Today it’s raining, which may imply that I will not go out for a walk, or a run, and definitely not a bike ride. It also implies that I am wearing the Apple watch for no reason today. My step count will be low, as will my calories burned count, and finally my exercise minutes. On a day like today I could keep it off, for peace of mind. I really wish Apple Fitness behaved like Strava, rather than a silo.
This year I have spent 350 hours hiking and walking according to Strava. In contrast I have spent just 44 hours cycling. If I had spent as much time cycling as I did walking then my cycling fitness would be higher than it is at the moment.
Part of me wishes that I had spent more time cycling but another part of me spends less time cycling than walking because finding safe cycling paths is not so easy in a place as densely populated as the Arc Lémanique.
This weekend when I hiked to Valangin I thought that I would found a water fountain along the way, so I took just 600ml of water. A few weeks ago when I went to Charmey I took the same amount of water because I didn’t want too much weight for the Via Ferrata. The result is that I have run out of water twice recently.
The paradox is that this isn’t because I lack water bottles. I have a collection of them. I have 1l bottles, 500ml water bottles, 600, 850, and more. I have one 1L water camelbak and one 2L camelbak. I could easily use them in rotation.
Yesterday I went for a 50km bike ride that took two hours. During the first half the weather was good, and it felt warm. I cycled down to Nyon and towards Prangins, before cycling back towards Nyon before heading to Duiller and from there up towards Genolier, but not the direct route because of roadworks. I went up via a smaller town. When I got to Genolier I then went down the hill before heading back up to the road that takes you via the top of Trelex before cycling to Gingins and up via the golf of Bonmont before riding to La Rippe and up via the upper route that takes you to Divonne via the upper route.
A few days ago they announced a “cocktail météorologique explosif” but the result I saw from my vantage point was some medium rain, and plenty of rain and thunder. The thunder was constant for quite a while.
When I saw the weather warnings my fear was that we would end up with hail. I have seen the damage that hail can do to nature. It shreds trees, destroys veluxes and more. That we had rain and lightning is fine.
For five years it was sunny almost every day in Switzerland. It was sunny so often that the water tables declined and village fountains dried up, as did fields. Clouds of dust could be seen rising when tractors worked the fields. It’s because of this excellent weather, for years in a row, that I stopped looking at weather apps.
Now, weather is interesting again. Two or three weeks ago Geneva flooded. A few days ago Zermatt flooded, and, now Morges has flooded too. So many places are flooding. This is due to weather weirding on one side, but also climate change on the other. With more heat the clouds can store more water, and when they meet a cold front a deluge may ensue.
Yesterday it rained so consistantly that I didn’t leave the house. I stayed indoors the entire day. I wanted to go out but because of the never-ending rain I never set foot outside.
I considered going for a run but by the time I had digested I considered that the rain would be soaking. I don’t like not going out.
I could have gone for a meetup event on Saturday and enjoyed snow, crampons, plenty of climbing and descending, while hiking. I didn’t feel like travelling for hours and spending 60 CHF on public transport for the second weekend in a row.
Rain was forecast today. If rain had not been forecast then I would have driven to Ins, near the Lake of Murten near Neuchatel to go around the lake at a slow up. I didn’t go, not because rain was forecast, but because rain was expected although not quantified. I like to drive and do things, sometimes, but if I drive so far, especially to do something in relative solitude I would prefer to do it when the weather is good, rather than rainy. By driving so far in the rain I am contributing to global warming for very little
During the weekend it was warm and beautiful. It was so warm and beautiful that my bag got to 40+ degrees centigrade, with an average of over 30°c. Today as I drove to the shops for food I noticed that the snow line was even lower.
Yesterday it was on the top of the Jura, around La Dole, and today it’s down two thirds of the mountain. It’s cold enough to feel cold when walking. I need to wear more layers once again.
Yesterday I went out for my daily walk but within minutes I noticed that my legs felt cold and that I really did need the scarf that I wore. It’s exceptional for me to wear a scarf. My fleece and my inner coat both have neck protection built in so I usually feel fine. Yesterday was unusually cold so I was happy to add the scarf to really keep my neck warmer. I removed it for a few minutes because it felt itchy but I soon put it back on.