order went in and Richard F kindly treated us all to some restorative. Mike regaled us with a tale of self control (or lack thereof) when the appendage of a nurse somehow fell into his palm. There were other tales …

All too soon it was time to saunter back down the track to the cars.

Prize for best breeches goes to Martk2ts

A very pleasant hike – about 11km and 550m.

La Dôle to Barillette 6 July 2023

A fine day in prospect saw eight of us and 3 dogs assemble in the car park at Divonne for a Jura hike. Sadly Richard S and Peter Strebel withdrew at the last minute and were missed. Almost immediately it became clear that Mark Warren and I had the same idea of how to approach the Barillette restaurant – booked for 12.30pm; by driving up to near the Chalet de la Dôle and traversing the mountain clockwise. The alternative would have been a long slog up nearly 800m from Florettaz – one for another time/team.

Attending – Marks W1 and W2, Nathan, Mervyn, Larry, Mike H and Rocco, Nicolas and (Tiray Pas) Onyx, and me and Kobie.

It did not start well when Onyx followed Kobie into the Divonne fountain pond.

Safely up at the parking at 1418m we set off to scale La Dôle (1677m) passing the Chalet with all dogs leashed. Cows and chamois were abundantly evident, as were hares.

It was a fresh start with initial cloud on the tops and a nice breeze. We stopped a few times and then at 1632m on the ridge to allow stragglers to catch up. That was the last we saw of Nathan before the restaurant (where he arrived on time at 12.25pm, whereas we arrived after 1.12pm).

The hard part done, Kobie eyeing up chamois still

So we meandered up after Nathan and stopped at the top in the look out pen hemmed in by cows, looking up at the work in progress maintenance work being done on the radar ball.

Cows – a challenge to us dog walkers – and why Nathan went on ahead thinking we would skirt the summit altogether

We decided to escape (slip past) the herd and take aperos on the broad ridge descending to Col de Porte at 1660m.

Larry brought Petite Arvine and nuts, Peter some Chardonnay and dog bones

We toasted absent friends which at this time also included Nathan. There was some jolly banter about Niagra Ice Wine and other delicacies. Then suddenly we realised that we had 20 minutes left to get to the restaurant on time, but that it was at least an hour away.

Peter went back to the summit pen to retrieve his stick, and we wended down past the Col de P and down and up across to the Barillette mast.

Master and his faithful companion at the Tower of Power, followed by another couple of contenders

We arrived safely at the restaurant 45 minutes late but with no worries as Nathan had indeed arrived à l’heure. Happily there were few other diners and we chose a table out on the terrace for the dogs and us to be the happier.

Not much choice other than sausage and chips/potatoes

Initial beers were excellent and Larry chose the wine – to celebrate his 87th birthday the previous week.

We chewed the fat while the dogs chewed the bones. The conversation glided over many subjects, including paedophile poets, and we were soon into coffees and not inflicted by a man with a bottle of strong and oddly-labelled potion, nor another with his flask of strong Scottish stuff.

All too soon then, with most of us and most dogs behaving well, we set off back up and down to the cars, passing a potential new GIN recruit as we left the restaurant.

Larry made it safely through the electric fences

The sun had come out and it was hot when we got back down

Thanks again to Mark 2ts for the coffee and Mervyn (or was it Mark too?) for the milk.

An enjoyable hike with dogs that mostly behaved, nice lunch in great company that also mostly behaved, fine weather and some nice wines, good sausage, excellent frites, and some fabulous views, chamois and hares, and, er, cows and electric fences.

10.5km and 480m denivellation.

PS – When I got home Kobie slept in the basement immediately for 6 hours – he’s still there…

PPS Thanks to Nicolas for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame T Shirt !

GIN Bikers to Maison Blanche

18 May 2023

The wind had died down from the horrors of the previous day when we took shelter in the Founex Auberge for a GINClub lunch. PeterD organised this outing – a prize to him for 2 days in a row !

A new member attended (for the second day in a row), Richard Flett, or E-Richard as our BOOT-bound BLeader would call him, with connections to South Africa. Welcome Richard.

Attending – PeterD, PeterT, Paul, MikeM, Mervyn, Mark2ts and RichardF. Three e-bikes and four pushers.

We set off slightly into the wind on an anticlockwise circuit cunningly designed to have the wind behind us on the worst uphill section (Vesancy Hill). Tracking past Lac Divonne, skirting round Crassier in France, up to La Rippe and glancing at the Bonmont Hill before turning left for the traverse to Vesancy under the Jura forests.

Mervyn, PeterD, Paul, Mike, Richard and Mark at Crux Ave, Vesancy, the big hill behind us !

An almost good weather day which turned a bit chilly, and was slightly marred by the coffee stop in Vesancy being closed for Ascension.

So, we trekked on down to Gex before heading back up and across through Echenevex to Maison Blanche, avoiding the down-the-field approach.

Lunch was served at a fine circular linen-laid table – this is how golfers expect to dine. Mark had celebrated becoming Swiss the day before, and he was keen to buy the beers. Affligem from Belgium went down well but a second glass was needed to verify its excellence.

Conversation seemed to settle around religion, atheism, Dawkins, UK non-resident banking (Barclays is throwing us out), Darwin, memes and memeplexes (religion again), natural selection and mortality. Paul’s excellent new book on Wallace’s unheralded but vitally essential bird-collecting Indonesian assistant, Ali, is coming out shortly.

Paul tells us that he believes we have all must have had an “Ali” in our lives, getting us through to where we are today. Something for us all to ponder..

We drank the health of our absent BLeader, resting up at home.

The nems were excellent as were the burgers and triple fried chips. We actually met a couple of GIN members (well at least one – Werner) who had come in from their golf round.

All too soon it was time to take off back home via an interesting riverside path below Gex with a bike staircase, before saying farewell to Paul and exiting Gex on the beloved bike path to Divonne, as we pondered on “who was my Ali ?”.

I made it 49km and 479m from Coppet.

GIN Lunch Founex 17 May 2023

Peter Drew organised a GINclub lunch in Founex on the day of high winds. Nearly everone turned out, including new member Jeff Shane, welcome Jeff!

Attending were a score of Gintlemen – and who in no particular order were :

Alan Peters (rumoured not to have arrived but was with us in spirit)
Alan Baker
Brian Hewitt
Brian Allardyce
Bryan Clark
David Gwilliam
Drew Meek
Ken Forrester
Gerard Swart
Gary Vannatter
William Hogg
Michael Hempstead
Norman Eatough
Paul Sochaczewski
Peter Taylor
Terence Gale
Steve Long
Mike Price
Jeff Shane
Peter Drew
David Colledge

A very pleasant lunch with a chance to catch up with our chums.

Jeff Shane on the left talking aero stuff with Alan

Thanks to Peter D for organising this. The food, beer, red wine and Founex Chasselas were excellent.

Biking the hills to Gilly 4 May 23

With our honourable BLeader incapacitated – perhaps for the summer – Peter T and Peter D have taken control of biking Thursdays for the interim til Stephen is back on 2 wheels.

With a number of apologies, some sound and others more flimsy, four of us turned out at the Evenness at 10am on the morning of a really fine and warm day, shorts weather!

Attending – Mervyn, Ivan, PeterD, PeterT

PeterT had booked a table at Gilly on their sunny terrace for 12.30pm. The plan then was Bonmont (not the full top), Gingins, Givrins, Genolier, Le Muids, Bassins, Le Vaud, Burtigny, Gilly and home. This is quite a challenging ride for 4 non-E bikes and sadly it did not allow time for coffee stops at some of the watering holes we passed along the way.

There were many agricultural vehicles out and about, some very large. We were overtaken near God’s Crossing by a large muck spreader. One comment was that it was like being overtaken by the Daily Mail. There were quite a number of bikers about, many of whom were on racing road bikes and who had little problem overtaking us.

All went well until Ivan stopped to pick up what might have been his brake block but found it was a spurious reflector. He then missed the junction at Givrins and we needed to reassemble at Genolier after guiding him back by phone.

The hill of La Joie Clinique is (after Bonmont) the “low” point of this ride and it is pushed back into dark recesses of one’s memory. But having passed it we were up in the fresh spring air as the day started to warm up.

Ivan, Mervyn and PeterD at Bassins. Not much more climbing to go !

We had fabulous views out over the Lake to the Alps on the road from Burtigny before dropping down to Gilly. Altogether the riding was brilliant as was the weather and the scenery even if our legs were a bit sore after all the climbing.

An excellent and refreshing lunch was devoured at around chf25 for three courses and some fine beer and great service, al fresco on the terrace. I was glad that I had remembered to bring a sun hat, and we all carried factor 50 cream.

All too soon it was nearly time to be off, so we called ahead to our BLeader who had spent the morning at Nyon hospital and was now at home. He invited us to call in at Arnex to check out his new BOOT and sample his home brew in return for our commiserations and moral support. We ambled back at a leisurely pace with some fabulous views to Mt Blanc. Sure enough the BOOT was real and the ale was too. Stephen seemed in good cheer, as was Kate. We shall have to help ensure this stays that way over the coming months. Merci for the fine beer Stephen.

The BOOT of our BLeader. At least it’s his left heel and he might be able to drive soon !

I logged 63km and 780m denivellation from Coppet.

Dogging along the Versoix River

Tuesday 2 May 2023

Attending Mike H, Nicolas, Rob, Peter T

A fine day for a change and four of us with 3 dogs, Onyx, Rocco and Kobie, set out along the river from Sauverny down the river path. Rob had left his cocker spaniels at home but it was good to have him along. Neither Nicolas nor Rob had been down the river path before but for Mike H and I it is a regular dog walk. Mike M and Nessie had sent apologies and were missed.

Although it was a fine day, the previous days had been grim and rainy, and the path was extremely muddy, albeit we seemed to make good progress with little to trouble us. That meant there were no other dogs met along this normally busy path and we had the river pretty much to ourselves. The fresh green leaves made the forest especially beautiful and the river was in some spate. Onyx seemed to spend a lot of time trying to swim upstream while not moving along the ground and he revelled in the water while the other two splashed and paddled about.

We stopped for coffee at Log Beach Bay and enjoyed watching the dogs cavorting about. We returned the same way and looking back it was indeed a fine morning out for us and our dogs.

Cavorting in the wonderful Versoix River in full flow

A Gintlemen’s best friend – for once Rob is drinking only coffee from his shot cup..

Gin Bikers Brave the Cold and Damp

20 April 23

I set out this morning to head up to the Everness. I was wearing two jackets, a buff under my helmet and cycling shorts over my lycra leggings. It was cold and spitting with rain. I considered turning back, but I did not want to let my BLeader, PD, down. So I arrived to find Peter with Rudi and Nathan. Two e-bikers and two bikers. Rudi told us a tale of his tail-gate opening on the autoroute and his e-bike nearly falling out; happily he arrived intact.

PeterD suggested a normal Gex gambit opening, somewhat adventurous perhaps for a lunch at the Trois Tilluels in Genolier.

See https://www.aubergegenolier.ch

The rain systems for the day were coming from the Gex direction so it was with some relief that our Leader relented at Grilly and ordered a right turn into Divonne, enabling a coffee stop to be engineered at a warm favourite:-

http://www.au-coeur-des-saveurs.ch

We actually arrived in Crassier surprisingly dry, if a little chilled by the 7C temperatures, but coffee and croissants revived body and spirit and we set off to the inevitable Bonmont in good cheer. It was not long before the Hill of Legend was in front of us, and we turned left at the junction to ride the final few hundred metres to the summit.

Smiling might have been a little enforced at Bonmont top – but it was to be downhill from now on

We rolled down in 5C or below teperatures into Gingins, passing Givrins and thence to Genolier remaining amazingly dry still. It was a relief to enter to warm and pleasant restaurant at Les Trois T, and we began to fell even better after the first beer and fresh vegetarian roll starter. There followed sausage and mash and a wondrous dessert.

Bangers and mash, not quite just like me muvver used to make

We discussed many topics including the excuses of absentees, several of whom were eating pork pies. The food was so good I immediately booked to bring my better half next Saturday. Good choice PeterD!

There remained the route home, billed as downhill all the way. It was not. We were into a slight headwind and the rain came as we passed Signy. Nevertheless a fine but unseasonably cold ride after a hesitant start, with a super lunch (set menu 27chf).

Stats for me 48km and 500m denivellation.

Biking to Refuge de Florimont 7.4.23

Sadly Ivan could not join us – he had a good excuse. Others had others…

In the event 3 of us (Mervyn, Peter D and me Peter T) turned out for what turned out to be a fine and sunny if chilly morning, at Everness, heading for Refuge de Florimont – we had biked up there on 31 March 22 for a full Gin Club lunch. Floriment is at 960m and is one of our more challenging rides with over 600m of up. However with no BLeader and no E-bikes we could take it slowly.

And slowly we started. Within 2 minutes Peter D had punctured on his replacement “fast” bike. We attempted a tube replacement but even after a trip back to his house Peter could not get any air into the new tube. So we all biked the 400m back to Peter’s house where he changed back onto one of his regular steeds (which had some form of faulty gear change – apparently he could not access the very lowest gears (somewhat necessary on a Florimont ride)). How he managed I’m not sure.

Not the best of starts – GIN puncturitis returns

Thus some 40 minutes later we set off again – Peter D seeming now to have the bit between his teeth led us up through the forest of the Bois de Portes, across La Versoix River and up into Grilly and the Train Track. A very pleasant ride to Gex followed as a precursor to the potentially very unpleasant ride up out of Gex through les Maladières to Florimont, pretty much all of it avoiding the main road but on good if sometimes somewhat steep tarmac.

Route up to and down from Florimont 37 km and 650m denivellation

The slope seemed unrelenting and we took time out to rest several times. My heart monitor afterwards showed 20 minutes at over 136 bpm and another 45 minutes above 115 bpm. This is not a ride the preparations for which involve a fondu the night before. In the event (for me at least and I believe for the others too, each in our private torment) it was not too bad and we arrived in time for our reservation shortly after midday.

The beers were excellent (local craft brew) and the menu-de-jour lunch, at Eu17 for a big fresh salad, chicken pierrade (we cooked on a hot stone) and large baked potato, with sauces, fresh bread and followed by coffee gourmand, with good friendly service, rivalled the old days of the Vieux-Bois. And the view from our table was/is one of the best in the area. NB Peter D enjoyed a good-looking/tasting sauciflette.

View last year – same this year and from our table this year

We missed our BLeader from last year (gallivanting in Blighty)

A year ago it was a bit warmer, but note similar clothing to this year..

We settled up and it was time to go, wrapped warm for the still-cool air. This restaurant descent is one of the easiest, if a little steep at first, as it’s pretty much downhill all the way.

A very good ride (looking back) that tests the legs, with a fine lunch as reward. I’m tempted to drive up again soon. Recommended eatery.

37km 650m from Coppet.

No snowshoe snow hike from the Givrine to La Cure and back – 16 March 2023

Mark Warren SS Leader writes :

The four members first meeting in Divonne and two plus Kobie going directly arrived at the Givrine parking rendezvous in good time for our scheduled 10am departure only to discover that the new pay parking system was creating more problems than the cost. The metres do not accept debit cards (the card operators charge too much for the liking of the Commune), the Twint QR card had been removed (what vandalism in St Cergue!) and there was little to no wifi connectivity precluding the use of the App “easypark”. (NB in future walk up to the station where 4G is stronger. Ed PT). There was however a traffic warden present to supervise the five or so cars in the carpark (one had a parking ticket) and to witness our plight and to enable Nathan to negotiate free parking. But all this came at a cost since we didn’t leave until 10h20.

This season has been particularly bad for snow shoeing. We started off with winter wanders before any snow arrived and then only had arguably three “proper” snowshoe outings before we were out hiking again, albeit with some slippages. Although it had snowed Wednesday morning, the restaurant and the webcam indicated that it had all melted so we traipsed off at hiking speed only to discover there was much more snow hiding round the corner, including some still in the trees. Not enough to warrant our absent snowshoes but deep and fresh enough to give that lovely crunchy sound made through walking on fresh snow. Animal tracks were clear (hare and wild boar).

At least we were walking on the white stuff !

It was lovely in the sunshine and we went to that extra post across a field, reaching the chalet Pré du Four for a pause, taken in the traditional GIN way.

Some white some red – Swiss apèro courtesy of Stephen who had been cleaning out his cellar

A quick phone call to the restaurant to ensure a late arrival wouldn’t create a lunch problem enabled us to enjoy the view of the Mont Blanc range for longer, then off we went on an easy snow covered path to Chez Mamac for our lunch, which we took outside, starting with welcome beers and cheese with cold meats.

At Mamac. Let’s start with beer and cold meats !

Chez Mamac is famous for its trifon – a fondue saucepan partitioned into three parts – enabling a choice of three different cheeses. The usual intellectual conversation scarcely covered Scottish independence but included Crédit Suisse and other banking problems, Shackleton and antarctica, and end of the snowshoe season and start of the hiking one. As the baker from St Cergue had delivered insufficient tartlets, we moved directly from main course to coffee.

Despite the temptation to take the train, we unanimously decided to leg it back to Givrine, which was mostly over snow! And so freak blizzards aside, ended the 2022/23 snowshoe season with a snow hike.

Mark handed the gavel back to Peter for the 2023 summer hiking season. Next hike 30 March 2023 – La Vuache led by Philip.

Participants: PeterT plus Kobie, NathanF, MervynP, RichardS, StephenL and Mark2R

Distance 11km; height difference 320m.

PS – Many thanks to Mark for leading us through this relatively snow-free winter. We had some memorable outings. We look forward to more in 23/24. PT et al.