It’s very easy to fall into a routine. Our routines can revolve around cycling, hiking, work, scuba diving and more. It can also revolve around local walks and more.
This weekend I saw the chance to go for an overnight bivouac and I am not tempted. I saw the chance to cycle through vineyards and drink wine, and I am not tempted. I saw the opportunity to hike around Interlarken and I am not tempted.
On Saturday I went for a ride with Bike Club Switzerland from Geneva. The ride itself was planned on an 80km loop that went from Geneva via Vich up to Begnings and then towards one or two more places before heading back towards la Rippe, across the top, and eventually down to Grilly and Geneva.
The Planned hike was meant to be moderate, at around 22km/h and 82km in distance. To get to the meeting point I had to cycle 22km just to start the group ride, and then 82km with the ride, and then 22km or more to get home.
If you’re ready to use buses and trains opportunities for walks and hikes open up. Yesterday’s hike, for example, was possible because we parked the cars in Marchairuz before catching a bus to Le Pont. That’s where we met another part of the group before hiking from le Pont, to the Col de Mollendruz. From here we saw the defensive Toblerones before heading back down.
I didn’t expect that the path would take us back down, lower than the road, through the trees for a while, before getting to a clearing and a parking where the smell of barbecue was present.
It’s easy to look at what people are doing and to travel two hours on a train or in a car. In practice it’s a way of exploring the local area and seeing things that you wouldn’t otherwise see. On the flipside sometimes it is nice to stay local.
I went from seeing that a hike was in Gstaad that would take two hours to get to, to seeing a hike that would take an hour to get to and participate in, to another.
This morning I got up at 4am to go for a run with strangers in Nyon. The meeting time was 05:10 and the run/jog/walk began at 05:30. Before the run Activ Fitness gave us a warm up workout that I followed half-heartedly. I had already walked 3km so my body was warm. I now needed to remain warm before the run itself.
For some people the idea of getting up at 4am to run at 0530 is an absurd one.
Yesterday the town of Nyon posted about the Wake Up and Run event that is taking place tomorrow so I felt like signing up until I saw that it costs 38 CHF, and then I changed my mind, temporarily. Eventually I thought “This is in Nyon so it’s local, so I could meet local people”. I also thought “well, if it includes breakfast and a t-shirt then it could be worthwhile after all.