Author: Elias Vogel
As an annual event, the two LCs from Switzerland (Bern and Zürich ) came together for a joint activity. The event on the 9th of July, 2022 was organized by LC Bern. The plan was to hike from Villeret, a small village in the Bernese Jura, and then walk through the gorge of the Combe Grède to the top of Mount Chasseral, the highest mountain in the Jura mountain chain with an elevation of 1’606 meters above sea level. Four students from the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL) in Bern and three students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, including myself, joined the hiking group. As is the usual, no plan ever works out flawlessly. And while the Swiss train company may be famous for being extremely punctual, forestry students apparently can’t claim the same. And thus, one member of each LC had the pleasure of going on a little scavenger hunt to track down the others.
The gorge of the Combe Grède stretches across the northern ridge of the Chasseral. Gigantic rock colossi tower to the left and right of the narrow and shady valley floor. The entrance at Villeret is still gentle and almost flat, but soon the valley narrows into a rugged rocky landscape. The Combe Grède is a particularly quiet and wild natural reserve. Its nearly vertical cliffs are the favorite terrain of chamois and marmots. The trail becomes steeper, in places it leads through the stream bed, which is not constantly filled. Suddenly, there is an opening. On both sides of the valley deciduous forests line the somewhat less steep valley flanks. Finally, the grandiose finale: vertical rocks. The path now partly leads over iron ladders and opens the view to a waterfall. Now zigzag paths through rock bands lead up to the picturesque area of Pré aux Auges. Here we found old, gnarled maple trees, some of which were hollowed out. The last section of the tour runs across gentle Jura pastures up to the summit of the Chasseral and its panoramic view on the three big lakes (lake Murten, Biel and Neuchâtel) and the Alps.
After a lavish picnic, in typical Swiss fashion we brought way too much cheese, on the mountain top, we felt ready for the down hike on the southern flank of the Chasseral. The path, which was no longer as steep and wild as during the ascent, led us across green meadows, past grazing cows and through sparse maple and beech forests to Nods, from where we took the bus to Prêles. There we hopped on the funicular through picturesque vineyards to Ligerz, with a stop at the Festigut winery. The winery not only offers a stunning view over Lake Biel but also excellent organic wine, which we were happy to degustate. A charming vintner was explaining to us the art of viticulture and the processes of wine making. And while we might not be master sommeliers yet, we got somewhat more insights into what all those cork stoppers from Sardinia might find usage for. As a happy, and maybe slightly tipsy group, we found our way back to the station to end this beautiful day. We had an absolutely incredible experience and are already looking forward to the next adventure together. A special thanks goes to Janosch Bardill from LC Bern for organizing this marvelous event.
Picture 1: From left to rigtht: Benedict Scheer, Janosch Bardill, Elias Vogel, Johanna Wierer, Valentin Herzog, Silas Gigon, Flavia Luz. Photo by Flavia Luz.
Picture 2: Group photo on one of the old maple trees at Pré aux Auges. Photo by Flavia Luz.
Picture 3: View from the Festigut winery on the vineyard, Lake Biel and the foothills of the Alps in the background. Photo by Flavia Luz.
