The forgotten ones (France)

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This is my 50th post. Wow. It seems a journey already and along the way I remembered some hikes I tought I had fogotten! Still some are really forgotten so to celebrate the 50th post I write about the forgotten hikes.

I calculated that I do about 30 hikes per year. When I was young I certainly did less and maybe I stopped for a few years, so let's say I did 15 hikes per year on average in my life. Starting to count at 6 years old (and I still did many with my dad) that gives 450 hikes. Then I sure redo some but I am not a routine person so I often actively seek new ones. So I think it is conservative to say I did about 200 different hikes (not counting variations). While writing this blog I estimated that I remember a bit less then 100 hikes in detail enough to make a post. So this means that I have "forgotten" at least 100 more...

In here you find some information about some of the forgotten ones. I don't remember them well enough to make detailed posts but still for many I remmeber starting points, highlights and I can reconstruct the path. For some I have a few pictures as well. 

And since they are many I dedicate this first "forgotten hikes" post to the French one. In fact I lived 2 years in France just at the boarder in Geneva and I did plenty of hikes in France but since it was by now 10 years ago I have mostly forgotten the details. So since I have posted about no French hikes yet, here you go! The forgotten French hikes.

Dent d'Oche (2221m)

Download GPS file

  • Start point: La Fétiuère, Bernex
  • Destination: Dent d'Oche (2221m)
  • Distance: ~3.9 km one way
  • Elevation gain: ~960 m
  • Time: ~4-5 hour (return)
  • Difficulty: Challenging
Description :
This is one of the closet to the Swiss border. You can get there from Novel that sits right at the border but it is very long. We did it from La Fétiuère that is shorter but still gives a 4-5 hike. Towards the end you also have to scamble a bit with your hands on the rocks and some ropes to help. But in general it is not very difficult, just long.

Reculet (1719m)

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  • Start point: Tiocan, Thoiry
  • Destination: Reculet (1719m)
  • Distance: ~4 km one way
  • Elevation gain: ~840 m
  • Time: ~4-5 hour (return)
  • Difficulty: Challenging
Description :
This is one of the closet highest peaks in the Jura at 1717m. The highest might be Cret de la Neige at 1720m just next. You can get there from Tiocan, a muntain hut with a parking. I remember very little about this one! After all it is a forgotten one.

Lac Blanc (2365m)

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  • Start point: Tré-le-Champ le haut, close to Argentière
  • Destination: Lac Blanc (2365m)
  • Distance: ~4.9 km one way
  • Elevation gain: ~945 m
  • Time: ~5-6 hour (return)
  • Difficulty: Challenging
Description :
This was an epic one I would like to redo. It gave me the photo I still use everywhere today (you see it at the top). The hike is on the mountain just in front of Mont Blanc and offers great views of it. It is quite rocky and steep. We saw several chamois. At the top you arrive at a refuge near a supercold alpine lake where one of my friends dared to bath (we were young back then). The photo is takes actually a bit further up above the lake. 

Salève (1102m)

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  • Start point: Base du télépherique, Pas de l'Echelle
  • Destination: Salève (1102m)
  • Distance: ~4 km one way
  • Elevation gain: ~680 m
  • Time: ~2,5 hours (one way)
  • Difficulty: Average
Description :
The télépherique du Salève is just a few hunderd meters from the Swiss border outside Geneva. The hike goes on a forest path and arrives at the top of the Télépherique. One highlight is the Buddhist monastery that you find at the top! And if you want you can do it one way and go back down with the télépherique.

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

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