Category: Jura (Page 1 of 3)

We left the hotel and walked to the edge of town.  The path started uphill almost immediately, and we followed a road for a while.  We took the old route up the hill, it’s probably been changed because of logging operations, but nothing was happening on a Sunday.  The weather was both hot and humid and it was hard going uphill.  The first road narrowed to a single path, which then turned into a 45 degree slope.  We struggled up to the top, and were finally clear of the forest on a good road.  We had climbed about 400m, but there was still more to go.  There was a walk through meadows and forest, before the track narrowed along a ridge and then started climbing again.  We worked our way up the final section and made it to the top, where there were crowds of people.  Looking over the western approach, we could see a car park and restaurant just a short distance below us; most had climbed for maybe ten minutes!

The view was not nearly as good as previous days.  We dropped down to the restaurant, and then had a reasonable descent to where the road crossed the col.  We then walked down on a good path to the village of Le Pont.  Again, we passed lots of fortifications and bunkers.  Perhaps the most impressive was yesterday where we saw a dry stone wall crossing the valley, except it was backed by 2m of concrete.

The stages of the Jura Crest generally finish on the crest, either at accommodation, or where there is a bus or rail link.  Tomorrow’s stage (Monday) finishes at a hotel which is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we have booked a hotel in the same valley that we are in tonight.  I then discovered that the bus from the crest to the village 6only runs on weekends.  Tomorrow, therefore, we won’t be going up to the crest, but instead will have a leisurely walk along the lake to our next destination.  We are still deciding what to do on Tuesday when we do need to get back up to the trail.

It was a simple breakfast but with fresh bread, still warm, driven up from the bakery.  The first part took us to the top of another hill, before gradually descending through ski slopes.  We reached the village of St Croix after an hour and a half of walking, where I went and stocked up on water and biscuits.  We followed a country road uphill out of town, stopping regularly as it was very hot and humid.  We reached the col, passing several wind turbines moving slowly in the breeze.  The road continued uphill until we reached a very busy mountain restaurant ( most had arrived by car).  We had an ice cream and drink, and set off again.  We passed several bunkers from WWII, and numerous sets of large concrete tank barriers.  In this section there were lots of revolving gates to get through; not designed for those carrying backpacks.  We started on the descent to Ballaigues, and debated whether to cover our bags as the rain started, but it didn’t last very long.  Large thunder clouds were beginning to build as we neared the village.  It would be another hour of walking to Vallorbe, so we decided to take the bus.  The rain started again and we took refuge in the old village wash house.  The bus arrived in time and we enjoyed the eight minute bus ride; a lot faster than walking.  The bus route passed within 200m of the Swiss/French border before going down to the town.  We got into our room in the hotel and found there was no electricity.  A call to the owner, and I opened the fuse box in the room, and put the electricity back on.  We went out for a meal at the auberge owned by the commune.  There was a huge clap of thunder, but there’s not been any rain so far.  Hopefully it will rain overnight and be dry in the morning.  We’ve combined three stages into the last two days, and the next few days are all quite short.  It’s been impossible to arrange accommodation if we extend the stages, so we are stuck with short days.  (We still have to resolve a problem in a few days time, where the bus we thought we would take from our accommodation back to the route only runs at the weekend)

I was writing the blog while we had our evening meal, and as I finished, there was a huge gust of wind.  The staff ran out to take down the umbrellas as the rain started falling heavily.  Everyone ran inside with their food.  There was more thunder and lightning, and the manageress offered us an umbrella to use on the way back to the hotel, only 50m away; we have to return it in the morning.

Our accommodation for last night was past the start of today’s stage.  We had two options: a steep climb to get us onto the stage and then walk along the ridge, or walk along the valley and then gradually make our way up to the ridge.  We decided on the second option.  We left the hotel and walked along the valley on a mixture of quiet roads and a couple of busy sections.  We were on one of the quiet roads when we passed a number of buildings.  One had double fences, security cameras everywhere, massive vehicle barriers, and apparently no windows in the building.  We were discussing what sort of security complex this was, when we saw the sign at the main gate; it was the Cartier watch factory.  A short distance on we stopped in the village of Motiers for a cake and coffee.  This village has museums of cars, aboriginal art, another that we couldn’t work out, a theatre, and numerous absinthe producers.  There was also the Bovet watch workshop (prices up to $1 million).  After our very good cakes, we finally started to climb.  There were plenty of people and families about, presumably having taken an extra day after yesterday’s holiday.  The forest path climbed slowly upwards and we made good time.  The path then narrowed and we climbed hundreds of steps, until we finally arrived at the start of a narrow gorge.  The path here had been built in 1942 and comprised bridges, stairways, and bits of path going round narrow ledges.  There were handrails at the worst bits.  We worked our way up, occasionally having to retreat to a ”passing place” if we met people descending.  It was spectacular and we finally reached the top and were back onto wide forest paths.  We finally cleared the trees into open meadow, still continuing upwards.  The next bit of excitement was having to go through a gate in one of the many electric fences, only to have an entire herd of cows making their way along the same section.  We chose a gap in the herd and walked through, then round the large group to get to the next gate.  From there it was a short walk to finally gain the ridge, with spectacular views of the whole of the Alps, with not a cloud in sight.  Even Mont Blanc didn’t have its usual hat of clouds.  We stopped at a small restaurant for a piece of tart and a drink.  We walked to the top of Le Chasseron and admired the view; the transmitter of a few days ago, now over 50km away to our east, the hills and valleys to the north, and the lakes and plain to the south, then the huge chain of the Alps stretching as far we could see along the southern horizon.  From there, it was 5 minutes  downhill to the hotel.  We had a cheese fondue for dinner (excellent) and spent most of the meal trying to work out the last time we had one.  (We were given two fondue sets as wedding presents!)

Today was a public holiday in Switzerland and there was a crowd waiting for the bus to go to La Vue-des-Alpes.  There was no sign of the bus at the stated time, and we were just about to try and organise a taxi with some others, when it arrived.  The weather was a lot better than yesterday; sunny and warm.  We walked up the road to the ridge and started along it.  There were numerous high points along it, with great views south to the Alps.  We could see The Eiger and Mont Blanc, both about 120kms from us.  There were lots of people out walking because of the holiday (and the good weather).  We finally descended off the ridge and then walked through a wide valley with trees dotted about, almost like English parkland.  We continued the descent and stopped at a restaurant for a very good piece of apricot tart and a drink.  The path then went back onto the ridge, but we followed a local road as we still had a long way to go to our accommodation.  We joined the trail again for the descent to Noiraigue.  This was steep, and it looked like there had not been any work on the path for a while.  We reached the village, and then walked on a track beside the river to our accommodation. 

We each had four blankets as it was very cold overnight.  Breakfast was bread, butter, jam, and cheese, with coffee or tea.  Today was to be another day with no accommodation at the end, so we had to reach the bus stop by 13:55.  We made our way along the grassy track that led west and down from the metairie.  It was windy and cold, but the wind dropped as we descended.  This then led us into a forest section, still descending, before it changed into an old road, finally coming out onto a new road.  We decided to follow the road, rather than go back into the forest on the Jura Crest trail.  We reached a village and joined the Jura Crest trail as it was marked along a country road.  After a kilometre the trail was signposted heading into the forest; we again kept on the road, which was much faster walking than going over slippery stones and roots in the woods.  The sky to the west did not look very promising as we made good time, finally joining the trail again.  After about a kilometre the trail veered off into the woods; we again kept on the road which would lead us directly to La Vue-des-Alpes, where the bus stop was.  It started to rain, and we put our jackets on, and covered our bags.  The road was marked (for cyclists) with the kilometres to La Vue-des-Alpes, and as we hit 2km, the rain got heavier.  With just under 1km to go, the rain became torrential.  We decided we would get even wetter if we stopped to put our waterproof trousers on, so kept going.  We reached the col and walked into the cafeteria, dripping water everywhere.  We had about 45 minutes before the bus, so had some hot food and drinks.  The bus arrived on time and we travelled down to La Chaux-de-Fonds.  We had a hot chocolate while waiting to check into the hotel.  We turned up the radiators in the bedroom and have got everything drying!

We took the train back up to Frinvillier and immediately started climbing.  It was a series of short zig-zags climbing up the steep hillside through the trees.  As we neared the top the zig-zags got longer, finally disappearing, but the trail still led upwards.  In total, we climbed for about 4km of walking.  There was then a short descent on a road before we started climbing again.  The forest thinned out, and we walked through huge meadows of wild flowers, with lots of orchids.  We finally reached a seat and stopped for a drink and some chocolate.  The target for today was the giant transmitter on top of the mountain, which we had spotted yesterday. We could now see several lakes below us to the south, though it was not possible to see the Alps.  The path led up and down over a number of small hills, and then we started the climb up to the transmitter; 400m of climbing over about 5km.  The wind increased as we climbed and it got a lot colder.  We finally reached the transmitter, with 360 degree views, and then started the descent, at last on the road.  We descended to the hotel that marked the end of today’s stage, but knew that it was closed.  Our accommodation was about another 3km of walking, first a steep descent down the hillside, then along a small road.  As we approached, a dog came barking down the hillside, but then was happy to accompany us to the “metairie”.  There seem to be quite a lot of metairie in the French speaking part of the Jura; farmhouses that offer meals and also possibly accommodation.  We had a very traditional evening meal; rosti potatoes with onions and baked Tomme (Christine) and cordon rouge (Alasdair) and salad, and a tart to finish.  The sleeping accommodation is definitely the most basic so far, but this is the only place available.

We woke to thick cloud and pouring rain.  This was not good, as the day’s walk was forecast to take 7 hours.  We went down for breakfast, to a huge array of food, despite there being only five guests for breakfast.  After breakfast, we went back to the room and debated what to do; we could take the cable car down, then train to the next hotel, or wait and see if the weather would clear as forecast.  There were occasional times when the cloud lifted, but most of the time visibility was about 50m.  As we got close to the checkout at 11am, the weather definitely improved, so we decided to walk.  It was cold, but not too wet as we headed into the wind.  The path was good, so we kept up a good speed.  We then reached a climb, followed by a narrow path along the ridge.  It wasn’t as narrow as the first day’s but we walked slowly because of the treacherous  underfoot conditions.  The weather gradually improved, and we had some great views, back to where we had started, and where we will be going in a few days.  We then climbed up onto some moorland, the first since we left Germany.  Visibility was again bad, but as it lifted we saw two chamois about 100m ahead.  They hadn’t smelt us, so we managed to get fairly close before they ran, over a wall and down the cliff.  Today we saw a lot of stone walls, which we haven’t seen before on the trip.  We overtook a few other walkers on this section, and then we saw our first signs in French on an electricity box.  The train from Frinvillier to Biel/Bienne ran at 35 minutes past the hour, so that was our objective when we saw a sign to Frinvillier saying it was just over 2 hours away.  We avoided a slippery descent through the forest by walking on the road, and made it to the station with twenty minutes to spare.  Frinvillier is a weird place, set in a valley, and the motorway, another road, and the railway all emerge from tunnels for about 500m before disappearing into the hills again.  

Biel/Bienne is officially French and German speaking, and the name reflects this.  The architecture in the area around the station, where we are staying, can probably be described as 1920s brutalist (apparently they had a left wing mayor at the time).  It’s also the main centre for Swiss watch making, though we haven’t seen any signs of Rolex, Omega, or Swatch.

We left Balsthal to the sound of church bells ringing.  As we started the climb, the bells were joined by the noise from the local rifle range.  We climbed about 750m over a distance of 9kms.  Near the top the path crossed from the north to the south side of the ridge.  The noise of gunfire disappeared, only to be replaced by the firing from a club on the south side.  The path narrowed as we worked our way through the forest, and then reached the top.  There was a large military installation at the top, and the path led down the cliff in a series of steps and zig-zags.  At the bottom of this section we walked about 50m and were suddenly walking in wide meadows, on a very good path.  We stopped at a restaurant for cake and a drink.  The path went up and down as we walked along the crest line and there were plenty of people out walking.  At one of the road crossings over the ridge there was a large playpark, with many people walking about the high wire bridges between the trees (all wearing safety harnesses).  There was then a long straight section, where we were walking right into the wind.  Then it was back to many small ups and downs, before the final climb to the end of the stage.

Tonight’s accommodation is at the hotel at the end of the stage, with views southwards to the Alps.  We could just make out the mountains in the rainfall in the distance.  The meal was very good; despite being on half-board, we were told to choose any four courses from the menu!

We’ve now got clear blue sky to the north, and overcast to the south.  Tomorrow is another important day, as we cross the border from German to French speaking Switzerland.  (In the Alps this was marked by a small stream, with the villages only a few km away speaking only French or German.)

The guidebook said there were a lot of steps up and then a long descent at the end of the stage.  Christine therefore decided she would have a rest day and take the train instead.

Christine:

I got on my first train at 12:11 which was a local stopping train.  There were six stops (about every three minutes) and then I changed to another local train.  Another three stops and I was in Balsthal.  I sat on a bench and read, and was surprised when Alasdair arrived so quickly.

Alasdair:

I’ve included all of today’s photos, as the walk was in glorious scenery.

I took the bus back up to the col at Hauenstein, the start of the stage.  About a dozen hikers got off, but they all headed east.  There was a short climb through the village, and then the straightest, longest climb.  It was a gradual ascent, but it felt like a long 2kms in a straight line.  There were good views back down to Olten.  I crossed some WWII defences (photo) and noticed that the road had concrete plugs in it that could be replaced with something else to complete the barrier.  The old military road kept on the south side of the ridge and was in good condition.  The defensive line is still in use, as there was a door into the hillside complete with intercon and digital keypad.  Along the route, the badges of the WWI battalions had been cut and painted into the cliff face.  These had all been renewed several years ago.  After 10kms the road dropped down to a col and I went into the restaurant for a piece of strawberry gateau and a limoncello (as advertised on their board).  I thought I was getting a lemon drink, but it was a lemon drink with a large amount of alcohol.  I started walking again, feeling very light-headed.  I quickly passed three people on the climb, and then the walk went over rolling hills.  I had decided to try and do 5kph for the whole walk, so I was often jogging downhill to compensate for the slower climbs.   Unfortunately, it wasn’t clear enough to see the Alps.  Just as I reached the final climb, Balsthal 2hrs up and over the hill, there was a sign pointing to the right saying Balsthal 1hr.  I wasn’t going to see Mont Blanc from the top, so I opted for the shorter route.  The track went round the hill, rather than up and over, and I was soon on the final descent.  Balsthal is hemmed in by hills on both sides and looks much more like a traditional Swiss village, though there are plenty of new buildings.  Coming into Balsthal there were a few old railway engines parked in a siding.  I got to the station, and there was Christine reading on a bench.  We walked to the old part of town, where the hotel is, and had an ice cream while waiting to check-in.

Today’s stage would end at another of the mountain crossings.  There is no accommodation at the stage end, so we could either walk down to our hotel in Olten, or get the bus.  The bus was either at 14:08 or 16:08, and as we had a late start our initial plan was to walk down.  The first part of the walk was on a very good path, over a hill and down to the first of the north-south crossing points.  On the way down we looked for the border stone, marking the Swiss-Austria border in the late 18th century.  We didn’t see it, but it’s amazing to think how far west the Austrian Empire extended.  We were soon climbing the next hill on a narrow path, which got narrower along the ridge.  It wasn’t nearly as bad as the ridge walk on the first day, and we were soon back on wide paths.  At this stage, we thought we would be about 30 minutes late for the bus, but as the path was good, we kept walking and decided to try for the bus.  The path went up over a hill but we took the alternative route round the side.  Many of the route signposts show the time to the end of the stage, and we saw that we were gradually gaining time.  There was lovely scenery throughout the day, with views northwards to the Black Forest.  It was overcast most of the day, and cool, so that helped with our walking speed.   There was loads of bird life with red kites and buzzards circling for most of the day.  Our next time calculation suggested that we might miss the bus by about 5 minutes.  We had passed the possible trail walk down to Olten so kept going; now there were a lot of farm gates that I would jog on to open, then close and catch up with Christine.  Near the end, we cut off the trail and walked down the road, reaching the bus stop with about 30 minutes to spare!

While we sat at the bus stop a group of Swiss soldiers came down the road on bicycles and turned right just before the bus stop.  The next lot of about twenty came zooming down and it was obvious they were going to keep going straight on.  I wanted to stop them, but Christine thought they must know where they were going.  Seconds later, more arrived, and I stopped them as they seemed to realise they should be turning right.  One went after the others, and a few minutes later they all reappeared, cycling on the wrong side of the road, and now going in the correct direction.  We got a thanks from one of the officers.

The bus arrived and took us down to town.  It was a drop of about 400m, so we were glad we hadn’t walked down.  Olten doesn’t seem to have a historical centre; it really grew at the start of the Swiss railways and is now a major hub linking Zurich, Basel, Berne, and Lucerne, all within 30 minutes of here.

Having not seen anyone walking for days, today we saw a total of 14 people.