A forest walk by Chavannes Centre
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A forest walk by Chavannes Centre

Byrichard

When I cycle towards Geneva i often pass by a forest near Chavannes centre. Usually I only skirt the exterior of the forest but I have twice passed through it on a bike on my way back from Geneva. Yesterday I drove the scooter to Chavannes centre and parked it where scooters and bikes can be parked.


I walked from there towards the roads that are closed to traffic and at first i tried going downwards towards the motorway and found a path through the woods but it was blocked by a sign saying, forbidden entry, danger etc. I don’t know whether it was put there by children or whether it was serious so i turned around and went back up the road, towards the jura. I passed by a road but skipped that path. I then found a path cut through the forest overgrown with vegetation so I pushed through.


The path i walked down Tall grass, trees on either side
The path I walked down


I am curious about the origins of this path. It is wide enough for vehicles to go through but it is so overgrown that you need to go from one side of the path to the other. There are plenty of fallen branches, twigs and other things to watch out for. The other thing to pay attention to are the sounds.


I could hear cuckoos in at least two parts of this forest and I could also hear another exotic bird. I caught a glimpse of it but no more. Another sound that I heard was the sound of rustling before something large ran away from me. As I was barely into the forest i questioned whether to continue. I think it was a deer or doe.


So far this spring I have seen three deers or does, a hare and plenty of birds of prey. I’m obviously walking where people are not having conversations and scaring away the animals. It’s funny to hear rustling and see an animal run away.





As you can see from the GPS trace I could have walked twice as far. It would be interesting to see whether there are smaller trails that we can walk along. What I’m looking for are small trail paths that we can walk along, without driving too far. If you do the walk I mention then make sure to have jeans, as there are thorns and tall grasses at moments. Also be aware that some sections are waterlogged so you need to walk on the side of the path.


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Listen for the cuckoo.

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Climbing to La Barillette
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Climbing to La Barillette

Byrichard

The first time I climbed up to La Barillette on a bike it took me two and a half hours. This time it took one hour and sixteen minutes. I was going so slowly that I had to work to keep the bike upright. Since then I have gone from a mountain bike with tyres that weren’t pumped enough and soft suspension to the same bike with slick tires, hardened suspension and higher pressure in the tyres. I then swapped that bike two or three years later and tried the same climb. I struggled with the road bike as well. I had to stop at least two or three times. I also found that clipped in pedals on such steep gradients are a hindrance because you can’t stop until the flatter bits.


This time I wore normal shoes and I set off from around Nyon. I cycled up to the start of the climb and i just started climbing. Above Cheserex I already had to stand on the bike to get enough thrust, then sit down, and then repeat. As I went up I saw two or three groups. One group set off just as I was getting to them and the second stopped where the first had been.


I like having a group in front of me. The group in front gives me a goal. It gives me a pace. I want at the minimum to keep up with them and ideally to overtake them. The person I used for pacing gave up within the first four to six kilometres. I then continued at my own pace as the other people were now a long distance away.


As I go up this hill I often daydream and my mind wanders to something completely different. It’s the closest I’d get to meditation. You’re making a physical effort but the body is so used to it that the mind has time to think of other things. I don’t remember what I was daydreaming about.


I’m used to doing this climb in the heat of summer when it’s 37°c or more. This time it was no more than 20 or so. I didn’t need to take two litres of water with me but I would have been happy with a rain coat and a third layer. The reason for this is that the beautiful weather I set off in turned overcast and cold.


As I got closer to the top I could feel the temperature begin to drop, and i felt the need to close the zips, to preserve heat. I even thought of putting my spare layer on. I continued.


When I set off you could see the top. By the time I got back down this is what it looked like.


When you’re climbing you know what your previous times were and during this time I got to a certain point where i saw that I was going to beat my previous best times by a nice margin so it encouraged me to keep going, but also not to stop and rest, and not to wait for two cars to figure out how to pass each other. I cycled through the grass to overtake them.


When I finally got to the top I saw people get out of their cars, smoke cigarettes and talk loudly. I had two Balistos and then headed back down. The view was so bad that I didn’t take any pictures.


As much as you think you suffer during the way up, which I didn’t this time, going down is the difficult bit. When you’re going back down you’re cold and you’re not doing much. You’re letting gravity undo the work that you just spent an hour doing.


My tyres have over 4000km in them so as i went down the hill I was slower than I needed to be. The surface was also wet and therefore could be slippy. I was holding the brakes for a good portion of the descent, to such an extent that I thought this was a good finger strengthening exercise.


Just before I got to the pond my rear tyre suffered a puncture. I can see two marks where I think a thorn or some other object punctured the tyre and deflated it within seconds. It didn’t matter as I had a spare tyre with me.


This winter I changed tyres frequently for the indoor trainer so the process has become automatic. What I especially enjoyed about changing a tyre on the side of a mountain slope is that you don’t have to worry about getting the floor dirty. Within minutes the tyre was changed and I could continue the descent.


This ride is unique because the night before I decided to do this climb we were discussing a via ferrata with two friends but they don’t have the equipment. The compromise was going to climb indoors but I didn’t feel like doing that because 1. the weather was nice and because 2. there are free sports to be enjoyed. I woke up that morning, opened the blinds and because of what a beautiful and warm day I saw it would be I decided to go for a bike ride and enjoy it. It felt so good to get on the bike after several days, or even weeks of not riding.


I was fully within the moment yesterday. I profited from the good weather, I set a goal and I achieved it, and I lived in the now, rather than later. This is rare for me. This ride, despite it’s physical nature, was relaxing.

Plane Watching

Plane Watching

Byrichard

Yesterday I went to Geneva airport for an event but found that there were no spaces in any of the parkings so I went to Decathlon and Mediamarkt before deciding to go and watch planes land instead. I watched nine planes land.


During this plane watching session I was on the Meyrin side standing underneath the flight path and then slightly to the right as I stood and to the left from the plane’s perspective.


I was using flightradar to see which plane was landing and how long I would have to wait for the next one and the iPhone 8 plus with the “zoom” lens to photograph the planes just as they were at their biggest in frame. It’s a shame that I was taking pictures at that time of day because the light was almost from behind. If I had tried in the morning the light would have been better. If I had tried at dawn or dusk then it could have made for some nice pictures.



I’d like to go back with a different camera with a proper lens and stand slightly more to the side and take pictures at a slightly more interesting moment. It’s nice to see planes from below, and the KLM shot is really nice but I’d like the planes to be framed better.

La Via Ferrata Farinet
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La Via Ferrata Farinet

Byrichard

Plaque describing Farinet
Plaque describing Farinet


For a week or two in April the weather was nice but since then the weather has been bad. We had new snow, high winds and rain. Yesterday rain was announced yet again for parts of Switzerland but luckily only clouds were announced for Saillon where the Via Farinetta is. I expected it to be cold and grey but practicable.


We had moments of sunshine and the weather was even pleasant. As a result of all the rain and snow the waterfalls were full of water, to the point of growing with water and spraying the first part of the Via Ferrata.


A large volume of water filling the waterfall
A large volume of water filling the waterfall


As this Via Ferrata is in a gorge communicating with the people you are climbing with requires speaking loudly. Now is a good time to see the waterfalls and gorge when they are nicely filled with water.


As I have written about this via Ferrata before I will not go on. What is interesting is that there are now four or five Via Ferrata groups, of which three for those living between Switzerland and France. You have the Via Ferrata Suisse Romand Group, the Via Ferrata Geneve/Annemasse group, the Via Ferrata de France group and the Via Ferrata d’Europe group.


This is excellent because it means that we are now a community of hundreds of enthusiasts connected by Facebook groups and this can be extended to Whatsapp groups. It means that if you have a desire to climb you can suggest a time and place and people can say “yes” or stay silent. ;-). Sometimes they say “nope, some of us have jobs” but not to me as I haven’t asked to do things during the week.


What’s more, this community is not English speaking “expats”. It is made up of locals and migrants. For years social media was about having conversations online but not being able to meet in person unless one caught the train, plane or went on a road trip. Facebook and other social networks have now reached critical mass, at last. This means that we can say “I want to climb” and then you do.


It makes meeting people possible once again. So far I’ve met two new people via the Via Ferrata group and I want to meet many more. It’s nice to be part of a nice big, open community once again. This summer I expect to participate in a few activities with these groups, as soon as the mediocre weather gives way to nice weather.

A Sea-like Lake

A Sea-like Lake

Byrichard

In the middle of summer you may go sailing on the lake and find that there is no, or very little wind. On such days you may spend long periods of time hoping for the wind to pick up and get from point A to point B.


https://youtu.be/rSb-8HC9KAQ


On other days the lake looks like in the footage above. After two days of constant wind the lake has been churned up and the waves are nice and large. They crash into the rocks and sometimes over them. The beaches are eroded and so you get this silty grey water.


A few years ago we went diving with this type of waves and it feels like getting into and out of the sea rather than getting into and out of a lake. The first few metres of the dive have very poor visibility but as you move further out to where the water is deeper the weather above goes unnoticed below. It might be darker but other than that it would be an ordinary dive.


When I lived by the sea I remember experiencing some very strong winds. I remember that the waves were so big and the wind so strong that the waves would crash onto the beach wall and the water would spray across and onto the seafront buildings in Weymouth. I also remember walking towards the town and walking against a wind so strong that I had to lean into it. On such days you could almost lie against the wind.


Although the wind of the last two days was strong and consistent it was not strong enough to have that kind of fun. It was enough to buffet me as I tried to get video of the waves splashing up and over the port walls.


They are setting up the Caribana despite the strong wind
They are setting up the Caribana despite the strong wind


I thought that I might be told that I was not allowed to film by the lake side due to the festival preparations but they said nothing. The festival that this infrastructure is for is the Caribana Festival. It’s the first music festival of the season.

Spring and summer are playing with us
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Spring and summer are playing with us

Byrichard

Spring and Summer are playing with us. A few weeks ago it was warm and sunny. It felt as if summer was finally here and that we could start planning outdoor activities that don’t require enormous amounts of fossil fuels, like skiing and snowboarding do. 😉


Looking down towards the Lac Leman. You can see the white lines at the top of waves being pushed along by the wind.
Looking down towards the Lac Leman. You can see the white lines at the top of waves being pushed along by the wind.


We had the rain and the cold and when the rain and cold grew tired the wind came by and replaced it. This was a moderately strong wind. Some gusts were strong enough to make me deviate on the scooter and strong enough not to be able to wear a hat. The wind was also strong enough to damage trees, blow plastic around the place and even to make you feel like you were walking through a wind tunnel rather than down a road between fields.


The wind did seduce boats into breaking from their moorings, tree branches and trees, from falling from above onto forest paths and even for a blue sky to emerge as water struggled to congregate in a single place. For the last two days we could see the Mont Blanc in most of its glory.


The two problems that we face with the wind are that it makes moving around harder because instead of cycling at 30 km/h with a 30 km/h wind you’re cycling at 20km/h with a 50km/h headwind. I didn’t try because the wind plays mind games. You feel like you’re unfit despite not being. I also found that when walking it dries out your ears and prevents you from listening to podcasts while walking.


Imagine, walking for an hour or two, deep in thought, rather than having your thoughts led by someone else.


A moment of rest from the wind in between the trees
A moment of rest from the wind in between the trees


Whilst it is nice to walk between the trees there is a danger of falling branches and other debris. You can hear the wind blowing above and on the trails you can see all the wood that has been loosened. Imagine if you were looking for firewood and were only allowed to pick up what had already fallen to the ground. You’d be happy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM_AO05QbtU
Crops behaving like water. Waves of movement.

Using Duolingo daily

Byrichard

Duolingo is a mobile phone app that allows you to learn a number of languages whenever you have a few minutes. In so doing you can learn several minutes at a time, when commuting for example, or you can learn as a focused 20 minute session.


The Variety of learning options


Listening


There are two methods of learning by listening. The first option is that you hear a word or phrase and you have to select the correct one from a list. The second version is that you write the correct word with the correct spelling. This can also include listening and writing it in English


Images


Images are shown and you have to select the one that corrects to the word that you are looking for. It allows you to familiarise yourself with the word and the associated image. This is useful for beginners


Pairing Words


With this option you see German words and English words. The aim is to pair the English and German word together. When you do not know a word you can do this by a process of elimination, removing the words you are unsure about and then confirming them as the last pair. Conversely you can also pair a word you just learned, to push yourself.


Typing Phrases


In these situations you will either read the sentence in English and type it in German, see the sentence written and type it in German, or see it in German and write it in English. I find this one useful because it forces you to remember both the spellings and the conjugations of words.


Pronunciation


Finally, we have the pronunciation exercises. In this case, you see the sentence written down and you hear it. You then repeat the sentence you heard and you see the translation appear.


The Game


As you practice you will make mistakes. With this app you have the opportunity to make five mistakes before you have to take a break. The hearts replenish at a rate of one every four to five hours. You can replenish your hearts either by “practising” what you have learned or by watching an advert. Practice sessions are fun compared to watching adverts. These practice sessions help consolidate what you are learning.


Another aspect of the game is that it encourages you to practice every day by offering badges for consistency, getting a certain number of options right in a row and more. It also allows you to compete against friends by getting more “xp“.


Web Interface


The web interface is simple and intuitive to use. It’s a quick and simple way of getting through the modules efficiently. It also reduces the amount of adverts that you see. I found the web interface much faster to use.


Playing with languages you know


I played with French as an English speaker and English as a French speaker and I became frustrated. As a native in both languages I know that phrases would be understood by anyone I converse with. It expects you to give a specific sentence or phrase. With AI and a broader range of correct phrases this problem could be resolved.


Playing with languages you are unfamiliar with.


I tried Romanian, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Polish and other languages that I am unfamiliar with. With these languages, I really struggle. I find that many of the words are hard to remember. They do not sound like words from other languages. With time and perseverance, you could build your base and progress from there.


Progress Quiz


I started writing this blog post two or three weeks ago and since then I have progressed with studying the German language. I find that I can do entire lessons without making mistakes on some occasions and keep making mistakes in others. With lessons, you feel you’re getting to know a language but thanks to the progress quiz you get a true appreciation of whether you have learned a module or not.


I felt that I was learning German and that I was starting to understand a lot more but there is a considerable gap between what I understand and what I can express. Taking the quiz demonstrates that I still need to spend more time practising, and learning.


The Words Tab


The Words tab shows you the words that you have practiced and how fresh they are in your memory. With this tab you will be advised on when to practice words once again. if you practice one or two modules at a time then this word tab would be useful. I made the mistake of spending hours a day going through modules and as a result I see that I should practise specific words but I don’t remember which lesson tree they’re under.


I’d like to be able to click on a word and see which lessons those words are in. It would make refreshing my memory easier.


Conclusions


I started writing this blog post several weeks ago and wanted to play with more features from the website. I have now been using the website and app for about two months and I feel that my understanding of German has improved. I find that I am now in the habit of praciticing for an hour every single day. I supplement this practice with listening to Echo Der Zeit, a Swiss German current affairs news program, broadcast daily.


Learning via this website is about persistance rather than speed. You can rush through every module on the tree to boost your vocabulary but I found that in so doing the word tab becomes useless as you forget which word is in which module. I am now working my way through methodically, trying to get the modules to stay within my mind, rather than be forgotten within a few days. It’s easy to do from anywhere, including when waiting for a train (which I haven’t done in months) or waiting for food to be ready, which I have done. I like the app and website enough to be using it two months later.

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Via Ferrata Jacques Revaclier

Byrichard

The Via Ferrata Jacques Revaclier is located on the Salève a short drive from Vitam Parc and within easy driving distance of Geneva and Nyon. The Via Ferrata requires scrambling over a few metres of rock to get to the start.





This via Ferrata has two parkings. The first of these is for the Abbaye de Pomier and the second is for the “promeneurs”. If the abbaye parking is empty use this one because you may hit the bottom of your car on the dirt track heaving up to the hiking parking.


The hiker parking
The hiker parking


This via ferrata goes sideways rather than up and requires you to go down and then up, and then across. You walk under the rock formation pictured below and then get to a section where you are more exposed to seeing the landscape and the landscape below. If you’re used to via ferrata then this is the moment you will enjoy and if you are new to via ferrata then this is the moment that will either convince you of your love for the sport, or to try something tamer next.


Nice rock
Nice rock


When you get to the end of the via ferrata you will come into a cluster of trees and you are meant to follow the red paint back to the path down. This is not well marked so requires some tracking skills. I created a GPS track of this trip. Keep in mind that later in the season the track should be clearer. At the start of the season teams of volunteers have usually not cleared these paths.





Beginners can try this via ferrata but be aware that the last part may be a challenge for beginners so prepare them for the last section. It’s short and easy to surmount but be wary of it.