Exploring Geneva and the Haute Savoie

lined up and ready to go whilst we have a coffee

2010-08-15T11:55:00.001+02:00

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The blog is back..the Alpes Open Tour

2010-08-09T20:56:00.027+02:00

Hi all,

After an extended hibernation the blog is coming back to life. The summer challenge has been set and starts on Sunday August 15 -- 6 days of cycling, 659 km of road and tackling some of the classic Tour de France climbs in the French Alps.

Assuming the battery holds up in the new Android phone I hope to post straight to the blog (www.genevaexplore.blogspot.com) for an unedited appreciation of the pain... and hopefully some stunning views.

The tour..

Each day's route is shown below. More detailed notes to follow in the blog.. you may recognise some ski resorts - Châtel, Morzine, Les Gets, Combloux, Megève, Courchevel... but for those in the know it is Col des Saisies, Madeleine, Croix de Fer, L'Alpe d'Huez and Galibier that are the landmarks.. and don't worry a few months ago I only knew of Alpe d'Huez!!!

On the slopes again.

2009-12-05T08:50:00.000+01:00

Two weeks ahead of the official launch Les Gets opened the télécabine and 4-man chair lift on the Chavannes plateau .... and more importantly for Caroline the shops were in order. Perfect combination to get the equipment tuned up and in full working order.

From First day on the slopes for 09/10 season

Winter has arrived.

From First day on the slopes for 09/10 season

"Will the colour match my helmet?"

From First day on the slopes for 09/10 season

Salomon advert

From First day on the slopes for 09/10 season

Looking on to Mt. Chery

and where to go next weekend?

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Link to photo album

Snow coming next week?

2009-11-26T18:47:00.005+01:00

Found a great web site for snow forecasts (www.j2ski.com). At the time of writing looks like there will be a load of snow at Les Gets on Monday and Tuesday of next week. See the widget below - or if it does not appear in your feed go to www.genevaexplore.blogspot.com

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Les Gets Snow Forecast | Snow Report | by E-mail

Getting the legs ready for skiing..

2009-11-21T18:53:00.003+01:00

It has been warming up again recently, and the snow in the Alps has melted beneath 2000 metres. Nevertheless, we have faith the snow will fall again. Aware that a far fitter friend will be joining us at Christmas for some stamina draining skiing a new cycle route was needed.

Proving that La Motte is the sunny side of Geneva, the ride was great except for the dense fog at Vers, forcing a right turn up above the clouds towards Charly and then St Blaise on the Saleve. Headed off towards Cruseilles and then a sharp descent towards Ronzier before climbing back through Copponex and Cernex all in sunglass weather.

Early winter in the Haute-Savoie

This is a beautiful ride through the countryside of the Haute Savoie. Will do again and take some decent photos. Only around 30 km to ensure the day is not written off - but over 800 metres of climb to work the legs a little.

New home loop

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Link in case route does not appear

PS For our regular readers - We know we are behind on the blog... promise to try and catch up!

First climb up the Col de la Faucille

2009-10-25T20:23:00.006+01:00

It may not be the hardest Col to climb in the area - but it is one of the best known. According to Wikipedia the category 3 climb it has been included in the Tour de France 41 times since since 1911.

Officially starting from Gex (620m) the 11.8 km climb averages 6%, increasing to 8%, as it finishes at 1323m.

But it is a classic climb - and the chart tells a telling story. The 703 m climb is relentless with no flat section or descent en route for a breather.

From juraclimb

Passing Napoleon's fountain. Apparently his horse took a drink here in 1805.

From juraclimb

Conquered!

From juraclimb

Out of season don't expect to be able to find a coffee at the top ..

From juraclimb

..what they didn't tell me ... another 150 m of climbing before a descent through the woods..

From juraclimb

GPS advises we cycled over 70 km and to be confirmed the best part of 1000 m of climb on my introduction to Col climbing... but for the real stuff try looking at this blog of a local Col climber euphemistically described as an "enthusiastic amateur".

Présilly VTT 2009 - my first organsised mountain biking event.

2009-10-11T19:06:00.029+02:00

VTT - Vélo tout terrain, the french for mountain biking, is another popular activity in the region. I had wanted to try out one of the many organised sessions - but there was always a good reason to do something else. Nevertheless, a few weeks after moving house and an organised VTT day in the neighbouring village of Présilly by the local VTT club.

Arrived for a rather chilly start to choose one of the routes. The 32 Km route blur run with 750m of climb was selected - though GPS was to confirm that at least 2 of the stats to be underestimated!

From Présilly VTT 2009

The route - with more accurate information on Nokia Sportstracker and GPSies.... but the real evidence..

From Présilly VTT 2009

mud, hills and pain...

From Présilly VTT 2009

..but several refresher stops on the way..

From Présilly VTT 2009

..and the whole day out with lunch and wine only cost €12...

From Présilly VTT 2009

looking forward to more in 2010.

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Great website for VTT in France
Montailloux VTT Club
Route on GPSies
Route on Sportstracker

The first Saleve climb by bike

2009-08-17T17:46:00.010+02:00

The Saleve stands at the back of the house in Neydens. Every day I look at it -- we've driven up it many times, and enjoyed a good number of hikes, but one day the inevitable had to happen - the first ascent by bike.

The last day of John and Annemarie's visit, and fully hydrated from the evening before, we set of from Neydens (560 metres) in the direction of Mont Sion. Binned the first option for a stop at the junction and carried on to St. Blaise. Cancelled the second option for a stop in St. Blaise and pushed on to Chateau des Avenieres. This was the hard part - but local knowledge knew there was a welcome short downhill section to reach for the water bottle and wish I was as fit as John!

Hit the T-Junction and turn left on the road from Cruseilles to start another climb. Long but wonderfully cool in the trees to reach the ridge and great views of Mont Blanc and the French Alps. Great camaraderie on meeting fellow cyclists - but something of an amazement to meet a guy coming the other way - in his sixties with loaded double panniers and a trailer smiling all the way!

Reach a peak somewhere around 1350 metres and the long wonderful descent to La Croisette (1175 metres) comfortable in the knowledge that only mechanical failure stood in the way of success! First stop at La Croisette for a few photos and well-deserved beer.

From First cycle ascent of the Saleve

Only needed to enjoy the long descent towards Archamps - but did manage to find a few more climbs just to make sure we had a full exercise session.

The view along the Saleve profile just looks so much more refreshing and satisfying now... and John was finally able to enjoy his deserved Andouillette..

From First cycle ascent of the Saleve

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Route on Nokia Sportstracker

Route on MapMyRide.com

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/france/neydens/269125052315023597"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Saleve climb from Neydens&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/france/neydens"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Neydens, France&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The start of evening cycling.. at last.

2009-07-31T10:38:00.010+02:00

A couple of friends have been talking about cycling after work. Typically we spent months talking about it - and then two rides booked on consecutive nights!

First ride (July 30, 2009)

As soon as we covered the first 300 metres I sensed the pace might be faster than normal rides with Caroline. 52 km through Switzerland, the Haute Savoie and Ain (including some of the Jura) which was a significant part of the 469 metre total climb. Perhaps this will be a breeze in months to come - but as I toiled up the final hill back to Neydens the thought of another ride the next day started raising one or two alarm bells!

First Ride with Mark - 30/07/2009
Find more Bike Rides in Saint-julien-en-genevois,
More route detail

Second after work ride (July 31, 2009)

Woke up and pleasantly surprised to note that I could still walk. Just over an hour - but still a fair number of hills as the route was restricted to France avoiding the gentle roads in the Geneva area. As the legs started to go to jelly on some of the hills I just had to think of what good this might be doing for skiing in the winter!

But do I learn? Another ride booked for Tuesday, this time VTT (mountain biking) .. and I've just come across an interesting VTT route on the Saleve from Cruseilles..

More route detail

The Plateau de Loex Tour is conquered!

2009-07-26T18:58:00.021+02:00

From Les Gets 26 July 09

Les Gets does not shut down for the summer. Ski lifts are put to good use ferry mountain bikers to minimise some of the climb. There are two types of biking - cross country (XC) and downhill (DH). To date, under strong guidance from Caroline, I have limited myself to the cross-country. First couple of visits I limited myself to the blue and red XC runs, but in a moment of madness, and a new front brake disc installed on the Rockhopper together with newly purchased protective gear I challenged myself to the Black XC run, the "Plateau de Loex Tour" (marked no. 7 on the map). Easy I thought .. I had done the Black Mountain Bike Run at Thetford Forest several times - and the distance was about the same .. but the Alps do make a significant difference - up and down. East Anglia soon became very, very flat.

From Les Gets 26 July 09

"Plateau" has little to do with flat on this run. Whilst the total descent from the Chavanne lift may be 700 metres - there is also 400 metres of climbing on the 17 km route. Climbing was something of a challenge given current state of cardiovascular fitness, and I was happy to stop and admire the stunning views - but don't think the descent is easy. I was relieved to have the larger brake disc at the front - but it is not likely to be long before there is upgrade on the rear brake system as well! Any steeper and it felt as if one would be doing a forward roll. (Yes I thought you were meant to use the rear brake more - but the apparently technique is to lower the saddle and put as much weight to the rear as possible).

Spectacular views of Mont Blanc on the climb..

back in Les Gets ..

From Les Gets 26 July 09

Will I be doing it again? Yes.. phone crashed and so limited photos and no GPS record for the doubters. For the less adventurous this would be a great walk.

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Official web site for mountain biking at Les Gets

and if you are wondering what downhill (DH) is like

First experience of the Tour de France at Annecy

2009-07-23T19:24:00.000+02:00

We have cycled around Lake Annecy a few times - and were naturally a little curious after learning that the Tour de France would be visiting for an individual time trial on July 23. Growing frustration with politics in Formula 1, and something resembling the erratic early stages of a cycling driven fitness campaign, made the Tour increasingly fascinating.

Annecy was prepared and made no secret of its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

From Tour de France Lake Annecy 09

Looking at the equivalent of the Formula 1 paddock is easy - and remember this is a free spectator sport.

From Tour de France Lake Annecy 09

but perhaps Bernie's marketing techniques may have a role. The bottled water company "Vittel" was extremely visible with truck loads of bottled water being distributed to the teams - but having generated this awareness on a rather warm day one might assume there would be plenty of outlets to quench thirst... Alas not! :( Well may be the Marketing Director of Vittel uses Google BlogSearch for brand feedback and fixes this for next year.

From Tour de France Lake Annecy 09

We may have claimed to have cycled a stage of the Tour de France - but to be honest the time trial has two key differences. First of all - the road was chosen over the cycle track on the west side - but more significantly the riders took a higher climb on the Cote de Bluffy.

All in all a great day out, indeed a must do ... but in all honesty once you have taken in the atmosphere, the best place to watch a time trial is in a friendly bar with fellow enthusiasts and a decent television screen.

Indeed, the video will give you a better idea ...

more pictures..

Support Annecy's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics!

2009-07-13T20:20:00.011+02:00

Regular readers of our blog may have noticed a link on the sidebar supporting Annecy's candidature for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Our loyalties are clear - Support Annecy's bid for 2018!

In March the French Olympic Committee selected Annecy as the French candidate city for 2018 - though as the map shows much of the region is proposed for events including Morzine just next to Les Gets as well as Mègeve and La Clusaz.

Annecy, in the French Alps not far from the Swiss border, was named ahead of rival bids from Grenoble, Nice and Pelvoux-les-Ecrins.

The host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics will be announced in July 2011 in Durban, but Annecy faces competition from other candidates like Munich, Germany and Pyeongchang, Korea.

And if have been really a really keen visitor to our blog you will have seen the "Live Traffic Feed" widget on the sidebar showing the location of visitors to our site. We have become used to visitors from around the world - but have seen our first from Korea. Sorry - Annecy wins over Pyeongchang!

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Annecy 2018 web site
2018 Winter Olympics on Wikpedia
Official Annecy 2018 video on You Tube

If viewing from an RSS feed (eg Plaxo, Facebook) you may need to visit our blog to see the video and something of our new home.

Les Gets Skiing videos

2009-06-27T08:51:00.011+02:00

We improved quite a lot in our first season of skiing - but perhaps these videos are a little more professional then might be achieved with current equipment.

Les Gets was our most popular resort.

Chamossiere is great. One of the first challenging red runs tackled - though at the time I thought there should be a brown run classification.

From Les Gets May 2009

Here's the Chamossiere run in the summer on the left hand side of photo.

Mont Chery Black Run

Possibly because we found some great places for lunch we never made it to Mont Chery in the first season - but will do so next season. The locals seem to prefer it to the more popular slopes on the other side.

Les Gets piste map download
http://www.planetski.eu/ - great web site for skiing info

Finally get to try out Hydrospeed

2009-06-21T09:53:00.020+02:00

Back in March and some idle browsing on the internet hydrospeed was discovered. It seemed like a great idea at the time and I even persuaded some intrepid friends to give it a go. First attempt, a bit of a communications problem, and we ended up doing the more relaxed white-water rafting. Second attempt - all systems go.

From Hydrospeeding Dranse, Thonon

it is a liitle bit like the aquatic version of a human cannonball..

From Hydrospeeding Dranse, Thonon

great fun when on the rapids - and for the record I had no unintended flipovers.

From Hydrospeeding Dranse, Thonon

but pretty exhausting if you leave it late to pull into the side and have to swim against the current.

From Hydrospeeding Dranse, Thonon

Many thanks to Caroline and her action photography! There may be some video to post later.
She thinks this all has something to do with "La crise de la quarantiene".

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More photos on Picasa

Mark and Geoffrey lead the way (in yellow helmets) to show how it's done.

Some people can navigate ... and some people can't

Cycle from Satigny through the Pays de Gex

2009-05-22T21:15:00.011+02:00

Believe me there really is good reason - we now have 6 bicycles in the Blackwell household (2 remnants from history, 2 mountain bikes and now 2 road bikes). The mountain biking from the ski lifts does not get going for a few weeks... and therefore we had to get her a road bike..

From Cycling with the Dolans

Caroline's new bike

The 40 km route starting in vineyard country in Satigny and heading off to France. For your reference note Geneva Airport on the right hand side of the photo.

From Cycling with the Dolans

Total innocence before the start..

From Cycling with the Dolans

Michael had days to plan the route....

From Cycling with the Dolans

Water before beer at the halfway point .. that is what the photo says..

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Route detail
More of our cycling

If you are reading this from an RSS (i.e. Facebook) feed go to www.genevaexpre.blogspot.com for the photos.

White-water rafting at La Dranse

2009-05-22T15:40:00.006+02:00

An elite crack team from the Cresta Run Club headed off for some hydrospeed on the Dranse River. Alas, a SNAFU caused a change of plan to white-water rafting. .. but we have free passes for a hydrospeed session later in June.

From Dranse white water rafting

The team..

From Dranse white water rafting

first paddles..

From Dranse white water rafting

The optional 10 metre leap..

Keith leaps..

followed by Mark..

and Geoffrey..

and Ebru...

who missed Michael?

From Dranse white water rafting

white-water action..

See more photos on Picasa

Dranse white water rafting

Sailing in Lac Leman from Yvoire

2009-05-17T22:03:00.006+02:00

From Sailing from Yvoire

Back in March we walked from Nernier to Yvoire which was quite helpful as I forgot to take photos of Yvoire before we set sail.

From Nenier and Yvoire Mar 09

Alas the wind was not great but it was a great introduction to the J24 we are thinking of buying. No one is denying that it needs a bit of spit and polish but that is why the boat is up for sale - with a mooring in Yvoire.

From Sailing from Yvoire

However, this is the world's most popular one-design keelboat and the link may provide some more dynamic guidance of what the boat is capable of.

Lake Geneva (aka Lac Leman) affords the opportunity for cruising and racing with multiple ports for overnight stops in two countries. There are also some extremes of weather especially the catabatic winds to make sailing (let alone learning) a little more exciting.

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Sailing route

Caves Ouvertes 2009

2009-05-16T18:51:00.014+02:00

Each Spring the vineyards are Geneva open up for all to sample the wines of the previous year. The Swiss tend to avoid the export market so you may well be surprised how much wine is produced in the region.

A bus was filled and we headed out of Geneva to visit Peissy, Laconnex and Anières. First stop 10 am. The good news is that whilst all the Caves open up on this day - it is possible to visit many of them during the year to sample their wines.

"The Geneva region is separated into three areas, the largest of which is Mandement, on the right bank of the Rhône. It is concentrated around the town of Satigny and the vineyards of Peissy.
Although the Chasselas still dominates the white vines, Geneva's winegrowers have won great successes at international wine competitions with classic grape varieties, such as the Chardonnay, usually considered as alternatives. Among the red vines, the Gamay equally dominates with excellent, well-structured wines. However, the Pinot Noir is taking more and more importance just like other red vines.
Geneva is one of the most dynamic wine-producing regions and was the first canton to introduce and adopt laws about the production of wines with the appellation d'origine contrôlée - AOC (controlled term of origin)." www.swisswine.ch

Peissy
Cave & Domaines Les Perrières - 54 Route de Peissy, Peissy CH 1242
Cave les Cretets - Chemin des Cretets 24, Peissy CH 1242
Domaine des Trois Etoiles - Peissy-Satigny 1242

Laconnex
Chateau de Laconnex - 16 rue Maison-Forte, Laconnex CH 1287
Domaine de Bossatier - Laconnex CH 1287
Domaine Jean Batardon - Route du Lavoir 13, Laconnex, CH 1287

Anières
Domaine des Menades - rue Centrale 30, Anières, CH 1247
Domaine Villard & Fils - 46, rue Centrale, Anières, CH 1247
Domaine de la Cote d'Or - rue Centrale, Anières, CH 1247

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Your guide to Geneva's countryside - www.campagnon.ch
Variety is the spice of Geneva wine
www.swisswine.ch
www.winecity.ch

Pomier - part of the Saint Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage

2009-05-10T19:48:00.001+02:00

From Pomier walk

It is starting to get warm - and the thought of a cool walk in the woods suddenly became very attractive one day. Pomier, half way up the Saleve offers some great walks through the cool woods and a little history with the Chartreuse de Pomier and more importantly being part of the famous pigrimage of Saint Jacques de Compostelle.

Chartreuse de Pomier (from Wikipedia)

From Pomier walk

The charterhouse was founded in 1170 by Willian I, Count of Geneva, and was subsequently used as a place of burial by a number of Counts of Geneva and Vaud. It was visited by the Emperors Sigismund and Charles IV, who put it under Imperial protection. In the course of its history it had 91 priors.

In 1793 it was pillaged during the French Revolution, and the religious structures ruined; the site was sold off into private ownership. At various times it was used for the production of pottery and as a brewery, before being put to agricultural uses. In 1894, Jérémie Girod bought the site from the then owner, the Baron de Drée, and from the ruins was able to restore the main building for use as an hotel, which under the name Hôtel Pension Abbaye de Pomier remained in business till 1991. The present and newly restored Chartreuse de Pomier, consisting of the cellars, and the chapter rooms on the ground floor, is now an event and conference venue.

From Pomier walk

The Way of St. James or St. James' Way (Saint Jacques de Compostelle) (is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle St James are buried.

From Pomier walk

The route of the pilgimage is marked with scallops shells nailed to trees..

From Pomier wal

The significance of the scallop symbol (from Wikipedia)

The scallop shell, typically found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meaning.

There are different accounts of the mythical origin of the symbol. Which account is taken depends on who is telling the story. Two versions of the most common myth are:

James the Greater, the brother of John, was killed in Jerusalem for his convictions about his brother. James had spent some time preaching on the Iberian Peninsula.

(version 1) After James' death, his disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. Off the coast of Spain a heavy storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, however, the body washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.
(version 2) After James' death his body was mysteriously transported by a ship with no crew back to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried in what is now Santiago. As James' ship approached land, a wedding was taking place on the shore. The young bridegroom was on horseback, and on seeing the ship approaching, his horse got spooked, and the horse and rider plunged into the sea. Through miraculous intervention, the horse and rider emerged from the water alive, covered in seashells.

Besides being the mythical symbol, the scallop shell also acts as a metaphor. The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination: the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. The scallop shell is also a metaphor for the pilgrim. As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up on the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guided the pilgrims to Santiago.

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Chartreuse de Pomier (from Wikipedia)

The Way of St James (from Wikipedia)

More photos on Picasa

Cycle to Hermance

2009-05-09T23:22:00.015+02:00

The return of Formula 1 to Europe may limit some of our weekend tours, but we did manage an late afternoon cycle from Geneva to Hermance and back. Only one minor hill and a delight to stop for a drink in beautiful Hermance by the French border. Pass through Cologny - home of Lewis Hamilton on the way.

From cycle to Hermance

Brief pause at Corsier. Caroline has had lunch at the lakeside restaurant "Le Petit Lac" and gives it a thumbs up. She continues to assure me she really isn't a "lady who lunches" whilst her husband toils in the office.

From cycle to Hermance

Return to Geneva - the current home of the Americas' Cup! .. Yes this is it at the Societe Nautique de Geneve

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Route details
Hermance web site
Hermance photos on Panoramio
Some of our other cycles

After work stroll up the Saleve

2009-05-06T22:38:00.000+02:00

Spring has arrived and new afterwork activities.. this was the objective...

From Saleve after work walk

next time, past the Chateau, and all the way to the top

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Photos on Picasa
Route details (run down not the climb up!)

Cycle around the vineyards from Geneva?

2009-05-03T17:26:00.012+02:00

We went to Divonne today and whilst the girls were wandering around the Sunday market, Neil and I headed off on our bikes towards Switzerland and found some great cycling paths which were for the most part flat - and certainly a lot easier than much of the Haute Savoie.

So I've started finding routes in the area - and the tour of vineyard area looked to be fun (43 kms). If the widget below does not work click here to see the route on mapmyride.com (it may only work in Internet Explorer) - unless someone has a better idea.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/switzerland/geneva/919124076692875165"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;43kms around vinyards return via Lancy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/switzerland/geneva"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Geneva, Switzerland&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

An alternative might be the organised "Cyclotour Leman" on May 31, 2009 as part of the training for the assault on Lac Leman. We could do the run to Lausanne.

"Organized by an association formed by a dozen volunteers, the “Cyclotour leman” unifying profibikers and hobbybikers. The race is open to all, and goes around the Swiss and French part of the Lake of Geneva. .

Three stretches are proposed, which are more or less long, depending on its level and its physical conditions.

The “Round the lake” strech starts and arrives in Lausanne and covers a distance of 180 km.

Going to the French side of the lake by boat, the participants will start in Evian and arrive to Lausanne, and will ride a distance of 110 Km

Finally, a distance of 60 km between Geneva to Lausanne is proposed."

Geneva slips to third best place in the world to live

2009-05-02T18:51:00.002+02:00

"In Mercer Consultings annual Quality of Living Survey, Europe once again dominates the list of 215 countries around the world. The top three cities are, by rank, Vienna, Zurich (last years winner), and Geneva. Commonwealth nations fare pretty well, too, winning 9 of the top 30 spots—even though London comes in only at 38. The U.S. also fares poorly, barely making it into the top 30 with Honolulu and San Francisco in the bottom two places. The top city in Asia is Singapore, at no. 26. No cities from Africa or South America are in the top 30. The bottom? Baghdad once again comes in at 215." - BusinessWeek

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from genevaexplore.blogspot.com

First cycle around Lake Annecy for 2009

2009-04-25T19:06:00.005+02:00

Spring has arrived. Skis packed up and bicycle tyres pumped up we head off for our first weekend cycle of the year around Lake Annecy (44km) .. the first of a few (much needed) training runs before an assault on Lake Geneva later in the year.

A word of advice - it is much easier to do this route clockwise. Last year Caroline expressed a few words as we climbed the hill out of Talloires.

On July 23 2009 the Tour de France has a time trial around Lake Annecy - I do hope they take the anti-clockwise route though I doubt they'll notice the hill much.

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Around Lake Annecy by bike - Rhone-Alpes Tourisme

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Teaching the nieces to ski

2009-04-08T20:41:00.001+02:00

I thought doing black runs and moguls in my first year of skiing would be the highlight .. but no there is nothing as enjoyable as teaching nieces to ski when only a few months ago I thought carving was something reserved for Sunday lunch..

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Nernier to Yvoire walk along Lac Leman

2009-03-15T18:11:00.010+01:00

Yvoire is a beautiful town - but it can be something of a tourist nightmare in a hot summer weekend to try and find a car park slot. Much better to start from the much quieter and charming Nernier and follow the path to Yvoire.

There are plenty of places to eat in Yvoire, but we've noted the restaurant by the Lake in Nernier for a future visit.

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Anyone for some hydrospeed?

2009-03-15T17:08:00.006+01:00

It is hard to believe but the end of the ski season is approaching, though given the snow this year we are still hopeful of skiing well into April. Nevertheless, plans for other outdoor activities must be made. With the big snowfalls this year it would seem that white-water rafting could be fun - but then I came across something new to me - hydrospeed. Having persuaded Caroline do go skiing do you think she might try this out as well? See the video. It looks to be great fun.

From Wikipedia "Riverboarding is believed to have originated in the late 1970s. It is claimed to have originated in France, when raft guides stuffed a burlap mail sack with life vests and went down rapids.Soon, riders adapted a personal submarine shell for their molds and the plastic version of the riverboard was born. Sometime in the late 1980s, Carlson began running rivers in California using an ocean bodyboard and ended up making his own board that was bigger, thicker and handles.

European riders also developed a foam version (called a hydrospeed ) of the plastic board to reduce weight and avoid injuring each other during collisions that sometimes resulted from one rider travelling downstream and another facing upstream while surfing a hydraulic. Today, homemade foam hydrospeeds are found primarily among European riders. A growing sport in North America, riverboarding has grown in popularity from media exposure and the emergence of commercial operators running riverboard trips."

More information on white-water sports in the Haute-Savoie

Skiing in Combloux at last..

2009-03-14T18:25:00.004+01:00

We head been wanting to ski at Combloux since our first visit to the resort before the season started in November. This is a quiet resort, with more locals than tourists, and well worth a visit. There are 100km of pistes, with some great wide, long (and empty) red runs. Great for beginners and intermediates but those looking for powder should look elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is only 4km from Megève and forms part of the "Evasion Mont-Blanc" area with Saint-Gervais, Cote 2000, Les Contamines, and La Giettaz with a total of 445 km of skiable pistes.

.. and there are great views of Mont Blanc from the restaurant at lunch

Hopefully we'll get a chance to ski in Combloux again before the end of the season but if not we'll definitely try to do some mountain biking in the summer - and it is probably even closer to home than Les Gets with a 45-50 minutes drive. A key tip.. if skiing on a Saturday leave early and aim to drive through Sallanches before 0830-0900 as it is market day (the same is true for Megève) - and if you are there for a week do not plan to leave after breakfast on Saturday!

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Skiing at Combloux

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Courchevel 1850

2009-03-13T19:50:00.019+01:00

A day off work, and a 2 hour drive, for a bit of luxury with friends on holiday - definitely a day for "social" skiing rather than clocking up the miles on the pistes.

Courchevel 1850 is the highest of the Courchevel resorts - and the smartest. Interestingly, 1850 is actually at 1747 metres - the name was chosen to compete with its rival Val d'Isere.

Caroline and I were in for some pleasant surprises. No sitting in the back of the Volvo trying to put on ski boots - instead valet parking, skis carried to the piste whilst we changed at leisure in the boot room complete with individual boot warmers.

Yes it is a bit (no a lot) more expensive than Les Gets, and yes we lunched in the same restaurant as frequented by Posh and Becks - the magician walking the tables was as amazing as the bill (and no one took the option of the whole chicken at 120 Euros!) - but the resort is stunning and the pistes are impeccable. The run down from Saulire at 2700m (see picture) is superb.

More info on skiing at Courchevel.

Geneva Motor Show 2009

2009-03-12T22:10:00.006+01:00

Whatever happened to the credit crunch?

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Courmayeur & Aosta, Italy

2009-02-26T21:52:00.010+01:00

Caroline went with some friends off to Italy, which is only just over an hour away through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Apparently she enjoyed herself and wants me to visit sometime in the summer.

Courmayeur, something of a ski resort just the other side of the tunnel was the first stop. NB Need to stop at the tourist information office for advice to see the views from above. It is a small town surrounded by snow covered mountains (in February) with a delightful pedestrian only street with classic Italian shopping.

After lunch of pizza and Pinot Grigio outisde in 18C the party drove on to Aosta, around 20 minutes further on into Italy. Aosta is Italy's last Roman outpost and has excellent ruins, a grand Piazza and numerous typically Italian shopping streets. One cafe, selling a multitude of Hot Chocolate varieties stood out. A wonderfully friendly place in need of another visit .. perhaps with Mark.

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Smart Megève

2009-02-21T18:56:00.006+01:00

As far as we can tell Megève is that smart ski resort of the area. In the very pleasant town you will see expensive ski suits (with plenty of fur) walking around that will never hit the slopes! But do not worry – the skiing is good especially if you head off to Cote 2000 from Alpette and back again.

According to wikipedia “The town started its development as a ski resort in the 1910s when the Rothschild family started to spend their winter vacations there after becoming disenchanted with the Swiss resort: St. Moritz. In 1921, Baronne Noémie de Rothschild opened an important hotel which boosted the resort's development. By the 1950s Megève was one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe and attracted many wealthy individuals and celebrities. Nowadays it is still visited largely by affluent people as is made obvious by the real estate prices.”

Megève is part of the skiing area "Evasion Mont Blanc" which includes the resorts Les Contamines, St Nicolas de Veroce, St Gervais Mont-Blanc and Combloux for 445 km of skiable pistes. These resorts are less than an hour for home - Evasion Mont Blanc could be a contender for our season pass 2009/10.

Some tips;

If you are more interested in skiing than wandering around the town it is probably better to park at La Princesse than in Megeve.
If you plan to eat after skiing on a Saturday book a table (we ended up in Sallanches!)
Saturday is market day in Sallanches - leave early and avoid the traffic for a full day's skiing

More information on skiing at Megeve

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Winter suprise au Saleve

2009-02-15T16:27:00.015+01:00

From Winter surprise at Le Saleve

A touch of guilt that our new found passion for skiing does not rest well with Kyla's need for a decent walk - and the risk of relatives arriving early from the UK whilst we were still on the slopes caused us to abandon plans for another day at Les Gets. Kyla had another trip up to La Croisette on Le Saleve. We had not been for a few months.

And what a surprise. Sleds on one side and skiers on the other. It may not be Verbier but there was a real button lift with a definite downhill slope (complete with piste-basher) just a few minutes from home. Shame our skiing boots were at home! Defintely an option for the a quick skiing fix in the future. and perhaps a first introduction to alpine sports for our nieces?

From Winter surprise at Le Saleve

Off we headed in our snow boots - but soon understood why people use raquettes. Regardless we pushed on for some spectacular views and Narniaesque walks through snow-laden trees.

From Winter surprise at Le Saleve

Next time we'll hire some raquettes from the rental shop - or may even try out some cross-country skis on the prepared pistes on the top. (but alas note no dogs allowed on these pistes) ...

From Winter surprise at Le Saleve

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Winter surprise at Le Saleve

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Skiing at Les Gets

2009-01-15T20:47:00.008+01:00

Some may have good reason to believe that this would never happen, but we have signed up for season passes at Les Gets / Morzine, so there will likely be more to come as we improve. So about five lessons in from a zero base...

First video evidence of Mark trying to ski

..well there is always the lunch to look forward to.

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Les Gets photos - Jan 15, 2008

Les Gets Skiing

Loop around Chateau de Menthon

2008-12-29T12:00:00.000+01:00

Starting just up from the lovely village of Menthon-St.-Bernard on the east bank of Lake Annecy this is described as an easy walk. However, with snow on the ground the 200 metre climb shortly after the start was a little more challenging. The views of Lake Annecy would likely be superb on a less hazy day in the summer - and also give the opportunity to visit the Chateau which opens from May to September.

From Loop around Chateau de Menthon

The walk

The walk starts with some beautiful views of Chateau de Menthon and a downhill stroll to the village of Ramponnet.

Enjoy the architecture of Ramponnet before starting the ascent - probably the steepest part of the walk.

From Loop around Chateau de Menthon

Taking care to cross the road, pass through Les Bosson before heading to the peak of the walk in Lanfon wood to admire Les Dents de Menthon.

From Loop around Chateau de Menthon

Now all downhill through Bluffy and the return to Chateau de Menthon.

Total time 90 minutes. Route map with timings and altitude changes.

Chateau de Menthon

The Chateau is 12 km south of Annecy with stunning views of the lake. The first fortress was erected around 923 with multiple additions. In the 11th century, in 1008, Bernard of Menthon - St Bernard, patron saint of skiers - was born in the castle. He later founded the hospice at the Great St Bernard Pass and abbeys in the high mountains.

François de Menthon, father of the present count, was a lawyer and member of the Resistance who represented France at the Nuremberg Trials. He worked for the creation of a united Europe and was Minister of Justice under De Gaulle.

The castle has 105 rooms on four levels and spreads over several hundred square metres. Visitors can admire beautifully furnished rooms, in particular the Countess's Bedroom, 13th century kitchens and the great hall, admirably decorated with pictures and antique furniture dated between the 16th and 19th centuries, Louis XIII and Louis XIV furniture, a Gobelins tapestry from 1730 and others from Aubusson.

The library contains more than 12,000 works from before 1800, including incunabulum and ancient manuscripts written on parchment, sheepskin or goatskin, with painted illuminations from monks of the Middle Ages. The bulk of the books date from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

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Loop around Chateau de Menthon

Chateau de Menthon web site

Chateau de Menthon on Wikipaedia

Saleve in the snow

2008-11-30T12:00:00.008+01:00

November 2008 - and snow had already covered the Saleve. We went for a short drive. First stop was the Chateau des Avenieres where we had enjoyed some excellent dinners over the summer, including watching the fireworks from the Fete du Lac dAnnecy.

From Snow on the Saleve Nov 2008

The Chateau was built by a wealthy American couple, apparently with an interest in astronomy which may explain some of the odd looking turrets-like features attached to the building.

From Snow on the Saleve Nov 2008

Above looking down to Lake Annecy from the Chateau. Below, on the other side of the Saleve, looking out to the French Alps where a few weeks later our skiing career would start!

From Snow on the Saleve Nov 2008

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Snow on the Saleve Nov 2008

Chateau des Avenieres

Flight by Mont Blanc

2008-10-20T13:00:00.009+02:00

On arriving in the area we stayed in a Gite whilst looking for something more permanent. The owner was also a private pilot and in October schedules and weather finally allowed for a tour of the area by plane.

The photos tell the story. So many photos to choose from - I guess I'll be back to edit this post in the future!

From Flight past Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc

From Flight past Mont Blanc

Telepherique at the Saleve

From Flight past Mont Blanc

Flying past Chateau des Avenieres

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Details of flight route by GPS and many more photos

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Angon Waterfall

2008-10-06T13:00:00.002+02:00

Another delight of Lake Annecy is the walk up from Talloires to view the Angon Waterfall. A well defined path leads from the village but be prepared for a moderately steep walk.

From Angon Waterfall

Before turning the corner to see the waterfall there is an interesting limestone formation.

From Angon Waterfall

but the waterfall which follows is quite stunning and not fully captured by camera.

From Angon Waterfall

Take a breather on the way down to enjoy some wonderful views of Lake Annecy.

From Angon Waterfall

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Angon Waterfall

Loop from La Croisette, Saleve

2008-10-05T13:00:00.000+02:00

One of our favourite walks with great views of the French Alps, Geneva and the Haute Savoie and a great place for lunch at the end. Simply start at La Croisette and follow the uphill path to the north. An easy walk taking around 90 minutes.

From Loop around Saleve from La Croisette

Plenty of things to point out

From Loop around Saleve from La Croisette

Lake Geneva from the Saleve

From Loop around Saleve from La Croisette

Mont Blanc

From Loop around Saleve from La Croisette

but oh dear... the ladies needed to sing.

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Loop around Saleve from La Croisette

Visions of Neydens

2008-08-21T18:54:00.000+02:00

A few summer pictures of our village

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Saleve walk from Cruseilles

2008-08-08T17:49:00.001+02:00

A walk we have done a number of times over the summer. Takes a couple of hours. Easy to park the car at the base safe in the knowledge there is a cafe / bar at the end.

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Saleve walk from Cruseilles