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There was a plan yesterday, or the day before, to do a Narcissus hike. It would have been a 15km hike that started in Caux and then did a large loop before heading down into the Gorges De Chauderon and finally towards Montreux.
The hike was cancelled due to two concerns. The first was a sixty percent chance of rain. If it’s not certain, then that can be tolerated. The risk of wind however, in that location can make a big difference in wind chill and experience. If you’re fighting a strong wind the hike becomes tiring and unpleasant. Wind is one thing that I avoid, especially if it’s cold.
The alternative option is a hike that requires three hours on a train to get to, and post buses. The problem is that a three hour journey to get somewhere, and a three hour journey to get back becomes more expensive, and it borders into overnight territory. Six hours on public transport is a long time.
The other concern is the size of the group. Eighteen people is a lot on a hike. I tried group hikes that were this large and more than once I wanted to just head home. The Return on Investment for me was low. I enjoy the sounds of nature, and I enjoy being with people who hike to walk.
The Century Ride
If I went to Geneva, then I could do a century ride (over 100 kilometres, not miles). The issue is that I got up at 04:30 to do a 6am run and now my legs are tired so I’m not in the ideal state to do such a ride.
The Nyon Loop
In theory I could do a 70km loop but the cycling group is small, and trends towards fast, especially when there are fewer people. On tired legs this isn’t an interesting option either.
A Second Early Morning in a Row
If I do the group hike, that has three hours of travelling to get to, then I need to be on the train at either 06:39 or 06:29 depending on which station I walk or drive to. It would be my second night of trying to be disciplined enough to start early.
Perfectly Content This Morning
The irony is, that, as I was driving towards Geneva, after the morning run, I was content. I was perfectly happy with things. The group was welcoming, and the run was pleasant. I even found myself wanting to run up to Vufflens-Le-Chateau, but we turned towards Lully instead. I can do that run another day.
Weather as Demotivator
It’s been raining for days now, on and off. When it rains like this motivation is harder to find. It’s fine for running, but less fun for hiking, walking and cycling. Especially when you travel three hours to get somewhere. I really want to see the Geological Pyramides feature in Valais but from the weather forecast tomorrow it seems sub-optimal. Having said this, if light geological features are in front of a stormy background then the photos are interesting.
Time In Transit
For years I have wanted to visit the pyramids, but as I study the logistics I see that the investment in time is huge. It’s around two and a half hours to get there, before the hike, and at the end of the hike you’re speaking about three hours of travel time to get back. That’s a huge effort for a single day, especially one with mediocre weather.
No Hesitation With the Original Plan
With the Original plan I had no reservations, and no reluctance, I was even going to add the Montreux Caux hike as an additional bonus, just for the challenge. Getting to St Maurice to walk to Veysonnaz involves 6 hours of public transport. The original plan, with the bonus walk would be around 38 CHF, wheras the consolation price is 80 CHF for a single day.
When the logistics were simple, I was so enthusiastic I was thinking about how to maximise the experience. With the Pyramid scheme, the return on investment needs to be higher. Good weather would really help. In fact good weather, for this location is key.
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