After finally running my early season road marathon last week I celebrated the opening of Spring/Summer mountain running season with a return to the Juras to pick up where I had left off. After a quick train ride to Vallorbe from Lausanne I quickly found the Jura Crest trail and headed North ... and up. The plan was to get Le Suchet and possibly Chasseron depending on how I felt.
The day progressed quite nicely, I found water when I needed it and felt great on the slopes of Le Suchet and Chasseron. In between I found some unexpected nice sections of trail on Aigulles de Baulmes, which is definetely worthy of a return trip. After Chasseron I decided to press on and drop off the Jura Crest a few miles up to the East towards one of the cute villages along Lac Neuchatel. This would greatly facilitate the next leg of the Jura Crest to the North for a proportionately smaller effort today. While this seemed like a good idea at the time shortly thereafter I blew up. I dont know why but I really struggled the last few miles in. I expected a quick efficient descent and instead found a long ago abandonded, unsigned and hidden trail overgrown with fresh Nettles. I assumed that a reroute would be found a few hundred meters up the trail but instead ended up traversing miles over to the next trail off the crest. Have you ever found yourself coming around a slight bend on a dirt road only to see the road climb when you know it should be descending? I was holding my map and cursing the topography. I briefly considered and rejected bombing straight down a 50% grade through the forest and thickly brushed understory. After finally making out of the woods I cross countried my way through a bunch of pastures and pea fields and finally laid up at the water fountain in Champagne waiting for the post bus. Whew! Those last few miles the wheels really came off.
The Swiss cows were definitely enjoying being let out of the barn
After passing out of Vallorbe the route went through the very pleasant village of Balluiges
Fields of dandelions on the slopes of Le Suchet. Dent de Vaulion in the background
Climbing up Le Suchet
Solar panels out in the middle of the Juras
Remnants of WW II tank defenses in the Jura. The Toblerone Line.
On the Southern slopes of Le Suchet
Looking South at a previous weekends work: Dent de Vaulion in the middle, Mont d'Or is the rocky ridge to the right, Mt Tendre off to the left.
Summit of Le Suchet 1 km off
Aigulles de Baulmes from Le Suchet, the trail I took went up and over this ridgeline, it was a very nice climb ...
... but the upper portion of the descent of Le Suchet left a bit to be desired
While the lower portion of trail to the NW of Le Suchet was superb!
Climing up towards Mont de Baulmes
On Mont de Baulmes and heading towards Ste Croixe
Sainte Croixe off in the distance
Really nice descent of Mont de Baulmes
Gentians on the slope of Chasseron
On the summit ridgeline of Chasseron. Mt Aubert and Lac Neuchatel off to the right
The northern descent off Chasseron
While descending off the Jura Crest I ran into ...
... a really nice orchid and ...
an adorable little Gallium.
Garmin says - 26.8 miles with 6300 ft of vertical. Latest effort in pink, this map shows the southern 1/3 of the Jura mountains from Lake Neuchatel (bottom) towards Lake Geneva (upper left)
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