Three-Day Trip to the Swiss Jura Mountains, DAY 3

For overview about the Jura Crest Trail and first two days of our hike, click here:
Jura Crest Trail

Tuesday May 19 -- After a restful night in "France" in the Hotel Arbez, we left early to catch the train at 08:45 and were at the starting point of our third hike before 09:00, with the goal of climbing to the top of a mountain called La Dôle (1677m, the second highest peak in the Swiss Jura), a popular ski hill for this region.

Starting at the mountain pass called La Givrine (well, the train station there), it took us just over two hours to climb to the summit, a difference of 500 altitude meters. It was cool and sunny again as in the past two days, so the ascent was easy. And what a thrill when we reached the crest to get a clear view of the French Alps on the other side of Lake Geneva, most prominently the highest peak of the Alpine Massif: Mont Blanc (4810m)! (Also visible were the "Dents du Midi" and just barely visible, the summit of the Matterhorn). We were so glad we had left early, as we spent an hour up there (very cold wind blowing!) and in the course of that hour, the clouds moved in more and more in the mountains.

The summit of La Dôle is only 2 km from the border to the South, so we could also see down the rest of the Jura Massif, the part that runs through France, with the highest actual peak in the range called Crêt de la Neige, at 1720m not really that much higher than Mont Tendre. The striking white spheres on the summit are seen from all over the Geneva area, and serve as meteorological stations as well as air traffic regulators for the Geneva airport.

After a windy lunch break, we headed down the mountain back to St.Cergue, via the large transmission tower called "La Barillette", first walking along some real alpine paths, and later mostly through the forest. From St.Cergue, it was a 4-hour trip back home.

I was pretty proud of this trip, three days in a row, 5 hours of walking each day for a total of about 50 km and altogether over 2000m of uphill! The cold wind that is a common feature in these mountains actually helped make the entire trip more enjoyable!

We spent the night in La Cure in the Hotel Arbez Franco-Suisse which straddles the French-Swiss border. I was actually glad that the pub and restaurant were not open for business, as there probably would have been more noise late into the night!

We chose to have breakfast in our cute little French Room, so they brought it up to us as requested at 8:00 a.m.!

Catching the 08:44 train to La Givrine (ca. 10 minutes) to start our hike up La Dôle

Another one of many long and fantastic dry stone walls we saw this day. They are the longest in Switzerland

The spheres on the summit can be seen from all around the area

It took two hours to get to the summit, but it went quickly

Near the summit, with wide-reaching views into France behind us

Just a few more steps!

We were thrilled to have this view of the French Alps as we got to the top! It was clearer than in had been the past two days

Mont Blanc on the far side of Lake Geneva

Zoomed view of the magnificent Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in all the Alps

And another zoomed view of the "Dents du Midi" with just (possibly) the tip of the Matterhorn to the left

Ahead and to the East is the Barillette tower. That's where we're heading next, but not via the farm below, but rather from the left.

Wonderful view

This is where we had lunch. We hoped it would be sheltered from the wind, but it was cold there as well!

Although this is in Switzerland, just 2 km to the South is the border of France, and the bare peak in the back, "Crêt de la Neige", is the tallest peak in the Jura Mountains. Note the wall that extends all down the ridge!

Studying the signs: Heading to St.Cergue via La Barillette...

VIDEO 1 from the Crest:

Panorama from the summit along the West (France)

VIDEO 2 from the Crest:

Panorama from the summit along the East

From Mt. Tendre to the French Alps

Even though the last section of the Jura Crest Trail no.5 leads up from St.Cergue to the summit of La Dôle and then down to Nyon, We actually did a tour called "Le Chemin de La Dôle", from La Givrine to St.Cergue, another 14 km!

Heading across the ridge toward the North to descend along that rough path in the back. Behind me way in the back is the summit of Mt. Tendre, where we started two days earlier

In three days we covered all this ground from Mt. Tendre, and more!

More wonderful stone walls, looks like a reptile's back

Another view of the mountains, already covered with more cloud.

On this side of the mountain you can clearly see how the earth was shifted upwards millions of years ago to form the mountains

Mont Blanc

We made the loop down and to the other side with a look back at this side of the mountain. Very special!

To the top of the next hill, La Barillette.

This is the new telecommunications tower at La Barillette. There used to be two towers here. The old one was dynamited in May 2018.

Continuing on down toward St. Cergue

More Mont Blanc

Information about the construction of the dry stone walls. This says these are the longest walls in Switzerland. They are built according to a very specific methodology by master masons

A good look at one of the walls from the end side

Last stretch before reaching the forest, then it was forest all the way down. On the left is La Dôle and below is the actual "Jura Crest Trail" heading up from St.Cergue. But we didn't want to walk on that much asphalt!