View of La Dole and the limestone rock.
Today I woke up and instead of cycling up to see this view and have a meal I decided to do the opposite. I would walk down. Two or three summers ago I walked up and they took four or five hours. Walking down is much easier.
One or two bits are steep and my shoes lost traction. It wasn’t serious or life threatening. The ground is soft and the gradient is simply steep.
Today I went for a Hike from La Barillette to La Barillette. It’s a shame that the restaurant wasn’t open to the public. It is currently marked as private, and scheduled to open on the first of May. Today I didn’t expect to do a long and physical hike. I expected to complete my usual daily tasks and then to go for the usual walks around where I live. In the end I did do such a hike, but it involved a slightly different geographic location.
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.
Le Sentier des Toblerones Toblerones Walk from Mainvision on Vimeo. Hidden among the trees in the Canton de Vaud you can find concrete blocks put there as a defensive line to slow down invading armies. The concrete blocks have a similar shape to chocolate Toblerones. There is a hiking trail that you can follow from Bassin down to the lake side. Along the way you can find concrete bunkers camouflaged as houses.
Images I saw of the Creux de Van made me want to visit the location in person. Yesterday despite the mediocre weather I went there. From Neuchatel you drive towards Noiraigue. Free parking is available. For the first hour you are walking up a steep winding path. A few trees have fallen, stones and mud are also present until you reach the top of the cliff. From there you see a glimpse of the cliff and views to come. As I stood there I saw a solitary Bouquetin on the rocks. From there I went right and walked along the cliff. On one side I had green grass and a farm and on the other side I had a steep cliff. I walked along and came to an outcrop. From here you could see the full cliff face. I walked around the arc until I came across a herd of Bouquetins. They were right in my path. I took several pictures before heading back down the other side. I came across a wooden hut and table where people can have a snack. As you walk through the woods you get towards the end of the Gorge De L’Areuse. It was full of water due to the recent rains. By this point I had already walked 10km so I continued back towards the car. [caption id=“attachment_2260” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
This is the path you take to get up to the top of the Creux de Van[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2259” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
One of the first views as you emerge from the woods and see the landscape open up[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2258” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
A nice Valley[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2257” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
More landscape[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2256” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
Looking away from the cliffs you see the woods.[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2255” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
If you look down from this point you will see a long drop[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2254” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
I liked the quality of light here.[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2253” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
With Spring coming back all the trees are becoming green once again[/caption] 
[caption id=“attachment_2251” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
A herd of Bouquetins were playing[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2250” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
When I arrived they were standing by the grass and slowly made their way towards the cliff[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2249” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
Just like when we were children they are playing on the wall[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2248” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
Just like when we were children they are playing on the wall[/caption] 
[caption id=“attachment_2246” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
A bouquetin with the Creux de Van in the background[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2245” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
A bouquetin with the Graux de Van in the background[/caption] 
[caption id=“attachment_2243” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
Nice Landscape and nice view[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2242” align=“aligncenter” width=“660”]
The Creux De Van[/caption] 
[caption id=“attachment_2240” align=“aligncenter” width=“483”]
This is a physical 14km walk .[/caption]
Whilst some people are perfectly happy sitting at a desk chatting to others via webcams I prefer to be out and about streaming daily life. Today was one example of what I like to do. I went up to La Dole for a walk with the n95 and streamed a few landscapes for people following me on twitter to see. We finally got caught out by some hail and thunder but my phone survived. I want more people to do this type of thing. Come out and have fun, stream life as it happens. Show us what’s outside your living room or home office.