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Snowshoe outing

Written by Mark Warren (only posted by PT)

The highest point in the Jura, the Crêt de la Neige (1718m) provides on a good day some of the best views of the Alps as well as the Jura and despite a slight haze Tuesday 1 March was a good day. Just as important it was windless. 

Taking the télécabine from Lelex up to the Catheline, six of us set off on the well-marked trail. There was still enough snow to warrant the use of snowshoes but if it does not snow again, this may well be our last outing using them. 

The going was relatively easy with slight slopes to begin with and then there was a steeper climb up to the top. Half way up, David had a snowshoe catastrophe as the rivet holding the strap onto the shoe came out, making the shoe useless.

Thankfully Nicolas had the ingenuity to think of and implement a solution – he used his key ring to join the two parts together which enabled David to continue with no further incidents. 

To quote Hilary Sharp from her guide to snowshoeing in the Alps: “There are many reasons to toil uphill, but one of the most satisfying is to see the ever-widening vista”, and we weren’t disappointed as we first saw the Alps from a relatively narrow viewpoint and then the full skyline once we reached the top.

These views from the top were well worth our efforts and we stopped for our picnic just short of the summit gazing at the panorama, with Richard and Drew offering the aperitives. 

The summit team went on to that objective while Philip and Mark ambled on the return route. Understandably, the return was more rapid than going, so it wasn’t too long before we reached Franck (and Laos) at the Refuge la Loge for beers.

Conversation covered many subjects, including of course independence – but this time, Rob please note, we were talking about Ukraine.

The total hike was 9km with a height difference of 410m. A lovely day out on a classic hike. Thank you the drivers.

Participants: RichardS, DavidC, DrewM, PhilipJ, NicolasU and Mark2R  

Some of Drew’s shots  (reduced in size for this site)  :-

             

Richard and Mark 2rrs led this fine excursion (9km and just over 300m) on a perfect day from La Givrine (1207m) to Cabane Rochefort (1385m) for lunch and La Genolière (1348m) for coffee and tart. Conditions were pretty much perfect. A crisp, cold morning blessed us with blue skies and warming sun, with plenty of snow in similar excellent condition.

Six punters including Mark 2tts, Mervyn, Philip and me, set out with a large hairy blighter called Kobie. Generally throughout the day in my opinion the dog was as well behaved as the punters. The SS trail meandered up eastwards to Combe Grasse in two large snow-crystal bowls.

There were few folk about and spirits were high. Kobie could not wander too far from the trail as he would otherwise sink into the slightly crusty snow.

We ascended the easy ridge with alpine views up the the Cabane Rochefort in time to establish ourselves on the only clear table in the sun, with a fabulous view out over the lake to Mt Blanc. The Cabane being closed, we were free to picnic with our own beverages, and Guatemalan rum quickly made its presence felt again. We are now into stylish Stanley shot-cup technology as initiated by Rob, but they don’t work well with hot coffee..

Very soon the quiet of our day was somewhat disturbed by a band of 40 or more teenagers out on a school snow-shoe expedition and who had chosen to lunch at the same Cabane. Somehow this disturbed our quiet, but not us, and indeed Kobie had much fun trying to beg for additional nutrients.

White and red wines, coffee and some sausage sticks, cherry tomatoes and crisps, sandwiches and fruit, with plenty of treats for the hound.

Having covered rugby, cricket, the Winter Olympics, Boris and partygate, Brexit, COVID pandemic, Scottish independence, the coming economic crunch, Ukraine, gardening and a toast to absent friends, it was time to leave. Happily the crowd of students had departed and we were quickly on our way over to La Genolière for coffee and promised tarts. It was busy but we waited a few minutes for a table. Kobie played with his chum the resident hut doodle resuming their play from several previous visits, the first a year ago.

We spent a pleasant further hour or so outside at La Genolière over coffee and fine apple tart, albeit Mervyn’s chosen vin cuit tarte was admittedly somewhat diminutive.

There remained a pleasant amble back through the forest avoiding the main walking trail, albeit it was a tad unpleasant for me as my (already troubled and overused) knee-tendons gave way just before the cars. The pain was worth it for the great day we had had. I am now in recovery mode. Kobie is fine. With thanks to those who put up with him, especially Mervyn who had a neck wash on the drive up.

PS For those who heard it, the impenetrable Monty Python RAF banter goes like this:-

Idle : “Bally Jerry, pranged his kite right into the howsyourfather; Hairy Blighter, dicky birded, feathered back on his sammy, took a waspy, flipped over onto his Betty Harpers, and caught his can in the Bertie”.

Palin inter alia : “Sausage Squad up the blue end ?” and “Bunch of monkeys on the ceiling, sir! Grab your egg-and-fours and let’s get the bacon delivered” and “Cabbage crates coming over the briny?” etc..

A motley crew of 5 assembled on a sky-blue and sunny but windy morning at the carpark at La Givrine to attempt a circuit to Chez Mamac for lunch at La Cure, anticlockwise. Good snow, not very recent but deep enough for snow shoes to be needed. Attending Mark2Ws, Richard, David, Nicolas and PeterT.

Apologies were received from various characters, some of dubious merit. They missed another good one.

We set off (after a quick tot of rum in Stanley cups) on our raquettes following a trail up into the forest, turning up onto a smaller one-raquette-wide path into the ever denser woods.

It was nice going, out of the wind as sunlight filtered through the pines.

The trail meandered left and right, up and down.

We were shortly back on a ski loipe but veered off it towards the right with hills towards the Noiremont in view. No helicopters were seen. A greek fellow in orange called Adulostas? was spotted shadowing our progress so we invited him into our party.

This was fine easy going and we breasted a gentle col in fine powder with spindrift blowing across the crystal surface.

We sped downwind across and over into the valley leading to La Cure.

Other snowfolk were out enjoying the conditions as we approached Chez Mamac, where Richard had indicated the wind would be particularly strong. Happily conditions had eased and we were able to sit at a table outside in the full sun sheltered from the mild breeze.

A most convivial lunch indeed. Trifon fondû and rösti, followed by crème brûlée and tarte citron, washed down by suitable beers and wine, followed by coffee.

As I recall it, perhaps not well, we deferred any vote on Scottish independence to a later date when we could interview a main protagonist. There was some negative sentiment expressed on Boris’s chances of staying in his role. Nicolas seemed pleased when he was told he could come dogging without a dog, albeit he said he wanted to get one. Kobie would also be pleased in that case.

Our route back involved a crossing of the rail and road routes over the col, to a trail in the cold woods to the south. This was a pleasant and fairly uneventful march back to the car, enlivened by the odd antics of Richard who proceeded to prostrate himself on the snow twice within 10 metres. We wondered whether he was trying to express something to us about how much he loves the white stuff.

Richard said he never falls… and then did it again.

We arrived safely back at the cars 90 minutes after leaving the restaurant, still in the slanting rays of the January sun, albeit we could see low cloud hovering above St Cergue and threatening to spill up onto us. Lucky lads, fun outing with fine company. May there be many more. About 9km and 250m denivellation.