Complicated Hiking Logistics

This morning I was studying the logistics for Stage 8 and 9 of the Jura Crest Trail before thinking, “This is too complicated, to be interesting”. Specifically, I noticed that if we finish at Vue des Alpes we have to go via La-Chaux-De-Fonds rather than via Neuchatel. This means that if we go by car, and park in one valley, we need to take multiple trains to get back to the other valley. It has be thinking twice about hiking stages 8 and 9 of the Jura Crest trail.

When you’re planning a hike, especially with public transport it’s good to plan from the location with irregular hours to one with regular hourss. With Stage eight, from Chasseral to Vue Des Alpes getting to the start of the VF is quite complicated, but what makes it more complicated is that if you drive to Neuchatel for example, to save a little on train costs, then you need to keep in mind that the Col of “Vue Des Alpes” has an irregular train schedule that will find you going to La Chaux-De-Fonds before taking you back to Neuchatel.

According to the schedule, and how exhausted I was, I would consider walking down to Hauts-Geneveys before taking the train from there home. I know that the train from here is once an hour. It does add four kilometres to a twenty kilometre hike but it adds flexibility.Psychologically it means that I expect to walk four more kilometres. It also means that I don’t expect to be stranded at the Col because I already have the next step of the journey planned.

The journey to the start of the hike requires five changes of transport. It requires two trains, which is quite ordinary, but then requires three buses. This type of routing reminds me of London journeys.

Summary

After looking at options I believe that I will drive to Chambrelien or another P&Rail parking, park there, catch the trains and buses to Hotel Chasseral, and from there do the hike. I might then walk from Vue Des Alpes to Haut-Geneveys before taking the train back to Chambrelien and driving home. This will require a 0600 start so it’s early. Of course if I find something more convenient I will do that.