Monday 15th September: Sunny but hazy 12°C to 18°C
Chapelle d'Abondence to Bernex: 24.5k: 9am to 6pm: 9hrs
Bread, Cheese, Beaufort sausage
Construction mountain style
GR5 walker loaded up.
I'm always second to the top - climbing up to Pas de Bosse 1816m
But first down the other side
Chalets de Bise in valley 1500 m
Another col after this valley
You smell like a goat. UR a goat
Do we really need more cheese?
Up to the Col de Bose at 1915m
Rugged Valley
Not the Alps but still spectacular
Lake Geneva from Col de Bise
View from Col de Bise 1915m
Beaufort Sausage for lunch
Lunch with a view of Lake Geneva
Ibex join us for lunch
Boulder scrambling to Porte d'Oche
Port d'Oche at 1944 m
Lowlands around Lake Geneva
Do you have a match please?
The ONLY epicerie all day
Celebrating Lake Geneva with a beer amidst the washing
Today we saw Lake Geneva for the first time since we arrived in Geneva to travel by train to Zermatt, our starting point, 4 weeks ago. We climbed the Col de Bise at lunchtime today, and at the top, there it was. Wedged between two mountain ranges and 1700 metres below us - Lake Geneva (Lac le Man). We're only a day away from touching the waters of the lake, and 3 days away from getting back to Geneva. We've nearly finished what will turn out to be almost 640k of hiking through the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and France. From the Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and now Lake Geneva. And today was one of our bigger days, with a total of 3,400 metres up and down.
Our Bed and Breakfast at L'Escalade in Chapelle d'Abondence rated about a 2 out of 10. After last night's episode of arriving and being shut out for an hour, this morning's breakfast at 8am wasn't worth waiting for. At least the WiFi worked and the beds were comfy, and the shower hot. We're awake early, Facetime and email home, pack, and go down to breakfast. But the jug doesn't work, there's one small patty of butter, the jam is a cross between jelly and glue and the owners are too busy serving short black coffees to the early bird workers who drop in on their way to work. The B and B is also a Cafe/Bar/Tabac shop and is the only place open this morning in the village.
It's 8.45am when we leave to get fresh bread and cheese at the Boulangerie 100 metres down the road. I spy a Beaufort Sausage - our last Beaufort Sausage died a slimy greeny yellowy mess after Ian carried it on our last trip for 4 days in the heat in his back back from Refuge Plan Mya near the village of Beaufort to the Col de Balme, where we ceremoniously buried it. This time, we'll have it for lunch TODAY.
It takes us 2 hrs of steady climbing up the gully, first along roads then cow tracks, until we reach the Pas de la Bosse at 1816 metres, where we shelter for a quick cup of coffee and cheese sandwich. It started out warmish at 12°C in the valley and with a warm tail wind, we were both sweating on the way up - first time in weeks. But the air at the top was cold and the wind on wet shirts made us feel even colder.
Today is an up and down roller coaster day of 3,400 metres. Once at the Pas de Bosse at 1816 metres, we can see the second Col de Bise at 1915 metres across the other side. But we need to descend to the Valley to the Chalets de Bise at 1500 metres first. It smells of goats, and they're lolling around all over the track. There's cheese for sale at the farmhouse - only if you carry it says Ian, so I give it a miss.
Another very steep climb up to the Col de Bise and we're greeted with the wonderful site of Lake Geneva. After 28 days of trekking, our destination is finally in site - one more day's walking to actually get there and another 3 after that to get to Geneva. It's cold and windy at the top but it's 2pm and we're starving. So we sit out of the wind with a herd of Ibex with a view of Lake Geneva, just to absorb the spectacle. Beaufort sausage, fresh bread, butter cheese and tomato.
There's still a long way to go as we head on over to the next col, the Col de Pavis at 1944 metres, but there's only a small descent this time. Another descent then across the boulder field to the Porte d'Oche at 1937 - It's a large square opening into the mountains that leads from one valley of boulders and scree, to the green fields and forests flowing down to Lake Geneva, which is hidden in the haze way off in the distance.
We've been up and down in the Alps for 28 days, and today is the day we descend for the last time. And it's one long steep descent of 1000 metres through meadows and forests with a tiny hint of autumn colours appearing in the leaves. We've taken a detour to get to Bernex instead of Chevenoz, as there was no accommodation in Chevenoz, and Bernex is just around the corner. The steep down hill climb through the forest finishes at La Fetiuere, where there's a car park for the day walkers, and a road leading down through Malpasset to Bernex. Half way down the road, there's a cave with a statue of the Notre Dame and 3 people beckon us over. I'm thinking they'll be wanting to show us the Notre dame, but no, in French that I understand only because of of the hand actions, they want a match to light the candles they have placed around the statue. No matches, but we have a gas can with a spark, which they use to light one candle. They're happy as larry and we continue on, with another 5k to go and it's already 5pm.
It's time to walk a bit quicker down the road, hoping to get to a little epicerie in Bernex before it closes. And it's still open when we get there. We've already checked out the restaurant menu at the Hotel Cro Bidou where we're booked, and most of the courses have melted cheese with something or other. Fondu in disguise again. So we stock up on more lettuce and tomato and two cold beers and some Chips Ancienne (Kettle chips) peanuts and we're off.
The Hotel Cro Bidou is in La Beunaz, just the other side of Bernex and is a delightful surprise. It was only 72 euro, but there's a fridge and a table out on the balcony which suits us just fine for our picnic. We're dying for a cold beer but first the washing which we couldn't do last night at the B and B because we arrived too late and there was no where to hang it, and there were refuges the two night previous. We shower, then wash everything we own, hang it on the balcony, and sit down to a well earned beer after a long 3400 metre 9hr day.
Then it's picnic time, with a carafe of rose from the bar downstairs to complement our sausage and salad. The air is noticeably warmer and more humid closer to Lake Geneve and it's lovely sitting out side with views across the woods. But we've run out of accommodation bookings so time to book the next 3 days ahead at Thonon, Sciez and Hermance. And instead of hutting, we're Chateauing, staying in two mediaeval chateaux near Lake Geneva for two of the nights.