Dwight Peck's personal website

Winter 2013-2014

Dispatches from way, way behind the lines in Switzerland

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

A short walk up Mont Sâla in a drizzly rain

7 November 2013

It's a listless and not very inspiring sort of day, and we're walking up to Mont Sâla, visible on the horizon between the trees.

Off the forestry roads, there are two paths that lead up to the Combe des Begnines, more or less at either end of the combe, and this is one of them.

It's just soggy leaves now but it's much prettier in the winter.

The path from La Bassine and Les Pralets up to the Combe des Begnines

Emerging from the forest into the Combe des Begnines

Looking northeast along the ca. 4km Combe des Begnines, which presumably belongs to the commune of Begnin above Gland on Lake Geneva

Zoomed on the farm of Petite Chaux near the northeastern end

But we're walking southwestward, past the farm of Le Couchant (1445m), which belongs to the commune of Le Chenit in the Vallée du Joux on the far side of the Jura ridge, near France.

Le Couchant, look southwestward

The southwestern end of the Combe des Begnines, towards the little cabin by Creux Devant

Zoomed to the cabin at the southwestern end, with a trail up to Mont Sâla from the cabin up to the left

We're taking a different trail from Le Couchant up southwestward along the ridge.

This one

The final bit

The lonely cross at the top (1511m)

The view of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) from Mont Sâla

The length of the Combe de Begnines looking northeastward

The eastern end of Lake Geneva, under Leysin's two dark little towers in the centre, the Tour de Mayen and Tour d'Aï

The city of Geneva to the south, with the famous jet d'eau

The tree-covered Mont Pelé along the ridge, with a bald unnamed little summit between us

The view just below -- the farm of Les Pralets (1271m), Mondion at centre right (1270m), and Le Crot (1225m) in the left distance, on the road down to the village of Bassins, with Lake Geneva in the distance

Dr Pirri short-roped us up this way one time, but won't get another chance at that.

An even less encouraging route

It's drizzling again and we want to go home.

There's a picturesque hole just below the summit, just off the downhill trail.

It's pretty unsubtle in this season, but worth keeping an eye out for once the snow's come.

A good way to break your snowshoe or ski

The trail along the ridge

An anthill packing up for the cold season. We're taking a different way back; Le Couchant farm is over the far side of that ridge on the horizon.

Back down the path through the cliffs

Just drippy and disspiriting today, but winter is coming soon.

Back out to the forestry roads and home

from SwitzerlandMobility (http://map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en)

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 22 November 2013.

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