Blog

15 Feb 2024

I had chosen the Marchairuz location ten days before, but had hiked a snow trail there only 2 days before. Then the conditions were really scenic, with snow filled trees and sun and blue sky. Two days later the trees had shed all their white raiment, and some snow had disappeared from the ground. But mostly there was a snow trail to follow and it seemed a suitable pre-lunch amble for our Snow Shoe members.

This was to be a 5 Km hike with 180m denivellation.

Attending were Larry, Mike H and Rocco, Nicolas (without Onyx), Richard S, Paul, Philip, Andrew, Nathan, David, Peter S and me (without Kobie). Sadly Rocco was on his ownsome. Excuses for absence were received from many, some without explanation…

Two decisions were made before we left at 10.15am from the Col. Firstly Philip decided that he wanted to meander solo along the trail N of the col, at his own pace after returning to the fold after surgery. We were a little concerned that he would be alone, but like Adam he was adamant. Secondly, as quite a number of the party had not brought snow shoes (ahem, it was a snow shoe hike!) we opted for boots only, with one or two adding grippers to their soles.

The weather was warmish and cloudy with little wind and gloves were not essential, nor thick jackets. Off we set in the clockwise loop that Kobie and I had done on Tuesday, also not with snow shoes.

It was pleasant going meandering along a snowshoe trail probably set on Monday by a guide – who knew where he was going. It was not deep but in places we went through holes up to our knees. Snow shoes were not really needed however.

After an hour or so of easy going we arrived at Fontaine Valier. Larry had a bottle with no glasses, so the cognoscenti were left to sample ouzo from the Bottle of Many Labels.

Suitably refreshed we turned up right and across the ridge to a parallel trail returning to the col.

Another hour or so of slightly harder uphill tramping brought us back to the col and the Restaurant. Philip was waiting for us – he had enjoyed a pleasant solitary stroll of 3.5km N of the Col.

We had met Larry at this venue almost exactly a year earlier. That time we were in the Stube, this time we had a linen table preapred in the main restaurant.

The food was delicious. Several chose fondu, while others went for the en-croute which was fabulous. Mike thought he had lucked out with piccata Milanese – the dish of the day. The desserts were good too – at least the mousse au chocolate was extremely rich. Beers, wines and coffees washed it all down.

We had drunk the health of absent friends, in particular Stephen. We had discussed much including US politics, poetry, the meaning of French letters etc, rugby and much more, some of which is forgotten and some must remain unwritten.

Needless to say that after such a gargantuan feast, and having done a reasonable stroll in the morning, we all chose to bail out and go home for a siesta.

Thanks to all for a great short day out, almost on snow shoes but not quite. And thanks to Larry for the wine we did not drink, and Richard for the Ouzo. And thanks to drivers too.

The hiking season cannot be far away !

Our SSLeader M2rs had foretold of a lack of snow, no need even to bring snowshoes. What a racquette this climate change has become!

M2rs had written:-

“The weather for Thursday is looking overcast with perhaps a lttle rain but unless the forecast is completely wrong, I have given up trying to find any snow for us to snowshoe on. 

So with snowshoeing past in mind, I am proposing a winter wander from the Givrine to Chez Mamac at la Cure for lunch and walk/train back. 

Depending on the exact route we take, the distance is about 11 kms (7km plus a further four if we walk back) height difference about 300m. 

I’ll be very surprised if we even need to bring our snowshoes but if anyone who has been up there recently thinks differently, please let us know. 

Meeting 9h30 Divonne customs car park, 10h00 (or just after for anyone taking the train) at the Givrine. 

Please let me know if you’re coming by Wednesday lunchtime so that I can inform the restaurant. “

MikeH and I with Rocco and Kobie arrived at 10am just before Stephen, David, SSL Mark2rs, Richard S and Nathan at the carpark (1205m) and shortly before RichardW and Rob who arrived by train. It was indeed a mild and damp start to February with precipitation forecast for the middle of the day. The winter wander then proceeded up the grassy field in a NW direction before turning NE on the somewhat icy tarmac road. Soon though we were safely off onto grass with even some snow patches.

We rose steadily passing a wall (some taking it directly) and up to the Pré du Four Cabane/Cowshed at 1395m where we established a table for apèros, rosé and genepi. Sadly no strong black coffee as M2ts was away in Blighty.

I believe that it was from here that RS established contact with son Tim and his beautiful dog Spencer to fix a rendezvous at Mamac for our lunch. Clearly we had been proceeding slowly because Tim and Spence came out into the mist to meet up with us in the fields.

All of a sudden Tim and Spencer appeared on our left giving impetus and energy to our party, or was it the lure of lunch?

We arrived at 12.30pm or so at Mamac and given a warm welcome with a large table for ten and 3 dogs. As I recall everyone was well behaved except Kobie (I’m working on it…).

It was not long before beers and wines arrived and we raised a toast to absent friends, some of whom had proferred better excuses for absence than others.

This was going to be a cheesy affair, the main question being the choice between en-croute or the Triphon fondu. Both were delicious, even the chèvre en-croutes.

The salad was good as was the cheese, wine and beer. Tim and Spencer left early to go back to work while the party discussion continued on areas such as the upcoming 6 Nations, diets, the organ recital, Trump, the Middle East, plans for the year ahead, the wonders of the E-Vignette, etc etc.

Finally we paid and were off into the dampness which seemed to have been worse over the lunch but was now abating. We eschewed any notion of catching the train and so tramped down to La Cure and up across the road to the path memorable for RS’s two falls in ten metres, of a few years ago. This time he only fell once, but I balanced out the count by slipping over on the wet group just afterwards.

A very pleasant lunch and an enjoyable wander. Indeed 11km and 300m. Sad about the snow. Gintlemen and dogs reasonably well behaved.

The vagaries of weather are making the challenges of snowshoe outings more and more difficult. The rain on Wednesday and Thursday, which confirmed the forecast and the rightness of changing our planned Thursday date to Friday, washed away much of the snow but then snow on the Thursday gave some hope for a good outing on Friday. 

The participants were sent an email outlining three plans, summarised as:

Plan A – Ski lift from Crozet and hike/snowshoe to La Loge for lunch and return.

Plan B – Ski lift from Lelex and hike/snowshoe the long way to La Loge for lunch and direct return.

Plan C – If the ski lifts are not operational, a hike Divonne way with a lunch or call the whole thing off.

In the event, the decision was taken for us as the lifts started an hour late which precluded Plan A so Plan B it was. But waiting for clarification, gave Mike H time to reflect on what he should be doing at home which left five of us Peters T (plus Kobie) and S, Richard S, Nathan and Mark2R to drive to Lelex, with particular care from the Col de la Faucille down to Mijoux as it had snowed overnight.

We all bundled into the bubble lift. The temperature at the top was minus 9°C which must have been another five degrees colder with the high wind, so we shoed up and headed straight for the trail out of the wind through the woods. The trail was well marked but we were the first that day so Richard up front was breaking the fresh snow. But with this fresh snow and blue sky, we were in heaven as the photos show better than any written description.

Franck and Katy were there to welcome us at la Loge where we had their usual fare of croute de fromage, tarte aux myrtilles and suitable liquid refreshment, with which we drank to absent friends.

And so back to the ski lift and home – thank you the drivers.

So, what started as a doubtful outing was an incredible one. A return to la Loge will be planned later in the season, weather permitting.

Participants: Richard S, Peter T and Kobie, Peter S, Nathan and Mark2R.

Distance 3.5km, height difference 100m. (Est.)

Mark2rs our SSLeader suggested a Tonic – an inbetween SS event on the alternate Thursday (it could be any interim day in fact). As such no Blog is needed or obligated. I will leave it to the photos.  Particpants :- PeterT, RichardS, Larry, Nathan, DavidC, Rob and Mark2R we did some 4.5 kms with a height difference of 90m. (K&PT 8.6km and 400m).

Perfect conditions while the valley was under the murk.

SSLeader Mark2rs had set up a nice snow shoe hike to begin activities in 2024.

Having set us up he pulled out of the event citing child care duties. Unperturbed 8 punters showed up on time just after 9.30 am at the parking at the Col de La Faucille which was busy being filled up with skiers and others.

Attending : Richard S, Mervyn, Nicolas, Nathan, Mark2ts, Larry, Mike H and Peter T.

The plan was fairly basic – ascent to Grand Mont Rond then traverse back across to Petit Mont Rond and have lunch there, descending on the bubble lift to the Col. (Sadly the Florimont Restaurant did not have space for us, so we would have to make do with the Petit Mond Rond (PMR)).

This sportsplan was indeed followed and achieved, not without some struggle and effort, since the ascent to Mt Rond is 260 metres, the parcours “traverse” back across back to Petit Mont Rond increased our total ascent to 460m. And 6.7 Km.

We set off carrying our snow shoes on our packs, beginning in slightly slushy snow but which soon became cold and perfectly frozen. We emerged from the pleasantly wooded section onto the piste and elected to put on our raquettes, not everyone knew how their kit could be adjusted to fit their boots.

The weather had been grey and cold with slight spindrifting, but there was a hint of sun in the sky. Snow conditions were now excellent and spirits were high. Only one party was ahead of us, an Italian couple whom we met again on the summit, after they stopped at the farm building on the ascent.

By the time we had reached the summit ridge the sun had gone and we were left with the murk.

Somehow the lead raquetter (PT) diverged right at the top away from the true Grand Mont Rond (GMR) and those that followed must have cursed as they descended crusty snow to rhe short rise back up to the true GMR summit.

However it was not long before we reached our true goal where Larry proceeded to extract a bottle of his own-label chasselas from his sack. Sadly he had lost his nuts, they had fallen out, but the wine blessed our summit.

Our Italian friends were pleased to be offered some LF wine and we chatted, partly in Italian, partly French. They were from the Dolomites. Richard brought out his famed bottle of many spirits, this time the latest uncrossed-out label was something like “Manzana Ice”, but I only glimpsed it before mentally rejecting the opportunity to taste something new, and potentially hazardous. Richard indeed bagan to feel dizzy after this, I hope that he is fully recoverd.

A descent is necessary to commence the traverse back across to The PMR, which is lower, but the parcours is Nepali-flat, i.e. much up and down. The down sections proved somewhat tricky, especially where the snow had a hard crust, our SSLeader would have found them undoubtedly so. Edging techniques were tested. So were my knees.

Eventually the final slope to the PMR reared up and no more painful descents were needed. My knees, already in a poor state, had taken a hammering.

We soon were ensconced in the corner table of the PMR restaurant, with the finest views, but were soon to find that the self-service system was at best, mediocre. It took quite some while for all to return and to start their meal, in my case luke warm chicken and relevantly mediocre chips. However Larry enlivened us all with his kind purchase of a bottle of Côtes du Rhone, his second bottle of the day. The level of banter altered accordingly.

We toasted absent friends, in particular Mark2rs. It had been a fine outing. Larry had excelled himself in hiking and in wine. Mark2ts provided us with his strong black, hot coffee. Nicolas generously paid for us all to descend on the bubble back to the cars, saving our knees in the process, and allowing for early baths.

Thanks to all for another fun outing.

This was the first official Snowshoe outing of the season, but in fact the second, as a SS Tonic had been fitted in last week for a Fondu at La Genolière in fine weather.

The weather today was not of the same high standard as last week, but it had snowed overnight and although forecast to be cloudy, we were blessed by light snow and mild spindrift. In all it was just about worth carrying and then using our snowshoes.

8 racketeers turned out at 10 am at the parking at La Givrine by car, and an unracketed Gintleman turned up by train at 10.05am (the Scottish member).

Attending Mark2ts (driver), RichardS (driver), Mark2rs (SS Leader), Paul, Bill, Larry, Mervyn, Rob and me PeterT.

Rob arrived on time (it’s Switzerland) and off we went up the track. I was a little concerned that my damaged knee would hold out; I had a bandaged support, but in the end it turned out just fine. I had not brought Kobie, partly because of this and because of the likely 2+ hour lunch, but also because Jill had wanted to walk him on easier lower and warmer trails. So we were completely dog free!

Everyone else was in good form. It was good to reconnect with Bill, back from Colorado, and Larry from Canada. There were no other hikers out and about. The weather looked dark and foreboding and it snowed lightly most of the day.

It was a little odd that no-one else had been up the main track after the overnight snow, not even a tracked vehicle taking food to La Genolière. So we had virgin snow. We reached an apèro stop at La Gonolière in good time, with light snow falling, but at one point a half ray sun blessed us as we consumed whisky from RS’s multi-bottle, and red wine. We had not yet used our snowshoes and at this point a majority stopped to put them on.

The trail wandered on down and up through the trees that could have been seen in a Schilligers winter display. We chatted away as we went. I stayed near the back conserving my knee just in case; it was a chance to chat to Larry and Mark2rs.

Vermeilleys appeared in the snow as we exited the forest and excitement grew as we entered, our minds firmly on fondu. We had been the first out on the trail and the first guests to arrive – our table was laid out by the bar and the warm log fire. Beers swifly consumed we re-worked the seating plan to allow for three fondu pans to be properly accessed. And it was not long after the carafes of Fendant before three steaming pans of molten cheese arrived. A forestière, a morilles and a traditionelle. We were even given some boiled potatoes to use along with the bread.

The banter and conversation began to flow more freely. After toasting absent friends (especially PeterS who had wanted to come but was busy working, and Philip who has had some health concerns, Nathan having an Oldies lunch in Tannay, Drew tied up, and others away in Blighty and elsewhere).

Mark2rs writes ” In our corner of the table we got onto erudite matters like visions of intense light and after life (?) which gave Larry the opportunity to introduce his hero Yeats who  believed in the after life and rebirth from antithetic to the form in the previous life. I think I’ll stay with Scottish Independence!”

Down at the window-end while watching the snow fall outside we discussed inter-alia the Scottish Issue, along with death, life, and the correct way round to hang a toilet roll. I was quietly surprised that we had a few “UNDERS” in our ranks. We also have a few tearaways amongst us. I have since concluded that this is not a major tissue.

After the religiueses had been scraped out we opted for our choice of dessert. Cake or apple pie; each dosed with digestif that our host had provided for us (or a potion from our whisky-flasked members).

It was all too soon that we called for the bill and settled our debt (nb.no credit cards as no internet connection at this lodge). Time to head out into the snow and fit on our snowshoes (all but Larry and Rob that is).

The was home is of course easier than the way up, as it is predominantly downhill. It also helped that we had a warm fondu inside us, together with a dose of medication. Hence the trail home seemed to pass swiftly.

Reaching the cars, Mark2ts produced his hot strong black coffee which revived us before the drive down. Mark2rs arrived appearing a little under the weather,but he tells me he is recovered (Friday) after some rest.

A great and memorable first non-Tonic SS outing for the season. Looking forward to many more, perhaps with sunshine ! Thanks to Mark2rs for organisising this, and to our drivers.

9.25km and 190m

Peter

PS The next day (Friday 14th) dawned bright and clear, and as I had missed the Tonic the week before, Kobie and I repeated it from Tancouex, in 2.5 hours and without snowshoes (for me), greatly helped by the tracks of a vehicle from close to Cabane Rochefort. Conditions were rather brilliant.. There were many more folk about.