100 Unnamed Strangers at Fort l'Ecluse (Part V)

Restoration : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

These two pictures represent the first and last photos I shot at Fort l'Ecluse. The French government is currently doing restoration work on the fort and these two workers just happened to be discussing their work from an open window as I walked up. The second photo features a man smoking a cigarette and a mother and child resting on the grass on the second-to-the-last terrace before you reach the very top of the fort. If that woman walked up more than 800 steps carrying that kid, I'd be gobsmacked! Of course, given that that's about the only sensible way to get to this point, I'd have to guess she did. The alternative--climbing up the rock face--seems unlikely...

Resting : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Fort l'Ecluse, Part IV

Laurent le lézard : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

I think I mentioned you can climb 1,000 odd stairs to the top of Fort l'Ecluse. I climbed nearly 900. At about 750, I came out of the mountain tunnels and onto a terrace overlooking the Rhone River Valley. On the edge of the wall was this little guy sunning himself. I tried to get as close as I could without scaring him away. I was aided in my efforts by my fabulous 18-200 mm lens and these are the results.

Laurent le lézard : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Fort l'Ecluse, Part III

The Rhone River Valley : Seen from Fort l'Ecluse, FR

As mentioned yesterday, Fort l'Ecluse sits above the Rhone River and enjoys sweeping views of the river and the river valley. On a clear day, you can see Geneva and the French Alps. In this photo*, you can see all the way to Albertville, France, site of the 1992 Winter Olympics.



* I confess: I doctored up this picture a little bit. It was a lot hazier, so I adjusted the light levels a little bit. The result, I think, is something that looks like an old photo in an old issue of National Geographic.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Fort l'Ecluse, Part II

Room and tunnel : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

Fort l'Ecluse was a French garrison from the 1800s until the 1950s. It extends from its base just above the Rhone River to the top of the mountain and was built by the French over a span of nearly 20 years in the early 1800s. If you've got the gumption, you can walk 1,000 steps from its base through the mountain and to the top. I made it 900 and then gave up (of course, at the time, I didn't know I only had 100 more steps to go to make it to the top. Had I known, I would have pressed on. That said, those 900 stairs left me in pain for nearly a week. Walking was a joke!)



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Fort l'Ecluse, Part I

Rock climbers scaling the mountain to the top of Fort l'Ecluse : Pays-de-Gex, FR

About 20 minutes out of Ferney, on the road to Bellegarde, is a former French fortress called Fort l'Ecluse. It seems to be rather popular with the rock climbing set. You can start at the base of the fort above the Rhone River and climb all the way to the top, then take more than 800 stairs down through the mountain back to the bottom.

Close up of climbers. How many do you count? : Fort l'Ecluse, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

View from Mont Jura

Jura valley and farmland

This was the view from Faucille on Mont Jura. We enjoyed this view from a picnic table off the parking lot as we ate a lunch of cheese, bread, and fresh berries.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09

Jura Flora

Flora in the Jura Mountains

We went to Col de la Faucille just to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather this past weekend. After enjoying views of Geneva, we went for a little bit of a hike in Faucille. There were a lot of very pretty little mountain flowers and these are just a few pictures.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09

Jura View

The view of Geneva from near the top of the Jura Mountains in France

The Jura Mountains run along the west side of the basin in which Geneva lies. These photos are of the view from just below Col de la Faucille. In the distance, at the foot of the lake, is Geneva. Note that you can see the Jet d'eau from this point--about 15 miles from Geneva.

The Jet d'eau can be seen from nearly 15 miles away
(on the right; click image to enlarge.)

Our ultimate goal was Col de la Faucille, on the other side of the radio tower at the top of the mountain in the bottom photo.

View of the Jura and our goal: that radio tower!

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09