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 Dwight
Peck's low-res photos
Farms
of the Jura in winter
[The
Jura mountains run in a southwest-northeast direction along the border between
France and Switzerland, from Geneva (Genève) to Basel (Bâle), holding at about
1300-1400 meters altitude (4350-4500 feet), and peaking in the range of 1650 meters
(5450 feet). These photos of high alpage farms in winter are mainly from the southwestern
end of that range, between the cities of Geneva and Vallorbe.]
Les
Pralets
Les
Pralets lies at 1271m in a broad meadow along the main Marchairuz-to-Givrine
crosscountry ski track, between Le Vermeilley to the SW and La Bassine (1261m)
to the NE, at the top of the paved road from the village of Bassins. It's seen
here from the SW in a vigorous snowstorm on 4 January 2003. 
Les
Pralets hosts a cozy restaurant montagnard for hikers in summer and, in winter,
for skiers along the ski du fond trail -- though it's about 8 km up from the trailhead
at the Col de la Givrine and about 10km from the trailhead near the Col du Marchairuz. On
this day, 4 January 2003, the proprietor seemed just to have had himself driven
up the road in a 4x4 as the first serious snow of the winter began to close the
place off. 
Les
Pralets, in addition to its specialties of fromage dishes, is also a working farm
in the summer, of course. 
Passing
les Pralets, January 2003, having peeked in the window and given the proprietor
a bit of a startle apparently. 
Leaving
Les Pralets, January 2003; Mont Sala would be visible up to the right, if anything
were. 
Heading
away from Les Pralets towards the car, wherever it may be lurking some ways farther
down the hill.
The
red dot shows Les Pralets, which hosts a restaurant montagnard along the ski du
fond trail from Marchairuz to the NE and Givrine to the SW -- the trail runs past
Les Pralets, SW to point 1298m, S to 1278m, then SW again towards the 1294m marker
above, and then west towards Le Vermeilley, another little mountain restaurant
for skiers and hikers.
The
blue dot indicates the Grande Enne; the green dot to
the east shows Mondion farm. From
the Carte National de la Suisse, 25,000 scale: 1241, Marchairuz.
 Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative,  .
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 19 January 2003, revised 11 October 2008.
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