New Year on the
Jura peaks
- JURA, FRANCE -
© Student Vagabond. Photo: La Dôle, France
TRIP MADE IN DECEMBER 2019 / ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 31, 2020
It's already December 27th, Christmas is behind us and that's when the famous question comes: What are we doing for New Year's Eve this year? A few clicks on Google Maps and Booking and that's it: we're going to spend the end of the year on the heights of the country, where the mountains are still covered in snow: the Jura massif.
Les Rousses station and Dôle summit
After a morning on the road, it's lunchtime in the village of Les Rousses, a stone's throw from the Swiss border. The sun is shining so brightly on this penultimate day of the year that walkers enjoy their meals on the terraces.
In the middle of the afternoon we begin a beautiful climb towards the Dôle, the highest peak in the Swiss Jura mountains culminating at 1677 meters above sea level. The ski slopes of the Les Rousses resort are still not very busy since the snow is not very visible this year. We still avoid the few skiers to climb up to our destination. Up there, a magnificent spectacle awaits us. Mont Blanc points the tip of its nose on the horizon and between us, a sea of clouds separates us.
Behind us, the sun is already low over the mountains and pretty pastel colours are appearing behind the Alps. The 360-degree view is splendid. Below, a few chamois frolic in the snow on the mountainside.
Chalam Ridge
On the morning of December 31, we woke up in Saint Claude, a small town nestled in the Jura mountains. We headed towards La Pesse, a village at an altitude of 1,220 meters, which would be our starting point for the hike to the Crêt de Chalam. Equipped with our snowshoes, we set off on this beautiful winter walk. All along the way, we followed the red and white lines painted on the trees.
Halfway we stop at the Refuge du Berbois to enjoy a good Savoyard board. Once again, the sun is so bright that we can enjoy this good mountain dish on the restaurant terrace.
After nearly 500 meters of positive elevation gain, we finally arrive at the top of the famous Crêt de Chalam. The last climb is quite steep but the view is breathtaking and all our efforts are rewarded! The Alps chain rises up in front of us with Mont Blanc still in the middle.
Le retour s'effectue sous les lumières intenses du coucher de soleil. Heureusement que nous sommes partis avec nos lampes de poches puisque la nuit tombe rapidement. Avant de sortir de la forêt pour retrouver la voiture, nous avons même la chance d'entendre les hurlements d'une meute de loup qui se trouve dans les alentours, une jolie manière de finir l'année !
Saint Claude
In the heart of the Jura massif, the small town of Saint-Claude is famous for the manufacture of briar pipes and diamond cutting. We chose to stay there for our two nights in the region, since it is located in the heart of the Haut-Jura Natural Park, making it the ideal starting point for lots of activities. We booked our stay on Booking.com at the "Jura-Hotel Restaurant Le Panoramic" which I recommend.
Happy New Year 2020 to all!
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