Blog – Page 3 – GIN Club

Morning Hike in growing heat to Béatrix 25 June 26

It had been hot for days and days and the forecast for Thursday was for a 35C day in Founex. It was therefore unsurprising that a large number of not unreasonable excuses, alibis, pretexts, and aoplogia flooded my inbox just before this planned outing. We missed you all.

In the event there were only 3 of us as I wrote to Nathan and Mervyn:-

“Just the 3 of us and Kobie have signed up.

Suggest we meet early at Mervyn’s.

From there I’ll drive us all to Trelex for an assault on the Vieux Chateau via Beatrix at St Cergue.

Is 8 am ok ?

Suggest we take a picnic lunch – which – if you skip or reduce breakfast – we could have as a brunch.

There is a coffee stop too!

Train back down to Givrins. “

Subsequently Nathan proposed an earlier start and it was at 7.15 am on a bright and cloudless canicule morning that we assembled at Mervyn’s.

From the normal “Trelex” parking for Dogging (600m) we left at 7.43am and passing the Lac of Frogs (where Kobie takes his normal dip) we entered the shelter of the forest for the fairly direct ascent up to St Cergue. The temperature was still quite pleasant.

Indeed we arrived in fair shape at the Hotel La Pointe du Jour (1015m), on the main road (currently closed to up traffic) just before St Cergue, at 9am exactly. This was an eatery of old days – my last had been 20 years ago for a pizza after night skiing at St Cergue (Chf 35 all in). The friendly innkeeper came out with a water bowl for Kobie and we took on croissants and coffee under sunshades on the rather fabulous terrace. I took time to read out the apologia.

From here the path onward miraculously appears behind bushes over the road directly opposite the hotel (thanks to Ross for showing me this prior to a recce that I did a few days before) and it turns up through the forest reaching the Balade Béatrix. This is a small and quite precipitous path that skirts under the overhanging cliff that guards the summit (1130m).

There is a long and rather tiresome tale (in French) of the legend of Béatrix and what went on in the middle ages before the destruction the Vieux Château. That château must have indeed had a magnificent location atop the hill above St Cergue.

“Le sentier de la « Ballade à Béatrix » est jalonné de 16 panneaux récitant les étapes de la Chronique de St-Cergue. Celle-ci fut écrite par Frédéric-Jacques-Louis Rilliet (1794 – 1856) après qu’il eût effectué un séjour à St-Cergue à une date qui n’est pas établie précisément. Il raconte avoir reçu d’un vieillard du village un vieux meuble, seul vestige du château, qui contenait un ancien parchemin dont cette chronique a été extraite. Elle relate le dernier épisode de la vie du château de St-Cergue qui fut démoli durant les guerres de Bourgogne. Si les personnages de ce roman sont imaginaires, à l’exception du Duc de Bourgogne Charles le Téméraire et des Ducs de Savoie, le contexte politique, militaire et géographique, quant à lui, s’inspire de faits historiques. Nous espérons que l’humanisme des personnages de cette légende st-cerguoise vous rendra les personnages proches et sympathiques.”

Skipping reading the 16 panels we took a short cut and landed on top at 10am facing the rather wonderful panorama over Lac Leman to the alps from the panoply of grassy picnic areas. We took shelter from the sun under a substantial picnic shelter. It was of course a little early for our own picnic lunch, but we did take a nibble and took on more liquid, also wetting Kobie on his back.

Our second stop, 20 minutes after coffee, at the Vieux Chateau

Aiming to catch the 10.37 train from St Cergue we were soon down in the air-conditioned comfort of the NStCM carriage from which we alighted in the growing heat in Givrins.

Kobie should get a season ticket, he travels several times a week..

Kobie took a bath in the water tank there and we were soon down and back up to the car, reaching Mervyn’s for beers and our picnics, at noon.

At hot one. Mad dog and Englishmen with a Yank, not out but home just before the midday sun.

Lunch at Mervyn’s with some chilled beer

7.5km and 640m ascent. Good idea to get out early. Thanks Mervyn for the coffee and beer.

GIN Bikers – June 18th 2026

Sometimes comments made can catch up with you. The response to this week’s outing resulted in a plethora of e-bikers….well 5 to be exact….and yours truly on a traditional bike. In order to survive the course I outlined a relatively flat but fairly long route to give pure muscle power (myself) a chance against the electronic revolution. PeterT retorted that this seemed a little flat and was it worth him taking the new e-bike and perhaps his earlier non-e model would suffice. This generated a reply that there could be more hills than imagined and that no excuses would be accepted for falling behind. As you can imagine there was only one participant who seriously fell behind when the few hills were climbed. The Bleader was suitably lampooned.

Five e-bikers relaxing before relaxing on the ride

Anyway, I get ahead of myself. PeterT, RichardF, Mark2Ts, Mervyn, Paul and Stephen met at the earlier time of 9h at the usual Everness Hotel. The weather forecast was for a warm, humid day getting warmer throughout the day to reach a balmy earlier 30Cs in the afternoon. Hence, an early start seems sensible. The “flattish” route had been circulated:

“The plan is to enjoy some of the routes we covered last time but in the opposite direction. We’ll follow Route 50 through Arnex, Borex, Grens, Gingins to Genolier where we’ll cut down on Route 7 to Coinsins. From there we’ll take the route 488 all the way to Mont sur Rolle before returning on the Route 1/46 to Prangins for lunch at the Aérodrome. After lunch a gentle return home by continuing on the 1/46.”

It was good to have the full compliment of new e-bikers present (Peter, Mervyn and Mark) as well as a more seasoned e-bikers: Richard, who managed to get away from domestic heating/cooling technical problems, and Paul whose initial participating email had gone astray in the ether or Stephen’s inbox, but persistence won out.

The Swiss cycle routes are really well-planned and are usually excellently signposted as we discovered two weeks ago, although sometimes requiring eagle eyes. They take interesting paths through countryside and towns mostly keeping away from busy roads. This outing followed a coherent joined network of cycle routes and allowed the Bleader to relax as no-one could get lost if the routes were followed religiously. GIN outings are never so simple. The start along the route 50 went according to plan with the pack staying together and making excellent progress. These routes don’t always follow the shortest route and Richard had to be discouraged from taking a perfectly logical but unplanned deviation in Chavannes de Bogis, which by chance would have gone past his home and the ability to check on heating/cooling work progress. Another possible deviation to the plan presented itself when a tempting cafe terrace in Gingins could have lost at least a couple of riders. In the event, the wisdom of going a little further to our usual stop in Givrins was accepted. Peter was still in birthday celebration mode and kindly offered the drinks and croissants. Discussion seemed to concentrate on a new language of battery residual, handlebar dampening, saddle bag attachment, mud guard fitment, etc. After an application of thick, zinc based, Australian sun screen to many of the noses present, the peloton moved on. Shortly after there was some disruption to progress as Peter was successfully attacked on the head by a stinging insect, the latter apparently unimpressed with a head on collision with a speeding e-biker.

First signs of the free spirit of GIN membership was seen as we approached Vich. The unofficial leader at the time chose to ignore the route 488 sign and go via the direct route. Happily, his small deviation and the official route soon converged and we were back on track. The route from Vich through the vineyards of La Côte is delightful but at times difficult to follow the signage. It was on one of these undulating tracks that the Bleader was left behind and happily the e-bikers overruled the suggestion not to stop and wait. The crossover route from Mont-sur-Rolle to the route 1/46 was not obvious and, once on the 1/46, road blockages and poor signage made navigation through Rolle difficult. Peter decided to take matters into his own hands and left the pioneering group to head directly to the restaurant along the Route Swiss. The rest of us eventually regained the correct and now known route. A less express, but more scenic, path to the Aerodrome Restaurant. We were only shouted at once as we crossed a work site when we should apparently have taken a more devious path. However, we could outpace the slightly irate foreman…..

Peter was already supping his beer when we arrived at the restaurant. More beers were ordered. It’s been several years since we’d eaten at the Aerodrome restaurant but the quality and quantity of the food was excellent, as was the price. Richard could unfortunately only stay for the beer but the rest of us relaxed into either a large salad plat du jour or pizza or a selection of 3 pastas. The usual light aircraft traffic had been suspended due to the G7 meeting in Evian. We caught up on Paul’s latest literary offerings as well as a diverse range of other topics including what AI would say about the GIN Group. See the crazy answer here. Coffees rounded off the meal and water bottles were filled with cold water for the return home.

Menu du jour and pizza

Two satisfied customers and one on the adjacent table suffering from a blow out

Paul with lots of ice and lots of pasta and observers

Out from under the shade of the restaurant blind, the heat of the day was really starting to be felt. Paul made a direct line for the Nyon station on the Route Suisse and the remaining 4 of us made, as it turned out, probably an even more direct line for the Nyon station, as the 1/46 goes right past it. The Bleader left the group as the 1/46 passes the road to Arnex over the motorway and the rest found their most direct routes home as well.

Another enjoyable GIN Bikers outing with good company, great scenery and an enjoyable meal. Maybe a little less heat and humidity would have been appreciated but I, for one, am not complaining….better than the drenching of last time. In total, from Everness to Everness, 61.7km, 750m elevation, average speed 20.4km/h.

GIN walkers 17th June 2026

With no volunteers to lead this walk, the walk coordinator proposed a straightforward and enjoyable walk around the lac de Divonne. 3.2kms were thus walked by Brian Allardyce, Richard Saynor and Mark Warren. The only downside was that the coffee shop didn’t open until 11:00 and we finished our walk at 10:15 – so no coffee.

Walk Wednesday 17 June 2026

Posted for Mark Warren

GIN Hikers – June 11th 2026

Meteo Suisse did not disappoint and June 11th was a beautiful sunny morning, not too warm, perfect for a GIN hike. Our usual leader had exhausted himself with organisation of a university alumni extravaganza in Champery the weekend before so, when the usual notice of event did not appear, Stephen volunteered to step in to gather participants and devise a route for the fortnightly outing. Recent attendance at GIN events had been rather sparse due to the aging population taking advantage of pre-summer vacation breaks. So it was a bit of a surprise when the returns to the call for hikers saw an usually high positive response rate. In the event, 13 hikers appeared at the rendez-vous of the old station at Divonne, although the organiser had only initially counted 12 and was a little confused at the addition to make it a baker’s dozen (maybe he had forgotten to count himself? No, Mark 2Rs had somehow been left off the initial list).

Rudolph, a relative new-comer to the group, had not quite appreciated the approximation in most of the instructions and had positioned himself exactly at the old station, surprised when no-one else appeared. He soon realised that the people gathering a 100 metres away looked familiar. PeterST thought that the bike leader’s call to action must involve a bike and so rolled up (literally) on his bike. MikeH and Rocco also made an unexpected presence as dreams of a summer on the Med had been thwarted by his boat requiring undesired and excessive repairs. It was also good to see Bill again, returned from his annual USA retreat.

Anyway, all this is to say that a large compliment of GIN members gathered at the right time and right place eager for the gentle stroll promised up to the heights of Mont Mussy and Mont Mourex. This comprised:
Bill
Mark2Rs
Mark2Ts
MikeH + Rocco
Mervyn
Natham
PeterST
PeterT + Kobi
Ralph
RichardS
Rudolph
Stephen
Thatcher

Notably, the full newly-formed 240 club was present (Mark2Ts, RichardS, Mervyn) as was the relative youngster, PeterT, with a recently attained three-quarter century.

The wisdom of the usual hike leader questioned how a 4 km walk was going to occupy two and a half hours until lunch…but the man temporarily in charge had devised a plan: a spiral assault to the heights (hopefully not spiralling out of control). Initial direction was not promising. Trying to escape rapidly from the urban jungle the group was led directly towards a dead end but was happily saved by the man with local knowledge and belatedly acknowledged to be in the group: Mark2Rs. This had the added benefit of passing a little known local point of interest: a 4000 year old hexagonal astronomical stone, hardly noticeable in the modern Divonne, submerged in a grassy verge.

The spiralling begins

Mark led us onto the planned track which followed the base of Mount Mussy to Mourex overlooking the road between Divonne and Grilly when the foliage allowed. The group strung out as the path narrowed forming smaller sub-groups and allowing everyone to proceed at a comfortable speed. Frequent stops permitted reassembly. This group has sufficient medical experience to fill many tomes but once the usual update of ailments had passed our gentle meandering allowed conversations on a whole range of non-medical topics. At some point along this path RichardS let on that he was carrying more than his usual small bottle of surprises with sufficient celebratory champagne to satisfy the crowd once the summit was reached. We carried on up through Mourex on the road that the GIN Bikers fear due to its relentless steep incline up through the village and towards Mont Mourex.

Beautiful views to the Alps and observers

At the base of the final climb (and potential back relief for Richard) the leader consulted his watch and declared that there was more of the spiral to be covered. Happily, he ruled out the longer loop via Vesancy and proceeded on the upper path through the woods on the Jura side, circumnavigating further the Monts Mourex and Mussy. This path had some up and downs, allowing extra elevation to be added to the final statistics, and eventually emerged at a junction where the main track from the Ferme de Mont Mussy leads directly to the summits. By this stage the lack of our usual coffee stop was beginning to show on the hikers and there was a desire to rapidly complete the 1.2km to Mont Mourex and the promise of refreshments and our picnic lunches.

Old dogs on the way up through Mourex

Emerging from the woods into the open with the bright sunlight and stunning views was an almost religious experience for some. Their penance was soon to be rewarded with spiritual gain. Spiralling, or unspiralling, of a different sort was soon in progress as champagne cork wiring was unwound, corks removed with a spiral cork screw and screw top spirit bottles opened. The bench normally used for weary pilgrims was seconded as an impromptu bar. Birthdays were well celebrated and absent friends toasted with addition bubbly being found in PeterT’s backpack. In the middle of all this excitement and diversion of attention, Rocco seized the opportunity to nuzzle his way into Mervyn’s backpack and release goodies for himself. Despite the best efforts of experienced dog-handlers, Rocco was not easily deterred and it took some time before Mervyn’s tooth marked sandwiches were retrieved, almost intact. Happily the Côtes du Rhone Mervyn supplied added to the reduction of any potential rabies threat.

Two uses for the same bench

Ralph surpassed usual spirituality by offering a full bottle of the favourite Scottish tipple as well as a smaller sampler bottle of local kirsch from a neighbour…..all this in addition to Richard’s bottle of unusually acceptable brandy content. Not all was consumed but sufficient that the impact of increasing age coupled with food and especially alcohol was a recipe for uncontrollable siestas. As the years pass and the group ages the number of recumbent figures after lunch increases. This day was no exception.

What a view!

We’re not as young as we used to be…..

Eventually revived after a very satisfying lunch and rest, the group reformed ready for the unwinding spiral, initially towards Mourex but then turning anticlockwise to the direct return route on the lower wooded path on the Alps side of the mountain. This downhill section really separated the group as certain physical ailments are more difficult on the down than the up. By the time we were at the Ferme it was obvious that Ralph was in difficulty and that the cortisone treatment planned for the next day could not come quickly enough. He fairly rapidly agreed to await a pick up and had confidence that he would not be left stranded by the rest of the group. Richard kindly ensured that was the case.

The rest of us continued on the steepish downhill to the road and across by the Divonne Golf course and the Sources de la Divonne. This was flowing well but not flooded as had been seen on previous occasions. From here it was a short walk through the town, where one hiker took advantage of booking an economical haircut.

Farewells were said at the car park. Whilst some left for home a hard core decided that a visit to Charley’s Bar would be a more suitable ending….the retrieved Ralph being very much of that opinion. Mark2Ts generously supported this final fling.

The postscript to the walk was an evening email from Rudolph who had been relaxing in the shower after the hike only to find two ticks in close contact. It seems that siestas on the grass after lunch might have consequences…….

It was great to see so many GIN members out on an enjoyable walk in ideal conditions. What was scheduled as a gentle stroll was 15.5km and 420m climb (although other records may differ). In any case it was a good day’s exercise close to home….another confirmation of that great organisation called Gentlemen in Nyon.

GIN lunch, 10 June, 2016

The 3rd lunch of the year was organised by Ken Forrester at the Auberge de la Reunion in Coinsins.

Everybody ate the fixed menu of Salade campagnarde, Filets de Perche and Glazed Meringue at a fixed price of CHF 36.

Those attending: Ken Forrester, Robert O’Riordan, Dave Gwilliam, Rudolf Staehelin, Mark Watts, Joe Kutzin, Mark Warren, Chris Morris, Robert Rankin, Peter Taylor, Norman Eatough, Martin Sadler, Brian Allardyce, Mike Price, Colin Carter, Gary Vannatter, Stephen Long, John Broadbridge.

Unfortunately no photos were taken but we all had a great time.

Rudolf will organise the next lunch sometime in July/August

GIN Bikers – June 4th, 2026

Early indications from Meteo Suisse that the weather would be variable had not changed on the morning of the ride. The rain was due to set in at some time after 13h. So we had the opportunity of a morning ride, early lunch and then home. Seven Bikers initially signed up for the outing but this was reduced to 5 after some concerns about the forecast and/or concerns about current fitness levels.

Stephen
PeterSo
e-PeterSt
newly-e-Mervyn
e-Richard

We gathered outside the Everness Hotel at the earlier time of 9h, to allow for maximum exercise before lunch. Mervyn and PeterSo had arrived back in Switzerland the night before, by chance both on the same late arrival from Denmark and both keen to take up the challenge that the leader had indicated previously:

“Route will essentially take the cycle track 1/46 from Tannay along until Vinzel/Bursins where we’ll cross the motorway to cycle route 488. Potential for a coffee. At Coinsins we’ll change to our well-cycled route 50 from Genolier to Gingins and an opportunity for a Bonmont climb before descending to Crassier for an Italian lunch (La Semplicita). After lunch fast home!”

Happy and dry….for the moment

We set off at speed, which the e-bikers soon realised was to ensure that on the flat they were disadvantaged by their 25km/h limit. The leader also took the precaution of not advising in detail the route so that they would have to stay behind, following. Which the pack did closely…..Mervyn especially seeming to enjoying the now effortless cycling. Some of the routes were new to the leader but, thanks to the Swiss efficiency, these cycle tracks are well signposted with signs at any junction where a choice has to be made. The 1/46 route, picked up at Tannay, winds its way through Founex, Céligny, Crans, Nyon, Prangins to Gland and beyond. This proved to be a pleasure, passing through the villages and countryside avoiding most of the main roads, with the added bonus of seeing two light aircraft take off as we skirted the Gland aerodrome. By the time we reached Gland, there were hints that a coffee stop might be appropriate and we stopped at a suitable café by the side of the road. Coffee and tea were kindly sponsored by Richard. A quick weather check confirmed that the rain was still due at ca. 13.30h, so no need to change plans but we did need to press on to reach the safety of the restaurant.

We followed the route out of Gland with one indecisive moment as the route sign had been displaced on the ground whilst extensive piping work disrupted the track. We soon picked up the correct way and followed parallel to the motorway from Gland up to Gilly, where we diverged from the 1/46 and crossed over to join the 488. This took us on a devious path above the route du vin, in and out of vineyards and through hamlets, descending to the main road for a short period before climbing up to Begnins and then descending to Vich and onto Coinsins, past the auberge. Grey clouds were gathering and there was a change in the wind, indicating the coming storm. Legs for the non-e-bikers were getting weary and the e-bikers for once were ahead. We climbed up the gentle but long slope to Genolier. No time for resting, we pedalled on up the last short hill to Givrins, past our favourite coffee stop, and onto the well-known path to Gingins. A Bonmont hill was not an option with the storm clock ticking, so we took the lower road through the Bonmont golf course to La Rippe and from there the enjoyable downhill ride to our restaurant in Crassier. We arrived soon after 12h, dry and ready for sustenance.

We had not booked a table as we thought that the weather might encourage us to press on home. As it was, we all decided to stop for lunch but the inside tables were all occupied. There was space outside so we installed ourselves! Waitress service seemed somewhat slow, so Richard crossed the road to the Boeuf Rouge and discovered there were inside spaces and an enthusiastic proprietor there. However, during his absence, the waitress did appear, so we ordered five beers and 5 plats du jour: mushroom stuffed ravioli with cream sauce and a salad to start. As we finished the salad, the rain started and steadily increased in intensity. Happily, there was a overhead blind which extended to cover most of the table, with only PeterSt still receiving a slight dampening. Mervyn updated us on his “stan” travels which were obviously quite an adventure and these are interesting countries to visit before they are fully on the tourist list. The plat du jour was supplemented with a dessert and coffee….nothing to lose now as we all knew the ride back would be very wet!

We reluctantly climbed back on the wet saddles and prepared ourselves for the thorough soaking which even the waterproofs couldn’t prevent. We separated rapidly, not lingering over farewells, as we made as quick a progress as possible to our respective homes. Warm baths and showers were taken once we got back.

All agreed that the pre-lunch route was a pleasant change from our usual well-beaten tracks with excellent cycling conditions. The short afternoon ride was atrocious! In the end, ca. 60km, 635m climb and an average speed of ca. 21km/h was recorded….a good day’s exercise.

Gin Hike – Barillette Beer aand Beyond – 28 May 2026

This week saw a heat wave that really started to sap energies so it was not surprising, also given the number of members travelling in far off places, that only three and a dog turned out for this hike. Here is the flyer :-

“It will be hot this Thursday, so I am planning high and shaded, and beer at the Barillette. Maybe 400m – 500m up and not arduous except for the heat. The walk will be Taylored to the attendees.
And we shall have a picnic after the beer, a little higher up.
Meet at 9.30 at Divonne or at 10 am at St Cergue parking lot (W3W ///outer.dupe visits) at 10 am. (Note – this is 50m down the second road on the left entering and just before the roundabout in St Cergue, after ascending the hill from the Nyon exit. It is NOT Tancouez.)
Bring a picnic and water and sun gear.”

Attending : Nathan, Chris, Kobie and me.

Apologies : Mervyn (sipping Liffy water), Richard, David, Markrrs and Philip (keeping powder and foreheads dry), PeterSt (in the big hills), Marktts (in west Wales), Rudolf (sidetracked by the Walking Group scheduling), Rudi (golf), Thatcher (sailing the Cyclades), Ross (repatriation admin), etc etc.

The road up to (but not down from) St Cergue was closed and we had to deviate up through Arzier but we arrived shortly after 10am with heat beginning to build. The higher 1040m start point reduced the heat level a bit, and the final denivellation a lot.

Perhaps because of this heat we had to halt after only one minute because Chris’s left hiking boot came apart when the heel-sole came unstuck. He went back for his trainers. Nathan recommended the boot repair shop in La Combe and I can endorse this.

We set off again up the Beatrix trail turning right to ascend beneath the ruins of the Vieux Château and up past Guinfard, through the Bois de Guinfard. Nathan was keen to keep right but we kept left to the ridge and actually later descended down Nathan’s path.

Kobie finding the shaded trail warm and not looking chill

Nathan and Chris looking chill and enjoying the shady trail

Although the sun was high, there was a nice cooling breeze from the north, not quite a Bise but almost and the temperature was very pleasant all day.

The sun blazed down on us as we headed up the final stony slope towards the Barillette restaurant, which was open and not crowded on the terrace, and we were appointed a semi-shaded table for a most welcome beer – thanks Nathan for the beer!

With Kobie chomping on a meaty chew, splendid cold beer and good company, fabulous views across to the Alps, the question could have been asked, is this as good as it gets?

A decision was made to eat our picnics at the outside table at the Chalet des Apprentis, and we charted a course on the main trail avoiding the steep drop to the Bent Tree. Sadly however the outside table must have been inside, so we ate our lunch on a bench in the porch with superb views across the cliff face of La Dôle.

Lunch at the Chalet des Apprentis (note sunspecs now reversed)

Fortified by a small tot of Lord Richmond whisky, (lord knows where that is from (and we missed Richard’s Bottle)), we took the courageous decision not to summit La Dôle, nor track up to the Col de Porte but instead wind our way back down the 5 Jura Crest Trail.

It was not long before we found ourselves down at the Bent Tree where it was comforting to see that it is still partly alive.

Kobie spent most of his time lurking in the shade of the mountain trees that we passed but it was not long before he found his true heaven.

The trail back down (slightly up in one place) was pleasant and enjoyable in the cooling breeze and it was not too long before we found ourselves heading down the slope into St Cergue.

This was a fine medium-grade hike made more enjoyable by the company and the good (not too hot) weather. Kobie enjoyed it too.

Back down in Divonne it was 6C warmer (30C) and dusty like Texas.

12.65km and 623 m denivellation (but Nathan had recorded 510m up and 570m down (!), Chris had 580m up – so I’ll go with mine).

Clockwise tracking – lunch at the left tip

Gin Club Walks April and May 2026

Walk Wednesday 22 April 2026

The first organized walk in 2026 was a gentle saunter from the Place de l’Eglise in Divonne les Bains, along the riverside walk and up to the Pavillon de Golf at Divonne Golf Course. In all about 1.5km each way with a height difference of about 50m.

The walkers, John Burley, Jeff Crudgington, Gary Vanatter, Robert O’Riordan, David Colledge and Mark Warren were joined for the lunch by Norman Eatough and Brian Allardyce.

Walk Wednesday 27 May 2026

John Burley organized this walk of 5.5km on the agricultural roads around Borex with a negligible height difference but due to back pain issues was only able to join us for the lunch. Consequently, John showed the route to Mark Warren by car and it was he who lead(?) the walkers, Richard Saynor, Ralph Wares, Robert O’Riordan, Rudolf Staehelin and Paul Sochaczewski.

Thankfully there were not too many choices of path and apart from the odd tractor and cyclist we had a tranquil walk trying to identify certain crops and watching rooks, black kites and a buzzard enjoying worms on a recently disturbed field.

We joined Norman Eatough, Dave Gwilliam, Brian Allardyce, Gary Vanatter and a still suffering John Burley for lunch at the restaurant l’Essentiel in Borex. Not everyone appreciated the carpaccio de poulpe on the menu – an alternative was proposed.

GIN Bikers – May 21st 2026 – Tour de Salève

This was the second Tour de Salève, with four bikers (all electrified) —David Baddeley (senior navigator), Mervyn, Richard, and Paul.

Meeting point was the Lancy-Bachet gare — Richard and Paul took the Leman Express, Mervyn was breaking in his new e-bike and rode all the way from his home (and all the way back).

Coffee in Veyrier, then short ride to the cable car station. Lovely Spring day.

The crêt run is rural, attractive, and hilly.

This year we did not stop at the Tibetan monastery (and gift shop), since it was perceived that all participants had already achieved an appropriate level of enlightenment, and that an overdose of enlightenment (ODE in medical parlance) might interfere with the ability to pedal mindfully.

Lunch at Auberge des Montagnards at La Croisette.

Annoying uphill after lunch, then David led us on a freewheeling downhill, with some attractive paths he had discovered towards the bottom that alleviated some of the tedious ride along the highway.

About 60 km from Lancy-Bachy and return.

Bridge 19/5/26, 29 point hand

Five of us played social bridge today: Dave G, David C, Rob M, Wolfgang, Mark2Ts.

There were some interesting and fun to play hands but this one, Wolfgang’s, was exceptional.

Partner, David C, had 2 points. 3 no-trumps bid, 5 made. No possibility of a slam since the missing King (and the Ace) were in Dave G’s hand to Wolfgang’s left.

Highest hand I’ve ever seen, maximum hand possible is 37 points. This one is only missing 1 Ace, 1 King, 1 Jack.