Hiking near Geneva

Between Sarah's trip to Florence and planned trips to Provence, Bern and Germany we were looking to keep it local for a couple weekends and decided that we would get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather and put a couple miles on those new hiking shoes and jackets we bought last summer. Switzerland is a hiking paradise in general and the area around Geneva has many options for all levels of fitness and ambition. We even bought ourselves a handy guide to 70 of the best hikes in the area, helpfully organized by duration, effort and other helpful tidbits.

Our first outing was a bit of a learning experience -- we opted for one of the closest and shortest hikes without paying too much attention to the level of difficulty or putting too much thought into things generally. We decided to do a hike at the top of La Dole, the second highest peak in the Swiss Jura, topping out at a healthy 1677m. It's visible from our house, sporting a weather station and air traffic control radar site, and offered the prospect of great views of the lake, the countryside around Nyon and, if the weather was clear, the Alps and Mont Blanc.

Setting Out for the Summit of La Dole

Unfortunately, it was still early spring and despite warm temperatures in the city it was still brisk at the top and the snow had not yet completely disappeared (our friend Julie had warned us that there would likely be snow on the route). We gamely set out anyway but quickly realized that on the main trail up to the summit it was quite deep in places. Since we weren't equipped for snow, and since Sarah had a 1.5 month old strapped to her chest, we decided that we'd opt for some better footing and hike around near the top of La Dole rather than to the top.

Sam Says We Can Handle the Snow - Let's Go!

Heading Down from our Aborted Push for the Summit

We still had a great day and got some good exercise hiking up and down the hills in the area. Sam was a real keener and love his "hype". Sarah was also a trooper and set the pace. Rhys was mostly asleep but we're sure he will be a trooper too on future outings.

Sarah and Rhys - Not the Summit We Set Out For But Not A Bad Effort Anyway

Sam Gets Jiggy on a Big Boulder - As Close to the Top as We Managed To Get

We did manage to get some great views of the lake and the Alps, and we could even see all the way down the lake to Geneva and the world famous (?) Jette d'Eau, the world's highest fountain.

Geneva and the Jette d'Eau

Sarah and Sam Enjoying a Moment on the Trail

Team Photo - A Successful First Hike

The next weekend we headed out again, hoping to get in a hike and a lunch at a very well-recommended restaurant at Mont Mussy. Unfortunately, the restaurant was booked so we decided to save the hiking trails in the area for another time when we could celebrate success with a nice piece of homemade pie. Stay tuned.

Instead we headed deeper into the French Jura, aiming for a trail above the town of St. Claude that would take us to the Queue de Cheval waterfall. We learned another important lesson -- distances over the Jura are deceiving -- it takes a lot longer to travel 50km than it normally would when you have to do countless cut-backs up and down and up and down the mountains (we will never go hiking without consulting Julie again - she would have kindly pointed this out to us).

Roadside Attraction -- Sam Loved the Giant's Bike on the Way to St. Claude

Giant Pipe in St. Claude -- I Always Thought These Monuments Were a Canadian Phenomenon

We eventually arrived, a bit later than expected, and set out down the mountain toward the promised waterfall, Sarah once again gamely lugging a sleeping Rhys. Troubled readers may ask why I wasn't helping my wife out by carrying the baby -- because at various stages of every hike (usually just at the most uphill part) Sam demands to be carried and it is easier for me to carry him than for Sarah to do it. So really, making Sarah carry the baby is a very selfless act on my part. Just saying...

Sarah on the Trail

The trail took us through a cow pasture, into the forest, across a brook and scampering over some rocks down to the waterfall. It cascaded over a cliff from 50m or more, but the stream that spawned the fall was not much more than a trickle during our visit. So the effect was a bit diminished but well worth the effort nonetheless.

Sarah and Rhys

Me, Waterfall in Background

Sarah and the Boys at the End of the Trail -- A Job Well Done

We will be doing a lot more exploring in the neighborhood, hoping to get some of that Mont Mussy pie, and have a hiking trip planned to Leukerbad in June so we'll keep you posted on how we get on.