Remember to take time to visit some spectacular places in this region over the Christmas holiday. If you have a recommendation of a new place to visit or walk to take, please send us a photo and some details to include.
Directions for a walk to Bois de la Bâtie over the Junction:
Pass under the Pont de Sous-Terre, to the terminus of mouette line #6, which offers tourists a scenic 2½ hour trip down the Rhône. On the opposite side is a veritable cliff, which also has many pleasant trails along the bank. There are many benches where you can watch the river flow by, shaded by grand old trees. You will see a few row boats tied up here, the river becoming open to the public from this point on.
On your left are massive barns and in front you can see a very high bridge for trains (and pedestrians).
Another 300m or so and you will reach the junction of the Rhône and Arve rivers. You will notice that the Rhône (which is clear blue) is much swifter, and pushes into the Arve (muddy brown) with enough force to cause tiny whirlpools, above which alert ducks hover hoping to catch fish caught in the swirls.
Beyond the railroad bridge is a scene devoid of any trappings of civilization, more or less as it must have been eons ago. But now go back along the Arve side. Pass in front of the Canoe Club to find a path along the bank, this side is less developed, so be careful with youngsters, because there is no guard rail.
You will now come to a small wall requiring a bit (but just a bit) of climbing, then a pedestrian bridge across the Arve to the Bois de la Bâtie. Go up to the bridge along a tiny dirt path, and then - great for the youngsters - a few rungs to climb to reach the wooden deck of the bridge. In the middle, you will most always see a few fishermen.
After a busy period of end-of year activities, and even busier start-of-year preparations, many people often feel lacking in energy at this time of the year, unable to spring into life as the warmer weather arrives.
It’s at this point that you need to consider taking some time out for yourself, leaving your busy life and “to do” list behind. So what better idea than to head on a local mountain retreat where you can literally “drop into your body”, move, stretch, explore nature and the natural environment, and most importantly relax and unwind?
Tanya Perret is a mountain guide and Yoga teacher with her own small business called Live Breath Hike, which offers just that: weekend retreats for anyone living within a few hours of the Vallée Brevon in France. Since Geneva is only an hour’s drive from this region, her retreats are ideally located for anyone here wishing to recharge their batteries and experience some time out.
A new organization catering to people who want to make the most of our beautiful countryside, including the Jura and Alps, has just been launched in the Lake Geneva region.
Set up by local entrepreneur, Yvette Evers, Fraiche Air invites the public to embark on small group adventures with her, by exploring local hiking trails, and discovering a range of outdoor activities such as snowshoeing and canoeing.
To make the most of what Fraiche Air has to offer, clients are advised to take advantage of an annual membership package, which provides exclusive benefits to subscribers. Depending on the level of involvement, two packages are offered, providing access to a range of different activities, information and discounts: click here to see the full range of benefits on offer.
A sustainability consultant specializing in tourism, Yvette told knowitall.ch that the idea for setting up Fraiche Air came to her when she moved to Switzerland from the Netherlands in 2009, and realized that there was very little information about local hiking in English. After setting up her own monthly hiking group to try out new routes in the region, she decided to make the group official this September: with over 150 members, it was time to create Fraiche Air and offer an expanded range of products and services to meet the growing demands of her customers!
If you’re a keen walker and enjoy hiking on the Salève, then you’ve probably noticed the build up of waste, left on the mountain during last year’s hiking season.
Not only is it very unsightly, but much of it can harm animals living on the mountain as they step on pieces of broken glass, or try to eat plastic bags left lying around on the ground.
Christophe HUMBLOT, a member of the Association Sangha sur Salève, is keen to clear up the paths before the new hiking season starts in earnest. To get things moving, he’s decided, with the Association, to arrange a special half-day walk, called “For a Clean Salève”.
Taking place on Saturday 28th May, participants are invited to meet at 9am at the lower station of the Salève cable car (téléphérique), where they will be given a briefing about the morning walk. The cable car will be offered free of charge to all those taking part in the event.
Once at the top, hikers will walk along the Saleve, collecting waste as they go. Rubbish will be stored in waste bags that can be left on the side of the road, to be collected later by a separate vehicle. At noon, a minibus will collect all the participants and take them to the Town Hall of Monnetier-Mornex, where they can enjoy a light meal, and congratulate themselves on a job well done!
