Week 13/2022

Mid-week 12 and beginning of week 13, the sun came out, the temperatures rose and we had a little whiff of Spring. With the sun, came my dear friend Jo to spend some days with us, and how good they were.

When our friends visit us, we get to dedicate some quality time to them, in a sharp contrast to our holidays at home, where we rush around visiting everyone in a very short period of time. A bonus for visits is getting to interact with a relaxed Todder in her natural environment, delighted with all the attention she gets, instead of a tired and shy one who just wants to stick to mummy for comfort.

In the first day, we took the train to Lutry to play in the playground next to the lake. The sunshine was glorious, we held a little picnic, followed by the first ice-cream of the season, which might or might not have been the main reason for choosing Lutry.

On the second day, I took the day off, we took Toddler to the crèche and headed off to a little hike in the surrounding mountains. Again, glorious day, great company and one of my favourite things on hikes: a cheese and ham sandwich with good ingredients. The best sandwiches I have eaten on hikes are with this lady, and this one went directly to the top of the best sandwich-memories. Even though it was sunny, it was still Winter season and we got to hike on a path that is not normally marked during the Summer. It was a small hike, but with nice views to the Dent de Vaulion and, theoretically, to a panoramic view of the Alps (which we couldn’t see because it was too bright).

For the weekend, we booked a little raccard in a very small village in Valais called Trétien. The initial idea was to go snowshoeing, but there was no snow in the valley anymore and Toddler was sick and needing her nap. So we did what we could: we explored the village, caught the train to the next village and hiked back for the nap. And then we read in the sun to warm ourselves up.

The day ended with a traditional raclette, with some very good cheese from a cheesemonger in Geneva. The next day, we tried to do some sledding, but Toddler turned out to be so sick that she didn’t want to sled or even eat… so we took her to the hospital and ended up staying there for the night!

So, for the rest of the week, there is little to talk about, except for everything to do with asthmatic bronchitis crises in toddlers and nursing them back to health.

However, the weekend was great up until that point, and Jo’s visit so very wonderful for all of us!

Snowshoeing: Les Pleiades

Being fans of skiing means that we lived in this country for a few years without trying snowshoeing… until we had a baby and skiing became harder to conciliate with our family activities. But, as with many things and situations that come with a baby, we adapted, and by adapting we get to discover many new things that we wouldn’t have been quite interested in before. Snowshoeing is very good example of one of those things. Short hikes also.

After too many weekends staying put at home for all kinds of reasons, it was simply impossible to miss out on the first sunny weekend that came up. We headed out to Les Pléiades, a small mountain location just above Montreux, not very far from home. This is one of the first things that comes with adapting: because we cannot afford to spend hours in traffic or in trains on a Sunday in which we like to wake up relaxed and need to come home early enough for dinner and toddler bedtime, we are discovering more sites near home.

With snowshoes, you can walk in the snow or ice without slipping, even if you are carrying a 15kg backpack. They were very helpful in the first parts of the hike, where it sometimes gets a little steep and icy. Once we started climbing, we were gifted with views of the Pays d’En-Haut region. We crossed some of the ski slopes and might have felt a little pang of jealousy with some skiers swooshing down, but made a mental note to come and visit this station when we will be able to ski as a family in a few years. If it still exists, with the increasing lack of snow at lower altitudes.

After crossing the slopes, we headed into the forest, with its dancing light through the trees, and very icy patches for which the snowshoes were valuable. Out of the forest, we were rewarded with a view over a Lac Léman covered in clouds, with Mont Pèlerin hill peeking out.

After a last and slightly strenuous climb to the summit of Les Pléiades, it was time for lunch, playing in the swings and catching some much needed sun. On the summit there is a little playground, a slight slope for training the first ski moves and a little trail on which you can learn about the planets and the solar system. It’s a very sought out spot for families, both in Summer and Winter.

Heading down, Toddler wanted to walk by herself and to carry one of the walking poles in her own way. This is another thing about adapting to walking with Toddlers: you need to plan for longer timings on the hike. They will want to play, walk by themselves, stray a little from the path, observe the surroundings, interact with the animals and people they cross, pick up little sticks and leaves… the list is endless. This means that a hike that would probably take us around one or two hours to do at our own pace, will now take us four or even five. But that’s OK, because with all these discoveries, we see how much Toddler enjoys herself while doing an activity that we also love dearly.

And back down the hill, with a view over Tours d’Aï et de Mayens (those two little peaks sticking out of the mountain in the foreground) and the Dents du Midi in the background, and the stratus covering the whole Lac Léman.

It was a beautiful and very much needed day out, in one of the nicest family-friendly outdoor spots in the region, to which we will surely be coming back over several (and varied!) seasons.

The hike was called Lally-Les Pléiades snowshoe trail and all the technical details can be found on the website.

Trou à l’Ours

Hello, Alps!

This week we took a day off from work, left The Toddler in the crèche, and headed off to the mountains for a short, but gorgeous hike. We had decided to go and discover the Vallon de Nant, which is not very far from where we live, but was one of our blind spots. It was worth it, because it is absolutely beautiful.

We had two hiking options: the first one was the Trou à l’Ours hike. The second option would be to extend the ascent and go up to Pointe des Savolaires, both hikes taking us down to Vallon de Nant and back. With the morning routines, drive, and Z’s heels still healing from last week’s trail, and the time-limit for crèche pick-up, there was no doubt that we only had time to do the shorter hike… meaning that the hike would not be challenging like in the old days, but we did have time to enjoy our fondue and a little wine after the short climb. We did not complain.

The descent to Vallon de Nant took us through the Trou à l’Ours (English translation: bear’s hole), a hole in the rocks through which we had to climb.

In the end, what really made my day was not just the hike, the fondue, the time to talk with Z without being interrupted or constantly distracted by Toddler attention requests and needs, but especially the impact of the Grand Muveran, when we were walking parallel to it. I cannot explain the profound impact these mountain dimensions have on me. The Tour des Muverans is definitely up on my wishlist.

Mont Pélerin

Sunday’s outing took us to Mont Pélerin, just above Vevey. We went by train, bus and then the funiculaire that takes you up to the starting point of the hike. This was definitely the best part for the three toddlers who were tagging along.

Mont Pélerin is supposed to be an easy family hike. From Easter onwards, you can go up to the TV tower, which apparently has a lift, and from there you can see some incredible views. But it’s not Easter. It’s supposedly Spring, but here… not quite.

After a small walk up the road, we headed off into the forest, which was still full of snow. With three toddlers in backpacks, this turned into a very slow walk up, trying not to slip on ice and trying to manage the cold.

It is easy to forget, when you are walking and begin to warm up, that the toddler in your backpack is not walking and will eventually get colder faster than you do. So, we loose a lot of time during our walks being vigilant that this is not happening. And, when we got to a part near the summit of Mont Pélerin where the bise lifted and it felt like we were in Apúlia, but in a below zero °C version, where it’s the icy bits of snow that prick your face instead of the sand, the babies started screaming and we turned around.

We headed back down into the forest.

And back to the top of the funiculaire, where there is a playground with a magnificent view, where the kids could play and we could all picnic.

Playgrounds are a key element when organising outings with toddlers. And if there is a view, it’s definitely going in my list of favourites!

The hike can be found here.

Les Diablerets – Villars-sur-Ollon

Hiking. Saying that it is one of the things I most like to do makes it seem bland. It’s something I need, something I crave. This year seems to be the year that I have hiked less than in many years, and probably needed it more. There was a pandemic, and out of respect for the whole situation, we avoided activities that put us at risk of being injured. There was a baby, who we did hike with, but who has needs that don’t fit with the kind of leg-stretching, head-clearing, high-sights hikes that I love to do. I have happily adjusted my expectations because a baby is only a small baby once in a lifetime. But still, I was craving a hiking day without nappy changes, regular feedings and baby-amusing stops.

So I took a day off. I took the train from Lausanne to Les Diablerets, which in itself is a very beautiful experience, with Autumn colours settling into the hundreds of thousands of trees that weave into the background and make it seem like a tapestry. I started walking from Les Diablerets and the first kilometres are just hiking up through the woods. It was pretty, but I avoided spending too much time on pictures, knowing that I would want to spend more time soaking in the view at the top. My legs were heavy. My physical condition is weaker than it has been for a few years. Hiking up, I needed to concentrate on my breathing. Silence follows you when you walk alone. I heard, and then saw a woodpecker.

Getting to the top, near Col de la Croix, I was rewarded with this view. It’s a classical Swiss Alp experience when you hike up, get near the top, and the view slaps you in the face with a dramatic mountain covered in snow. Sometimes, it’s even irritating, as when something is so perfect it almost tickles your nerves. Sometimes, it even makes me miss the rough, crude patches of granite from back home even more. But it always leaves me speechless and I might even swear a little.

These Alps provide very classy lunchspots.

Hiking up some more, the view is even more astounding. You can see Alps for miles. I have fun trying to name the peaks, and I know quite a few without having to look at PeakFinder. Knowing my peaks is comforting. I am not sure I can explain it, it just is. In the picture above, you can see the Mont Blanc in the background, and the Dents du Midi just in the centre. Then I crossed over to the other side of the mountain, and there was snow and a lot of slippery mud. I fell on my backside because I was trying to save the time I had been gawking at the mountains by running a little. People were watching and I felt goofy, of course.

The hike led me to Lac des Chavonnes. On this side of the hike there were many families, making the most of a beautiful Autumn day. I hastened my step so I could catch the train home in time for baby O.’s bedtime.

Back into the woods with the Scex Rouge (if I’m not mistaken) and Sommet des Diablerets peaking at me.

This hike is one of the stages of the Tour des Alpes Vaudoises.

Distance: 18km, 1100m up, 1000m down and here it is on Strava.

Chemin des Narcisses

Even though in Switzerland lockdown was quite soft and we were still allowed to do many things such as outdoor activities, we definitely didn’t take our privileges for granted and tried to be as respectful of the situation as we possibly could. This meant we didn’t take any risks that could land us in hospital when it was under pressure, such as driving unless it was strictly necessary, among many other things.

When the confinement measures began to lift, it was May. The weather was glorious and we were itching to finally go on a hike somewhere beyond our neighbourhood. We’d just bought a baby carrier and we were eager to take baby O. on her first hike.

Before baby, when we chose our hikes, we looked for challenging hikes that would take us deep into the mountain landscapes. With a baby, I didn’t really know what to expect and my fitness level is not the same as before. Also, I would be the one carrying the baby, because dad couldn’t come with us, so we chose a very easy hike to start off.

Chemin des Narcisses is a very popular hike for families. It is quite short, there aren’t many steep uphill climbs (just a small one in the beginning, which you can replace with a funicular ride – but we didn’t think it was necessary), and very beautiful views of Lac Léman and the Dents du Midi.

On our way down from Belvédère du Cubly, there are several fields covered in white narcissi. They are beautiful to look at, but with a baby on my back, I couldn’t bend over so much to take pictures I could of them.

Our first hike with a baby was very leisurely. My sister was with us, so I didn’t have to carry all the material.

Some things I figured out on this first hike:

• It is nice to try to leave the house during the baby’s morning nap, so she can sleep in the car;
• It’s important to remember that the baby has a feeding schedule and you have to plan the hike around that;
• Having a rug in the car or in your backpack is practical for some stops in which the baby can move around a little (crawl, stand up, stretch the legs). After 1 or 2h sitting in the same position, they can become restless;
• Bring warmer clothes than you have for yourself. You’re hiking, but the baby is always sitting, so they will surely feel colder than you, especially in the shade.

All in all, it was a lovely first hike. Baby O. was really happy to be out and about. She seems to like the babycarrier and the view from up above our heads. She smiles and chats a lot, and appears to be really comfortable napping with her head on the pillow in the baby carrier.

I am really happy to live in this beautiful country, in which we can find hiking paths and scenery matching whichever periods of our lives we’re at.

running log #20

While I was preparing my trip to Japan, I really wanted to run a long trail through its forests. It ended up being difficult to organise with the little time I had and with all the things I wanted to see. However, I still managed to sneak in a little trail on a hiking path around the little temple town of Koyasan.

I had decided to run the Nyonimichi trail, one of the hiking paths around Koyasan. Centuries ago, female pilgrims weren’t allowed inside the town. Like the men, they walked from all over Japan, moved by their faith, only to arrive at Koyasan and not be allowed inside the town because they were women. So, they walked the paths in the mountains around Koyasan, making offering and benefiting from being as close as possible to their spiritual epicentre. I am not at all Buddhist, and what took me to Koyasan was curiosity, but this story moved me and I chose the trail because of it.

The map for the trail came in Japanese. I got it from the tourist information office on the day before. A very nice Japanese man gently told me that the trail was 16km long and that it was too long. I told him it would be ok. He gently insisted. I said OK, I’ll do the short one. He shrugged, probably thinking I was another stubborn tourist. He was right.

I set off as early as I could. I wanted to have time to digest the Japanese breakfast I had at the temple, but I didn’t want to leave it for too late because the temperatures were going up on that day. When I headed off, it was already hot.

Shortly after I started running uphill, I saw a bear warning. Now, in my usual world, bears are in zoos, in parks or in movies. I wasn’t prepared for this at all and stopped to thing about what I’d do. Turn back? No, my mind was set that I would be running. I have a big run coming up and I need to keep fit. Try to run behind someone? Not a chance. There was no living soul in earshot and I didn’t cross anyone for a few km. So, I did what you do. I searched for an app that would simulate bear bells or at least a radio… and I found one! A few minutes later, I carried on running with a jingle every 5 seconds to warn bears that I was around. In reality, it ended up triggering all these thoughts of how I would react if I were to cross paths with a bear, which lasted for the most part of my run.

A few km into the run, I find this. Of course, I’d completely overlooked the possibility of signposts being only in Japanese. I quickly tried to figure out which one was mine using the map from the tourist office and carried on with confidence. A few minutes later, I notice familiar landmarks and realise that I had just run a closed loop, completely off my supposed track. I went down into the town again and found the next part of my track using the map and entered the main part of my run, through the forest.

It was a beautiful run. There were ferns, mosses and cedar trees. There was dry ground, steps, straight little paths with tree roots I had to be careful not to trip on. I walked uphill when it was really steep, I ran swiftly when it went downhill. I didn’t cross a soul until 7km or 8km. There were shrines, ponds, houses. I heard the birds and the insects and felt the light breeze cooling off my sweaty neck and arms. Most of the run was in the shade so it wasn’t as hot, but it was still very humid.

At one of the shrines, I came across a group of Japanese hikers. Well equipped with their boots, bâtons, cameras, hats and techy clothes, they were having their lunch and relaxing when I arrived with my european face glowing red from the effort of running uphill, dripping sweat in my leggings and bright yellow t-shirt, wearing noelaborate equipment other than my watch. I didn’t even have a bottle of water.

They politely sneaked some looks, while I politely smiled. We exchanged some impressions. Them, in fast Japanese. I, using gestures. We seemed to understand each other, or at least each one was happy with what they understood. We waved each other off with enthusiasm and I ran down the hill.

When I reached the cemitery, I took a wrong turn and ended up doing a few more km than I should. At this point, it was getting late, and if I carried on I would’ve run around 20km by the end of the run, so I decided to take a shortcut and use the rest of the time I had for sightseeing.

Running while visiting new places makes you discover things in a very different way, which I’m really enjoying.

• Pleasure: 8/10
• Pain: 4/10
• Heat: 8/10
• Scenery: 8/10
• Adventure: 9/10

running log #18

A few years ago, around the time I moved to Switzerland, I went on a hike with some friends. We started off in Montreux and hiked up to Les Rochers de Naye. At the time, it took us all morning and the beginning of the afternoon to hike the 13km (1700m uphill). At one point, we were overtook by a guy that was – get this – running up. I remember we all commented on how crazy that was. It seemed worlds away from what we would ever be able to do.

Well. Today, I was that person.

But it was not easy. No. The mythical Montreux-Les-Rochers-de-Naye race was the hardest race I have ever done.

It started off quite leisurely at Montreux train station. We started running flat and about 800m in we started running uphill. I was feeling quite fresh even though I haven’t been training much. We soon got onto a little forest path that follows the Chauderon river. People in front of me were slowing down on uphill sections and it made me control my pace. It was fresh, there were magnificent waterfalls and leafy, lush vegetation.

Out of the forest, we hit the road and carried on uphill until the first aid station. By now, it was getting warm (yesterday was the hottest day of the year in this region and I don’t even need to check the statistics because hot days have been rare). Some sections were so steep or just so long that we had already begun to alternate running and walking. So had everyone else.

After the first aid station we started running downhill. This was the fast section of the run. I was feeling light and with energy. We began to have views over the lake. Everything was beautiful. There was an accordion player in one of the aid stations. I danced to its music. People laughed and cheered. It was magic.

Then, we started climbing again. We were on the road, but it was steep and long enough to make it difficult to run all the way. I gave up running and decided to walk, keeping up a fast, regular pace. It was the best decision. Thank you to all the years of hiking with scouts in the August sun in the roads and plains of Portugal. I event taught my friends the “passo escuta” (you run for 20 steps, you walk for another 20, and so on).

After a few km on this road, we went into a forest again. It was a soft faux-plat (this means that it is a very gentle climb) that we could run, so we did. My thighs started feeling tight from the effort. At this point, we were about 9 or 10km into the run.

We soldiered on, running when we could, walking when we couldn’t. Spirits were high. We were a team of four. Normally each one runs their own race, but for some reason, the four of us stuck together today and helped each other out during any difficulty. It was a good thing we did, because at 5km to the end of the race, things began to get hard. Really hard.

After an aid station where two of our mates got a kiss from their husbands, we started climbing again. Really climbing. In the sun which was now high up in the sky (it was around 11h30). One of our mates began to get discouraged, saying she’d had enough. It was taking us much longer to reach the km signposts by this point. 4. I tried to distract her by talking about whatever silly thing I could think of.

Then, a forest path that was quite steep. It was fresh, but the climb was making my thighs and lower back yell. I drank some isotonic drink at one of the aid stations that didn’t go down well. Or maybe I was just getting too tired, I felt a little nauseous.

3. I started lagging behind. I can’t remember what happened between 3 and 2. I remember just thinking of putting one foot in front of the other. I breathed. I accelerated when I could. I slowed down when it was too much. Walking, always walking. We were beyond running at this point.

2. A little bit of flat. I tried to run a little. My body seemed to say “really”?

Then we reached the last aid station, 1 km before the finishing line. Normally, 1 km is a relief. You speed up. You get your last bout of energy and you just hammer it down. Well, not on this race. On the last km, 17.8 km after you’ve been hiking and running uphill and you just want it to be over, because it was good but now you’re tired and you could just lie down right there and then, you still have the hardest climb ahead of you.

Which also has the most beautiful views over the Lac Léman, the French Alps and the surrounding peaks of the Alpes Vaudoises.

The last few meters were just… painful. I felt sick. I was tired. I was hot. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. We crossed many people on this last bit. Hikers, people from the shorter race who were still coming up as well, people who had reached the top and were running down, families who were just visiting the beautiful Rochers de Naye. Every single one of them encouraged the runners who were still struggling up and when you are on your last bout of energy, every word of encouragement counts.

Then, the climbing stopped and there were a few meters of flat. We turned the corner, and there it was, in all its glory, the finish line. And my mates, waiting for the last two of us to arrive so that we could cross the finish line together.

• Pain: 10/10
• Pleasure: 10/10
• Scenery: 10/10
• Challenge: 10/10
• Will I do this again? You bet I will! 10/10

*My polar marked 17.81km, but the official race distance is 18.8km. I think that during the time we spent in the forest I might have lost GPS signal and the automatic calculations are incorrect.

running log #8

Today’s run was special.

9 years ago, I lived for a few months in Kandersteg, a little village in the heart of the Swiss Alps where there is a world centre for scouts. At the time, mostly because of my scout life, I already loved nature, mountains and outdoor activities. But Summer’09 was a turning point. I spent the summer hiking all over the surrounding mountains, I met people from all over the world, and many of the projects that I took on in the following years were sparked by this experience.

I remember so well being gobsmacked by the Gasterntal valley, half an hour up from the Kandersteg valley, following the Kander river in direction of the Kanderfirn glacier, where it comes from. I hadn’t been there for a long time, so today, after a busy weekend with meetings and General Assembly at the Scout Centre, I headed up towards the valley.

Just out of the centre, I ran up some fields where cows were resting in the sun. I got two shocks while trying to close the electrical fence, but I only realised they were shocks when the second one hit me! The cows stared at me. I ran past them and they didn’t budge.

Then, I followed a path into the woods and started climbing. At this point, even very early on into the run, I had to walk because the path was so steep. I kept my heart rate up by hiking as vigorously as I could.

Following the Kander river, after 15 minutes of a steep climb, the terrain flattened out again and I ran through some nice shady woods, appreciating the milky colour of the river. I turned left and passed the restaurant at the beginning of the valley that doesn’t even have electricity (or at least, 9 years ago, when I ate there for my “Pinkie” graduation*, it didn’t).

And this is where you get hit in the face by this:

It’s the rocks, it’s the spring flowers having a festival on the grass, it’s the snow on the peaks, the clouds contrasting in the blue sky. It’s so perfect that it’s ridiculous.

Encouraged by the view, I kept running. I stopped for pictures when I felt like it. Ran again. Stopped again to watch two mother ducks swim away with their 6 or 7 little ducklings in a pond. Listened to the 4 or 5 waterfalls crashing down melted snow from mountains all around. Stopped to take pictures. Ran again.

After a few km on the flat path, I ran into a leafy forest and started a slight climb with sneak peeks to the Doldenhorn. When I realised that I was running a little late, I turned around and headed back. Until this moment, no fatigue, no pain, just pure enjoyment, running and taking in the views.

Heading out of the forest again, even though I kew what I was going to find, I couldn’t avoid the feeling of being hit by the scenery again. I even said something out loud. Afterwards, at dinner, someone told me that, invariably, when hiking out of the forest and facing this view, everyone falls silent. Even the kids.

I took 5000 more pictures before running back to where I came from. Usually, I don’t like to do linear runs where you have to run through the same path twice to get back to the starting point, but here the view is so stunning, that you cannot get enough different perspectives.

Then, I went back down the steep, rocky part, always along the Kander river, practising my downhill running in tricky steep terrain with loose rocks, branches and even steep steps lined with wood and stones.

Back into Kandersteg, I ran through the campsite of the scout centre and back to the centre, happy that I brought my running gear yet again and that, after a long, busy weekend, I could go out, have a run, and have all this beauty as a prize.

*the volunteers at the Scout Centre are called Pinkies because they work in pink t-shirts.

running log #2

Today I “ran” my first trail. One of the guys in our club organised an outing in his native village up in the Jura Vaudois. I’d never run up a mountain before, so when I woke up this morning a thought crossed my mind that I should probably have different shoes. So I went and bought some trail shoes. I’m so glad I did: I would have probably killed my feet, my joints or fallen on my face while running down the mountain, but with my new shoes I felt like a little mountain goat with a grip on every rock.

So, we started off running. 10 seconds up the road and I was already walking. I realised very quickly that it was so steep that I could actually keep up with those who were running by just walking fast, while saving more energy. So, walk I did. Whenever I felt that I was lagging behind, I picked up the pace and ran a little, but I only had to do that when the path levelled out a little because no one was able to run much up the steep hills.

When we got to the top and started running down, my thighs started bugging me, so I tried to not force myself too much. I was able to keep up with my mates anyway, so I was pretty happy. We ran back down all the way, making the most of the wide paths and being really careful not to trip in the steep, irregular forest.

Overall, I loved this run. All the years of hiking payed off on the climb, and all the months of running really helped while coming down. Frequently, during our hikes, we get really bored during descents, so I think we’ve just found the mode that suits us best! I cannot wait to try another trail run!