High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Vaulion (parking at the west edge of the village) Highest point: Dent du Vaulion, 1,483 m Total elevation gain: ~550 m Total distance: ~11 km Total time: ~3 h Technical difficulty: Easy – well-marked paths, one short steep section near the summit Download GPS file And the winner is… Dent du Vaulion! It is the first peak to get two dedicated posts. I have already described it briefly in other hikes, but this time it deserves a full article about the route from Vaulion , the quiet village that gave the mountain its name. You can reach Dent du Vaulion from all sides. From Petra Félix is the shortest and my usual route, described in this post . From Le Pont or Vallorbe there are also options. But here I describe the climb starting directly from Vaulion. The climb from Vaulion You can start at the large parking at the west edge of the village, where a panel indicates “the 7 hikes of Vaulion.” The one to the summit begins along ...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Petra Félix (1,144m) Arrival:  Dent de Vaulion summit (1,482m) Altitude gain:  ~340m Duration:  ~2 hours round trip Difficulty:  Easy Best season:  All year (winter possible sometimes with snowshoes) Family-friendly:  Yes Sunset view:  Highly recommended Download GPS file Dent de Vaulion is another one of those  classic hikes  that I return to every year. It’s a great hike for all seasons—you can even do it in winter with  snowshoes —and its length makes it  ideal for families . Starting Point: Petra Félix The hike starts just after the  Col du Mollendruz  pass in the  Jura mountains . After passing the parking at the pass, drive for a couple of minutes until you reach a  parking lot  just before the roads starts to descend. The place is called  Petra Félix (1,144m) —a name that feels like a  good omen . From here, you start hiking  up a gravel road  for...

🗺️ Overview Starting Point:  Les Clées (580m) End Point:  Saut du Day Waterfall (650m) Alternative Ending:  Le Day (800m) Distance:  ~5 km (one way) Estimated Time:  ~1 hour to the waterfall (longer with kids) Difficulty:  Easy to moderate (some steep edges, narrow paths) Family-Friendly?:  Yes, with supervision in some sections Notable Features:  Scenic river views,  a mysterious  tunnel and a waterfall with a beach area Download GPS file The Start: Les Clées to the Trailhead This hike is a  classic  for families, offering beautiful scenery and a  cool waterfall  at the end. Plus, for me, it’s only 15 minutes from home—so I visit often! The  Gorges de l'Orbe  trail runs from Orbe to Vallorbe, but the best section lies between  Les Clées and Le Saut du Day . I recommend starting in  Les Clées , where you’ll also find a  castle with a bar —a great spot to relax post-hike. The trailhead is loca...

🗺️ Overview 🏞  Mont Tendre  is a classic Jura peak with multiple routes to the summit. 🗺  Main routes : From  Montricher : 6 km, 900 m elevation gain (2h–2h30) From  Col du Mollendruz : 9 km, 500 m gain (2h30–3h) From  Col du Marchairuz : 7 km, 400 m gain (about 2h) From  Les Bioux  (described here): 8 km, 650 m gain (2h–2h30) 🌲 The first two routes pass by the  Chalet du Mont Tendre , great for a break. 🌄 The route from  Marchairuz  offers the longest panoramic stretch. 🌤 On clear days, expect breathtaking 180° views over Lake Geneva and the Alps—sometimes even Neuchâtel and Geneva’s Jet d’eau! 🍃 The route from  Les Bioux  is less traveled and starts in the scenic  Vallée de Joux , a quieter region. A Less-Conventional Route from Les Bioux Mont Tendre is one of those mountains you return to again and again. I’ve hiked it from all sides, but this time I chose what might be the least conventional route—starting ...

🗺️ Overview 📍 Destination : Chasseral (1,607 m), with a stop at Chasseral Ouest (1,553 m) 🚗  Starting Point : Col du Chasseral (1,502 m), not from the usual hotel parking 🥾  Hike Duration : ~1.5 to 2 hours round trip (leisurely pace with picnic) ⛰  Terrain : Grassy slopes, ridge paths, some steep sections ✅  Bonus : Another canton high point for the checklist – even if it’s a bit underwhelming! Donwload GPS file This hike is a relatively simple one, but it leads you to the highest point of one of Switzerland’s cantons — always a nice checkbox for your hiking goals. The main destination is  Chasseral (1,607 m) , which straddles the border between the cantons of Neuchâtel and Bern. While the actual summit is fully within Bern territory or about 1 km, before it lies  Chasseral Ouest (1,553 m)  — the highest point of  Canton Neuchâtel . That’s why we decided to begin the hike from a slightly unusual spot:  Col du Chasseral (1,502 m) . Most pe...

🗺️ Overview Start point : Pompaples (Parking near bus stop "Colline") Destination : Cascade du Dard Distance : ~3.5 km one way Elevation gain : ~100 m Time : ~1 hour (one way) Difficulty : Easy Optional extensions : Hike to La Croix, Romainmôtier Abbey, or take alternate scenic return routes Download GPS file This one wins the prize for best quality-to-distance ratio from where I live—less than five minutes by car! I actually live just 30 meters from the Via Francigena, one of Europe’s longest trails, stretching from Canterbury in England to Rome. However, around my area, the trail mainly follows countryside roads—great for jogging but not particularly exciting for hiking. The hike I’m sharing here is a real treat:  easy, scenic, and surprisingly peaceful . It's the trail from  Pompaples to the Cascade du Dard . You can start by parking in Pompaples, near the bus stop “Colline.” Walk a bit further along the road, cross a bridge, pass a few houses, and you’ll reach a wide...

  🗺️ Overview Start Point:  Vuitebeuf (600m), parking available End Point:  Circular route returning to Vuitebeuf Highest Point:   Le Chasseron, 1607m Total Distance:  18 km Elevation Gain:  1050 m Duration:  Approximately 4h30 total (2h30 ascent, 2h descent) Highlights:  Les Gorges de Covatannaz, panoramic summit at Le Chasseron, Chalet Les Avettes, historical path Via Francigena Options: Short hike: Only the gorges, ending in St-Croix with train return Shortest hike: From the highest parking to the summit (50 min roundtrip) Alternative route via Col des Etroits and "Saut de l'Eau" waterfall Download GPS file Starting Point and Gorge Section The hike begins in Vuitebeuf (600m), at a convenient parking lot located 50 meters before the bridge marking the entrance to "Les Gorges de Covatannaz."  This section of the hike can also be done idepenently of the rest ending in St-Croix. From here, follow the yellow and white signs as the trail initia...