Sleepy Canton Jura and a Walk through the Ravine "Combe de Tabeillon"

Sunday September 2 -- As we prefer not to be in the mountains when it is foggy or rainy, we opted for a trip to the far West of Switzerland (very near the border to France), where the weather tends to be nicer. Although it wasn't really on this day, and started out rather cold...

But our 3-hour walk was through a thick and unspoiled natural forested ravine called "La Combe de Tabeillon", where the private railway "Chemins de Fer du Jura" zigzags its way from Glovelier to La Chaux-de-Fonds. So a few raindrops weren't the end of the world, although for me the excursion was rather monotonous, as most of the 11-km walk was along a wide gravelly road, and all just simply "straight ahead". And not much to see along the way other than a ton of foliage and a few stunning cliff formations. We couldn't even see the little red train as it passed several times, because the foliage was so thick.

Highlights were the isolated restaurant called "Buffet de la Gare" at La Combe where we started our hike. ("Buffet de la Gare" means "Railway Station Restaurant", but the railway station was a tiny bus-shelter-like structure, also in the middle of nowhere). We were checking out the restaurant for a wheel-chair-bound friend, who loves trains and wants to come here for an excursion. Test is passed, all is wheel-chair accessible -- even the "train station" -- and the road to Pré-Petit-Jean in the other direction is paved, so they (he and Urs) can "go for a hike" together.

Another highlight, if you can call it that, was the Etang de Bollement, a small pond in a nature conservation area. For me the most surprising part of the excursion was coming across a meadow full of Autumn Crocuses, which means sadly.... the start of Autumn.....

But most notably, and perhaps least forgotten, is that shortly after we left home and headed West in the morning, the train ahead of us hit a 29-year-old man who for unknown reasons was walking on the railway track. Lucky for us it wasn't our own train, as that must be a traumatic experience, to be in a train that has run over a pedestrian. For us, it meant our train had to back-track and we lost an hour, but for a train involved in such an accident... it is a long procedure before everyone can get on with their day again....

Riding "Les Chemins de fer du Jura" from Glovelier to La Combe

Along the way at the station called "Combe Tabeillon", the railway line does a switchback to gain height, because there is not enough room here to turn a corner. Our walk brought us back to this location.

The starting point of our hike: La Combe, where there is really nothing except this restaurant, where we stopped for a coffee and to see if it is wheel-chair accessible.

Indicated is 2 hours 45 minutes to Glovelier, which is exactly how long it took us. But to me it seemed to go on forever, much longer than our long mountain hikes.

At the single spot where we could actually see through to the railway line, a special charter train drove by. That was a highlight too.

This lush part in the nature conservation area near the pond was perhaps the nicest section of the hike.

Pond called "Etang de Bollement"

The whole ravine was thick and lush with foliage. I imagine this would be pleasant on a hot day.

We came across this pretty plant, which when researched looks to be Indian Balsam, which is actually an invasive species.

On this special geological outcropping live Great-Horned Owls and Peregrine Falcons (according to the information board) but we saw no birds, unfortunately

Definitely a great rock outcropping for birds to nest and hide in.

90 minutes from the start of our walk we got back to the switchback at the station "Combe Tabeillon". There was a picnic area here where we had our lunch.

For me the biggest surprise: An entire meadow filled with Autumn Crocus. A reminder that summer is soon over.

In the entire 10 km through the ravine there was only this one residence called "La Ferme de la Combe Tabeillon". Apparently the pond here is of national importance for the breeding of frogs and toads