Rock cliff in the Jura mountains
This time we chose the trip to Chamonix, France, a bit untraditionally. We canceled our flight to Geneva, so we called the flight Prague Basel and from the airport we headed to the village above the Neuchatel lake in the French canton of Switzerland. Les Hauts becomes our base for a few days.
We managed the peaks in the area during the last visit. This year we went to the rock cliff Creux du Van, formed by limestone in the Val de Traverse in the Jura Mountains, on the border with the canton of Vaud. The rock wall has a crescent shape, is 1400 m long and 440 m high. The area is declared a nature reserve. There is no entrance fee here. The journey by car from Neuchâtel does not take more than half an hour. We park the car in the town of Noiraigue, ideally in the parking lot and snack bar Ferme Robert above Noiraigue. We will save a not very interesting climb on the asphalt and a few Swiss francs for that. The route starts right behind the restaurant. The gradual ascent turns steeper and steeper, but the views from the cliffs and the cliffs are worth it. With good visibility you can see up to Mont Blanc, unfortunately we were not lucky. I take pictures everywhere and everything because it can't be taken .. We're upstairs in an hour. Humble people (the Internet spoke of „Wenceslas“), the cliffs remind us of the surroundings of the town of Bournemout or England ?? We do not miss the top of Le Soliat (1465m). The weather is starting to get inclement, it's starting to storm in the distance, so we're quickly down to the parking lot. We choose the same path for the descent, but you can choose a circuit around and around, on one side up, on the other side down. A pleasant trip even for families / not very able tourists. We got the ascent and descent in pace, so we sweat a lot. The rain has passed us, let's cool off in the Neuchatel lake, Lac de Neuchatel. Beautiful beaches, almost like by the sea :-). In the evening, our relatives are waiting for us with a multi-course dinner. Thanks to them for recommending this place. The next morning in the direction of crowded Chamonix. This is my third time here, but we have never seen a massacre like this year. The French and the Swiss are afraid to fly, all heading to the mountains. Parking lot full, exposed mountain places full, we are looking for unmarked paths, sometimes we are successful, sometimes less. Nevertheless, the beauty of the mountains did not disappoint us. The mountains are simply the most!
Not a step further :-). Creux du Van
Sometimes it is better to take a step back.
Le Soliat 1465 m
To the cross to the top of Le Soliat
Wilderness above Creux du Van
A quick escape from a rock cliff.
Lake Neuchatel
Swiss sea with mountain peaks in the distance.