High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Top station of La Videmanette lift (Rougemont, 2150 m) Highest point: Le Rubli summit, 2285 m Total elevation gain: ~150 m Total distance: ~1.4 km (round trip) Total time: ~2h (45 min ascent, 30 min descent, plus breaks) Technical difficulty: Easy ferrata: K2 Medium ferrata: K3 (our route) Difficult ferrata: K5– (steep, vertical sections, but no overhangs) Download GPS file At La Videmanette (2150 m), above Rougemont, there are three via ferrata: a very easy one (K2), a medium one (K3), and a hard one (K5–). The K5 is said to include vertical passages but no overhangs, and is considered doable by experienced climbers. Our plan this time was to take the mid-level one anway. From the lift, the summit of Le Rubli is immediately visible on the left. The approach is very short: just five minutes downhill, where you find a large panel marking the start. The difficult route begins downhill and climbs the rock face on your lef...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Col du Pillon (1,546m) Lift dropoff : Scex Rouge, (2950m) Arrival:  Le Sommet des Diablerets (3,210m) Altitude gain:  300m Duration:  3h (loop) Difficulty:  Medium Technical difficulty:  Moderate Download GPS file Le  Sommet des Diablerets  is the  highest peak in Vaud , the canton where I live. I had wanted to climb it for some time, but it’s one of those places that’s too easy to take a guide for yet too challenging to tackle alone. Fortunately, a colleague with much more mountain experience than me agreed to guide me! This trip was particularly exciting because, for the first time, I would be doing it  on skis . Last year, my dad gave me his old ski touring skis, but I hadn’t yet had the chance to use them. Earlier this season, I tested them on a short tour at Le Chasseron. They were old but functional—good enough for Les Diablerets. The Ascent The tour began at the  cable car in Col du Pillon , whic...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Carrière des Chamois (1400m) Arrival point:  Refuge de Solacyre (1827m) Altitude gain:  400m Time:  ~2 hour (loop) Difficulty:  Easy Download GPS file We did this hike in winter, and it was a fantastic experience! The paths are well-organized, with sections of the summer road with snow groomed for easy walking (no snowshoes needed) and other stretches through the woods where snowshoes might be necessary, especially after fresh snowfall. You can find the full map  [here] , or clicking on the image below. It will allow you to download a detailed PDF with hike descriptions. The Route Starting from the quarry, take the left-hand path (as you face away from the quarry) and begin your ascent along the summer road. After about 20 minutes, you’ll reach a bifurcation: one route continues right along the road, while the other veers left through the woods. We chose to go uphill via the forest trail and descend via the road—and it was the ...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Auberge du Lac de Joncs parking (1,230m) Arrival:  La Corbetta summit (1,401m) Altitude gain:  ~170m Distance:  ~3km Duration:  ~1h30 (with a child of 4) Difficulty:  Easy Technical difficulty:  Minimal (some icy sections in winter) Download GPS file A Perfect Winter Walk It was a sunny February day, so we decided to go on a  family hike . Gaia, now almost  four years old , can walk  up to 4km  on her own, so I chose a short but scenic route:  Lac de Joncs to La Corbetta —just over  3km  in total. We started at the  Auberge du Lac de Joncs parking . Before heading up, we walked around the  frozen lake , writing words on the ice and enjoying the crisp winter air. On the  far side of the lake , the trail begins. It was marked in  pink  as a  snowshoe path , but the snow was  hard-packed . Since we hadn’t expected snow at all, we didn’t bring snowshoes—but ...

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Les Avants (974m) Arrival:  Sonloup (1,157m) Altitude gain:  ~250m + some ups and downs for a total of 350m Duration:  ~2 hours (loop) Difficulty:  Easy Best season:  June (for peak narcissus bloom) Family-friendly:  Yes (even suitable for young children) Funicular option:  Yes (Sonloup–Les Avants) Download GPS file This hike is a classic for me—one I’ve done many times and make sure to do almost every year. It’s the perfect way to inaugurate my new blog label,  “Classics” —trails that I return to again and again because they never disappoint. The ideal period for this family-friendly loop hike is  June , when the narcissus flowers are in full bloom. During this time, the alpine pastures transform into a breathtaking white carpet of blossoms, making it a truly magical experience. Starting Point: Les Avants The hike begins in  Les Avants , where there’s a parking area in front of the train station. From ...

🗺️ 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...