Day 28: The End of the Doubs Gorges and Into Switzerland
After our night at Jacky’s place, and following a breakfast kindly offered by our host, we set off again along the trail to enjoy the final kilometres running alongside the Doubs Gorges. The views are magnificent, and the sun is out too.
After around ten kilometres, we reach the junction that marks the divide between the Swiss Jura and the French Jura. William, the co founder of the HexaTrek, strongly recommended the Swiss variant, so we choose that option.
Because we started late, far too late, thanks to our little evening at Jacky’s, we only walk about fifteen kilometres. This brings us to a small campsite a few hours after the junction. Twenty two Swiss francs for the night. Welcome to Switzerland.
Not long after we arrive, we see three hikers checking in. Their packs are tiny, which makes me think they are out for a day walk. That is where I am very wrong. Hugo, who is also at reception, comes back to us and says, “See those American hikers over there. They are in their sixties, they have been walking over 35 kilometres a day since the start of the trail, and they hike more than 1,000 miles a year together.” Wow. I am impressed. We start chatting with them over dinner and they tell us they have completed, among other things, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail, with packs that weigh only 6 kg.
After a good dinner, it is time to organise the days ahead. In Switzerland, wild camping rules are much stricter. In several places over the coming days, pitching a tent will be forbidden. Tomorrow, we have the choice between doing 15 km or 40. Well, guess which one wins 😉. With 40 kilometres planned, including the climb up to the Creux du Van, about 1,500 metres of ascent, not to mention the descent, we decide the alarm will be set for 5.00 a.m. We have picked up the bad habit recently of starting to walk around 10.00 a.m. Right, it is late, I am going to bed. Good night.
Day 29: Forty Kilometres in the Legs and a Storm Alert
5.00 a.m. The alarm goes off. For those who know me well, I spent 12 years swimming at national level. At that level, and in that sport, many training sessions take place in the morning from 6.00 to 8.00 a.m. A small detail, I absolutely hate getting up that early for training and I avoid those morning schedules as much as possible.
But today is different. I have never walked such a big distance, and when the alarm rings, I feel genuinely excited about the challenge ahead.
At 6.00 a.m., I start walking along a trail bathed in soft light
By 9.00 a.m., I have already covered around fifteen kilometres. Since I ate breakfast at 5.00 a.m., I take my first break and treat myself to a bowl of ramen, yes, I know it is 9.00 a.m., but on a hike, every craving is allowed. Alex and Édouard soon pass me. Alex also stops for a break, but Édouard keeps going like a determined warrior. He does not take a single break until kilometre 25.
We walk a good part of the day with the three American machines, Pam, Suzan and Richard. They are hard to keep up with, and during the first part of the climb towards the Creux du Van, I have the pleasure of hiking with Suzan. The ascent is done in intense heat, and it is far more motivating to climb alongside another woman hiker.
After a lunch break where Alex buys a Coca Cola at a bargain price, five francs, we do love Switzerland, we set off again for the second part of the climb, which includes 400 metres of ascent in barely two kilometres, in other words, it is seriously steep.
After two hours of hard climbing, lots of sweat and a few swear words, thanks to my excellent sense of direction I manage to take the wrong path three times, I finally reach the top of the Creux du Van.
As soon as I arrive, I realise an ibex is calmly lounging on the summit. I creep towards it to take a few photos.
We do not stay long at the top, as thunderstorms are forecast in the coming hours and the sky is looking increasingly threatening. No chance of becoming a human lightning rod when the first bolts appear.
It is already 33 kilometres by only 2.00 p.m., and my body starts to protest. What a relaxing holiday. But we have to keep going until the refuge. On top of that, I have learned that Gala, with whom I have been chatting since the start of the adventure on Instagram, and Laurent, whom I met in Niederbronn des Bains, will be camping at the same place as us. I cannot wait to see them.
The last two kilometres are pure torture. I feel like collapsing on the trail. My feet are screaming. Around 5.00 p.m., we finally reach the refuge, and it is beautiful. We share a meal around a table, then go to sleep.
Around 11.00 p.m., I am woken by thunder and lightning tearing across the sky. I jump off my sleeping mat and rush into the refuge. Yes, great idea. I had decided to sleep in my tent because the refuge was already full. Once inside, I feel reassured and the rest of the night passes peacefully.
Day 30: Sleeping in a Barn and Saying Goodbye, for a Day
Right from the start of the day, Alex takes the lead and sets off alone. Édouard and I do not yet have a clear plan. Surprisingly, my feet feel very good this morning, despite the 40 kilometres we walked yesterday.
Around 10.00 a.m., we meet Alex at a small café. He tells us he wants to keep walking at his own pace for a while and that it is time to say goodbye. I have been walking with him for almost a month, so it is a very tough moment, especially as I did not expect it to happen today. We say goodbye, and he heads off again.
With Édouard, we check the forecast and see there is a small chance of some clearing for sunset tonight on the top of a mountain, because yes, surprise, it is still raining today.
Around 2.00 p.m., we arrive near the Grange Neuve chalet. Shivering with cold, we decide to stop for a hot chocolate and give the sun a chance to come back out. Yes, we are still hoping for a sunset from the top of Mont Suchet.
We immediately notice how friendly and welcoming the staff are. Édouard asks the waitress whether it is possible to pitch our tent on the summit of Mont Suchet. As she is not from the area, she comes back with her manager. The manager tells us, “You can pitch your tent on my land without any problem. Or you can use our dormitory.” I am about to refuse the dormitory because I am trying to save as much as possible, when she adds one word: “free of charge.” Slightly confused, I ask her to repeat herself. Yes, I heard correctly.
She explains that the dormitory is a former military dormitory in a barn, and many hikers spend the night there. We have only walked 23 kilometres today, but the decision is made. We will stay. In any case, the mountains are covered in fog and a sunset is looking less and less likely.
With Édouard, we look at the route and the weather and decide to plan a solid 36 kilometre day tomorrow so that we can reach the summit of Mont Tendre in the evening. We are still hoping for sunrise from Mont Suchet, so we set the alarm for 4.15 a.m.
I am exhausted and go to bed at 7.00 p.m., a new personal record. Alex texts me to say he walked 40 kilometres again, for the second day in a row. He is spending the night at a campsite in Vallorbe. We tell him our plan for tomorrow and he says he will start late in the morning.
Day 31: A Foggy Sunrise
4.15 a.m., the alarm goes off. Surprisingly, I feel well rested despite this early start. I eat breakfast quickly and around 4.45 a.m. we set off, my head torch firmly strapped on.
Well, bad luck again. It will be a foggy dawn today rather than a sunrise. Still, the experience of walking in the dark and watching day slowly arrive is satisfying. Another satisfying thing is that by 8.00 a.m., we have already covered 16 kilometres. We enter Vallorbe and look for a small café where we can recharge our batteries. I should mention that the solar panel has not been very useful for the past few days and use the internet. The joys of a mobile plan that does not work in Switzerland. Alex soon joins us, so the goodbye ends up being short lived after all, and we tell him about our plan to bivouac on the summit of Mont Tendre to watch sunset and sunrise. Yes, yes, we are optimistic despite the weather.
When we reach the summit, there are a few brief clear spells, but not long after, the fog returns, and the cold with it. The kind of cold that feels like 5 degrees on 30 June. Brilliant. As the snack bar is closed, we have dinner outside on the terrace and wait for the rain to stop so that we can set up our bivouac.
Around 9.00 p.m., we start walking again and pitch our tent a few hundred metres from the summit, so that we have at least minimal protection from the wind. I set my alarm for 5.30 a.m. Will we finally have some luck with the sun tomorrow morning. To be continued 😉