The
lovely village of Leysin, in the Swiss Alps, sprawls at 1250m-1450m on the flank
of a range of six small limestone peaks. These little peaks are wonderful in all
seasons.
This
is the mighty Pic Chaussy (2352m) at the head of the Ormonts valley, between the
Col des Mosses (off to the left) and Diablêrets and the Col du Pillon (off
to the right).
Pic
Chaussy from Leysin at sunset, 1980. But the real fun happens on the far side.
The
skilift station near the Pic Chaussy summit. This was photographed in 1980 but
the station was abandoned in the late 1980s, presumably for economic reasons,
and between vandals and the weather it turned into a derelict horror in fairly
short order.
Profs
Ware and Peck approached the abandoned summit facilities one fine day, crawling
up inside a 3-meter cornice waiting anxiously for it to collapse upon them, when
a tourist sightseeing helicopter from Col des Mosses came over the ridge with
a horrible great roar and clatter and regressed both of them to infancy. The helicopter
returned regularly every ten minutes and Prof Ware stood upon the summit ridge
screaming unambiguous epithets at the pilot and gesticulating vigorously with
the middle fingers of both hands, but the pilot and the tourists mistook his meaning
and waved back merrily.
Châtillon
is in the background, where the narrator had ample cause to regret ascending with
a broken foot in January 1989 and spent a year in bondage and physio. Behind that
is La Para, also called La Tournette, a favorite summertime running route.
Laurie-Carroll
(lower left) leading an Algerian called Khadr up from Lac Lioson towards the summit
in July 1980.
Laurie-Carroll,
Khadr falling behind a bit, approaching the summit, as the ski télécabine
passes overhead. Full of Marlboro smokers, little doubt.
Some
of the indigenous folks on Pic Chaussy, looking confused and calling for reinforcements.
The
reinforcements have arrived.
Lac
Lioson below, from past the sheep farther along the summit ridge.
Sir
Charles Berman and Laurie-Carroll contemplating the indigenes, and they were here
first. 1980.
Farther
along the ridge, we're looking for a way down, and it proved to be through that
middle ramp.
Laurie-Carroll
and Khadr on their way home
Sir
Charles Berman in a fit of youthful exuberance. That's way back in 1980. (Mind
you, not much has changed with Mr Berman since then.)
We're
back, in 1986 -- Marlowe leading her dad back down from the (at that time) still
functioning summit facilities.
The
alternative path to the Col des Mosses, called "Vers-Bas", Marlowe searching
for trout or salmon.
Lac
Lioson, 1980
Index
of Leysin local mountain photos
Dwight
Peck's personal Web site
Feedback
and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, 
.
All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 6 October 2006, resized 18 January
2008.
