waterfall
now browsing by tag
Waterfalls in Jura Mountains…
In mid-October, in Emile’s absence, I went for a little trip to the Hérisson waterfalls, in the neighboring French Jura.
1. Gour Bleu waterfall, horizontal version.
2. Gour Bleu waterfall, vertical version.
3. Mushrooms…
4. Bubbling undergrowth.
5. Grand Saut waterfall.
6. Alcove.
7. Hrrisson torrent.
8. Above Eventail waterfall.
9. Oops, the forest roads were quite muddy that day! I had to use the winch to get out of that mess!
The next article will take you to discover some new corners of the Italian Alps during our Fall holidays. To come soon.
Return through Lozère, the Cévennes and the Ardèche
It’s time to go home as Emile is flying to America in three days with his mother..
1. Small village not far from our camp.
2. Another one, a little further.
3. Pastures of the Lozère highlands.
4. I love these arid plains…
5. Not far from Florac, on the Causse Méjan.
6. Isolated hamlet.
7. Trail under Mont Lozère.
8. Grove.
9. In Ardèche, Baumicou waterfall, actually dry…
10. Last bivouac in Ardèche before the return.
11. Dusk…
That’s it for this too short summer vacation. The next posts will be about fall adventures… 🙂
See you soon here and thank you for your loyalty in following the discoveries of VivaLaVida !
Way home and laste gateaway of 2023
1. We find a place to sleep in a beautiful forest.
2. In the rain, this forest is beautiful.
3. Dinner.
4. On the way back, we stop at the Cascade des Tuffes.
5. Then we go discover the Herisson Waterfalls.
6. Upper waterfall.
7. Beautiful river.
8. A few weeks later, the first snows covered the Jura Mountains. It’s the opportunity for a hike..
9. Picnic.
10. Foirausaz mountain pasture.
11. End of day…
12. Dusk.
After this rather cold night, I protected VivaLaVida in its winter quarters where it spent 6 months in peace. I took it out a month ago to do a full service and prepare it for new discoveries this summer.
As you read these lines, Emile and I are somewhere with her discovering new lands. I will tell you all about it soon..
Have a great summer everyone and see you soon here ! 😀
Way home…
1. Last boondocking with view on the ocean, not far from Bilbao, while it is raining…
2. Starter with local products!
3. Emile’s happy!
4. Quietness…
5. The rain stops, giving way to a few colors at sunset.
6. …
7. …
8. …
9. … The Basque coast falls asleep..
10. I wanted to discover Canfrang train station for a long time, this curiosity nestled on a pass of the Pyrenees, at an altitude of 3,900 feet elevation. I had seen images when it was disused and I’m surprised to discover that it had been completely renovated and rehabilitated into a luxury hotel!
11. Surprising to find such a building in the middle of the mountains, isn’t it?
12. We reach Pont d’Espagne where we cannot sleep, the bottom of the valley having been closed to traffic after a huge paid car park in which it’s forbidden to sleep. Here the Cerisey waterfall going down towards Cauterets where we spend the night in a campingpark.
132. We head back towards Switzerland along the northern foot of the Pyrenees and discover a beautiful cave on our route: the Mas d’Azil cave. The cavity was dug by the river which runs through it and it’s so large that the road also crosses it.
14. We sleep north of Carcassone to discover the ruins of the Four Castles of Lastours.
15. It is the small roads of the Cevennes that bring us back home…
16. Crossing the village of Mourèze…
And that’s it for these too short summer vacations where VivaLaVida has covered 2,600 miles.
The next articles will tell you about some fall outings…
Thank you for your loyalty to this little blog! 🙂
Navarre and Basque Country…
1. As we continue our progress towards the West…
2. … we take a short break in a wind farm.
3. Around midday, we reach Urbasa Natural Park, a gorgeous karst plateau between 2,400 and 3,000 feet above sea level.
4. After lunch, we go for a walk there.
5. Cliffs…
6. Distorted silhouette…
7. Beautiful blue thistles dot these high pastures.
8. Dense forest at the Northwest end of the plateau…
9. …
We then head Southeast of Bilbao in search of a natural arch, the Oyo de Aizulo, in the Basque Country.
10. After a walk in a light rain, we arrive at the entrance of this magnificent double arch.
11. Its dimensions are quite impressive! Here the lower arch, probably around ninety feet high.
12. And there the upper arch through which you access the site.
13. The same from above.
14. Selfie ! 😉
15. The next day, after the rain stopped, we go discover an impressive waterfall, the Salto del Nervion which, with its 666 feet, is the highest waterfall in the entire Iberian Peninsula.
As a gate now prohibits access to the trail, it’s after an approx. 2 hours hike that we reach the site to discover a completely dry waterfall! Too bad, it must be quite impressive when the Nervion flows there.
The next post will be more “oceanic” with the arrival of VivaLaVida in the Bay of Biscay… 😉
Southern foot of the Pyrenees
To protect ourselves from the heat wave that has been raging for a few days, we decide to discover the Ordesa valley, hoping to find some freshness there. In the summer time, access roads are closed to individual vehicles and after a night in the small campground of the San Nicolás de Bujaruelo refuge, we take the shuttle to the valley.
1. After an hour of hiking, we are in front of the “Cascada del Estrecho”.
2. Continuing up the river…
3. Emile playing at our picnic spot. I won’t bring back other images, a heavy rain shower forcing us to shorten our walk.
4. Boondocking near a small river…
5. My son happy to play with his feet in the water. 😉
6. The next day, the track rises in a limestone range.
7. Landscape and geology change rapidly.
8. We reach the “Mirador de Los Buitres” shortly after noon and enjoy a magnificent view on the “Mallos de Riglos”.
9. As we eat, many vultures fly over us.
10. Squadron…
11. Glider…
12. Ruin along the trail…
13. Late in the afternoon, we arrive in sight of the “Castillo de Loarre”.
Images of our visit are coming in the next article… 😉
Summer trip 2021, start in France and Italy
Both Emile and I were eager to hit the road after two years without traveling in VivaLaVida. However, while we planned to leave on a Monday, trying to crank VivaLaVida the previous Thursday, no way to start it! I do the diagnostics and identify that it was the injection pressure regulator that was out of order. I ordered the part in the United States with express shipping and received it next Monday. The time to install it and check that everything was fine, we finally left on Tuesday at the beginning of the afternoon …
1. First stop at Fairies lake, in Beaufortain.
2. The next day, we go to the Iseran Pass, more than 9,000 feet elevation.
3. Emile building a kern.
4. View of the mountains where Isère takes its source.
5. Emile in front of an orientation table.
6. We find a place under the pass to boondock.
7. There is a torrent, Emile throws some stones at it!
87. All happy!
9. The sun hides behind the mountain until the next day…
10. The next day, direction Italy in the Rochemolles valley via Mont Cenis.
11. The pleasure of the first campfire of the trip.
12. Dinner!
13. The following morning, we go up to the Scarfiotti refuge and its small lakes. I give up going up to the Sommeillier Pass because you have to pay to take this dead end track and there was a lot of people.
14. Waterfall behind the refuge.
Continuation of the story in a few days… 😉
East fjords and end of the trip…
We are Tuesday, the ferry leaves tomorrow, so I have to end the route to the East.
1. A farm and its small church in the plain.
2. These plains are actually alluvial deltas (gravel bars) down the mountains that form the eastern fjords.
3. Short stop at the powerful Nykurhylsfoss waterfall, sometimes also called Sveinsstekksfoss.
4. VivaLaVida makes a small detour through the valley from which she falls, on a track that looks more like a river in places 🙂
5. This valley is a magnificent basalt staircase, each step of which creates a waterfall. Gorgeous ! Too bad not to have time to explore it longer…
6. With autumn colors now very present, it’s beautiful.
7. A little further, on a small pass, the fall of Folaldafoss.
8. VLV will take a chaotic path to find a beautiful Icelandic camp near a small lake, 2100 feet above sea level.
9. The night will be particularly turbulent, with winds to almost 70 mph and heavy rain. In the morning, the rain gives me some respite while the wind maintained.
10. As I have a few hours left before boarding, I decided to take the F936 trail and was surprised to discover it perfectly leveled, without washboard or potholes. After ten miles, I understand why..! I do not take the risk to pass and turn around.
11. So, VLV goes up to do a small exploration towards North…
12. … discover the beautiful church of Kirkjubaejarkirkja.
13. Details of door shutters.
14. Climbing a small pass, a large beach exposed to the Arctic Ocean revealed.
15. Small stop in a colorful side valley, obstructed by a wall of basalt.
16. Mineral colors.
17. Last picture of a rainy heath…
18. VivaLaVida finds back the Nöronna ferry for the return crossing cruise.
In conclusion of these few weeks in Iceland, I have some mixed feeling. The island is home to a wealth of incredible natural treasures for whom, like me, love desolate and wild Nordic landscapes. Combined with the omnipresence of sustained and often extremely recent volcanic activity, the cocktail is often breathtaking. On the other hand, because of tour operators eager to make money, this destination has become so touristy that the consequences of this mass tourism become visible almost everywhere. More and more frequent access bans, legislation seeking to limit the impact on the fragile nature, sites with often developed unsightly infrastructure and invaded by dozens of buses, mini-commercial campers rented by hundreds and, probably corollary, Icelandic not very affable and often even unfriendly with foreigners… Not to mention a exorbitant life costs : filling VLV was more than 400.- USD..!
Apart from the few indoor tracks that VivaLaVida allowed us to access off the beaten path, the pressure of this tourism really bothered me. And we were there at the end of the season, with significantly fewer people than in July or early August. Of course, I understand everyone’s desire to discover this raw nature. Yet there are other places on the planet, equally spectacular but less exploited by tour operators who still know how to preserve their country and are in my eyes much more pleasant to visit.
No regrets, however, to have had the opportunity to make discover to Isabelle – Emile is probably still too small to remember of later – this large island and its beautiful and so changing landscapes!
While the Nöronna ferry made a stopover in Torshávn on the way back, I was lucky enough to have some nice weather to offer you some new pictures of the capital of the Faroes.
19. This small town offers dozens of narrow streets with pretty houses that denote with the American-style pavilions of Iceland.
20. View on the city.
21. Marina.
22. The crossing to Denmark will be somewhat turbulent, with strong winds up to 80 mph and 18-21 feet waves.
23. Venting sinset…
The return to Switzerland was normal except for a turbo hose that dislodged, forcing VLV to drag on the last 350 miles…
Thanks to you for having followed the story of this Icelandic journey of VivaLaVida which will now be rebuilding a small health (axle simmering to change, kneecaps to replace, and complete frame check after more than 6000 miles traveled, of which probably more than a thousand on the various tracks borrowed. You can also view the route on the map “Europe” of this blog… 😉
And see you soon for following VivaLaVida’s new adventures! 😀
F210 – F232
Before continuing the journey, it is time to wish you all Happy New Year 2019! full of new informative and rewarding adventures, beautiful encounters, unexpected discoveries. A special thought to a close friend who has been battling a serious cancer for many months without being able to overcome it yet and who I wish to see soon the end of the tunnel…
But let’s continue the story. II enjoyed some light at sunrise… 😀
1. First glow…
2. Mýrdalsjökull is really close.
3. There was some snow fall tonight.
4. Iron oxide colors some hills in red.
5. One of the many fords crossed.
6. Sand / foam / ice contrast.
7. At the end of the F210, I decide to take some height on the Maelifell, an old volcano in the middle of the plain. VivaLaVida stays down. 😉
8. As I go up, the immensity slowly reveals itself.
9. A flight of wild geese begining their migration goes through the sky…
10. I take the opportunity to show you a small sample of the main plants of these arid regions, starting with this sometimes almost fluorescent foam.
11. It shares the space with other species, creating colorful beds at this fall period.
12. …
13. …
14. …
15. Arrived at the top, the panorama is breathtaking! (panoramic assembly of 9 bracketed images –> 27 images for this softblending!)
16. View from above…
17. The mountain I just climbed.
18. Still contrasts…
19. VLV follows the less traveled F232 road now.
20. As we descend gradually towards the south coast, greenery becomes more present again.
21. The colors of autumn are also more and more present, for my greatest pleasure.
22. How beautiful ! I am in permanent contemplation…
23. A ford just above a waterfall
Here is the link of a short video of this ford for those who want to discover it… 😉
24. One of the glacial rivers, meltwater from the ice cap, digs its canyon.
25. Further down the trail, other waterfalls that look like small and less touristy “Godafoss”.
26. Backlight at the end of F232.
To be followed soon… 😉
Lakagigar – F206 / F207
Here we are to discover the Lakagigar region, driving our first “F Roads”, trails reserved for 4×4 because of deep fords and “in principles”
prohibited to rental vehicles. In principle because we saw many “unauthorized” rental SUV on these tracks.
1. F206
2. As in the Faroe Islands, sheep live in freedom everywhere.
3. VivaLaVida crosses completely mineral landscapes.
4. Here is the Lakagigar range, volcanoes that appeared only a few decades ago.
5. Small lake stuck between mountain and lava flow.
6. The F206 was created in the lava.
7. Only mosses and lichens manage to develop on volcanic slags.
8. The summits, more exposed, are often virgin of vegetation.
9. Enjoying the panorama in late afternoon.
10. And what a panorama!
11. F207
12. We boondocked on the shore of a small lake.
13. Sweetness of the evening light.
14. The next day, despite the light of a gray sky, the contrasts are amazing. The moss looks almost fluorescent.
15. …
16. …
17. Laki volcano.
18. … and one of the new craters around.
19. The F207 winds between the hills.
20. Raw lava.
21. Ground is very dark.
22. The trail is sometimes not very marked.
23. Looking to North West towards Landmannalaugar.
24. …
25. Crossing a river with water temperated by some hot springs, the vegetation changes.
I posted a short video of a F207 ford here for those interested. 😉
26. The Fragifoss waterfall along the F206.
27. Last sight of these pretty volcanic hills.
To be followred on the side of the famous Landmannalaugar, probably the most visited interior site in Iceland.
D5 Creation