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4-day hiking tour in the Jura Massif in Neuchâtel
Sylvain, an ASAM guide passionate about botany and ecology, takes you on this hiking trip exploring the unique landscapes of Neuchâtel and the Bernese Jura Massif. You will enjoy a great stay at an eco-friendly hotel with a bio-dynamic farm.
Description
Would you like to join me on a 4-day hiking tour and discover the amazing landscapes of the Jura Massif in Neuchâtel? During these days we will stay in L’Aubier, an eco-friendly hotel located in the village of Montezillon.
The views from L’Abeil are simply spectacular,over the lakes of Neuchâtel and Bienne, and with a stunning panorama over the Alps in the background. You will discover a unique natural environment, with peat bogs, cliffs, sinkholes and lapiaz.
L’Aubier is ideally located, in the center of a great diversity of landscapes, near the Cirque du Creux du Van, the Gorges de l’Areuse, the ridges of Chasseral and the Fault of Combe-Grède. The hotel also has a farm, based in bio-dynamic agriculture practices.
Every day, we will go on contemplative and informative hikes to discover the various landscapes of the Neuchâtel and Bernese Jura. I will give you information on different plants and their uses, the recognition of birds and on ecology in general. The hikes will take place every morning until mid-afternoon, with a picnic in nature.
The hikes last on average of 5 to 7 hours, covering 10 to 15 km of walk and between 400 to 800 meters of total height difference.
The end of the afternoon will be devoted to personal activities at the Aubier complex. You can choose between reading, walking, meditation, rest, shopping, or just revising the information collected during the walks. I can also offer you a health check in naturopathy. Massage service is also available at the hotel.
The comfort of L’Abeil together with the quality of the food -healthy and made of local products- and the daily hikes are the perfect ingredients for a pleasant and refreshing summer break.
Human hand and climate have also shaped the landscape in this beautiful region, with lawns, meadows, oak, beech and pine forests. You will discover a mosaic of authentic and fascinating nature. This is the perfect trip to enjoy nature and take care of your health in a unique and relaxing environment.
If you want to join me on this 4-day hiking trip, just send me a request. Book your trip and get ready to discover the unique landscapes of the Jura Massif in Neuchâtel. You can have a look at my profile and check other great hiking programmes I offer in Italy, Greece and France.
Details
Accommodation In L'Aubier eco-hotel, a pioneer in the field of green tourism, ecology, biodynamic agriculture and the associative economy. The hotel in Montezillon is located 10 minutes from Neuchâtel, with a beautiful view of the lake and in good weather you can also see the Alps, from the Eiger to Mont Blanc. There are 25 bright and individually decorated rooms, a certified organic restaurant, 6 seminar rooms of different sizes, a small shop and a biodynamic farm with its own cheese factory. |
Disclaimer The program is adaptable according to the weather conditions. It can be modified at the last moment by the supervisor to ensure a smooth running of activities and to ensure better conditions during the stay. |
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Itinerary
Day 0: Hike to Montezillon
Ideally, I like to program a short stroll the day of the arrival for the interested people. We will go for a light walk around the village of Montezillon. This will allow you to accommodate to the environment of the place. You will also see that within a short walking distance we there is a real natural pharmacy. Walking time: 2 hours. Difficulty: none
Day 1: The Cirque du Creux du Van
The Cirque du Creux du Van is a major geological formation in the Jura Massif. It is a nature reserve and the spearhead of nature tourism in Val de Travers. We will tour the cirque from the bottom up. The ibex and chamois are familiar species in this grandiose setting. The highlight of the show is the arrival to the cirque overlooking the Jura Massif. We will trace together the geological history of the site. Along the way, we will inspect the scree and lawns of altitude in search of plants in front of these fantastic landscapes.
Distance: 7 km. Walking time: 5 hours. Altitude difference: 500 meters. Altitude max: 1424 m. Level: Beginner to intermediate.
Day 2: Ecological Hike
We will enjoy a beautiful ecological hike where we will meet a diversity of remarkable natural environments: valleys, meadows, dry lawns, rocks and escarpments and wetlands. We will approach the notion of indicator species. We will compare the forests according to their thermal gradient. Viewpoints will offer us contemplative time in our insatiable study of plants and natural habitats. Distance: 9 km. Walking time: 5 hours 30′. Altitude difference: 500 m. Maximum altitude: 1300 m. Level: Beginner to intermediate.
Day 3: La Combe-Grède natural reserve-Chasseral Peaks
This will be a vertiginous day full of sensations and alpine observations. We will be in the Bernese Jura at the Combe-Grède Nature Reserve. We will go up this huge crevasse which separate the mountain in two. At the bottom of this ravine, we will be in another time, in the middle of the rain forest and lush, mosses and ferns abound. This sporty climb takes us to the summit to go from the shade to the light and rediscover one of the most beautiful panoramas in Europe, the Alps chain. This is the territory of the chamois and marmot, peregrine falcon, wetland plants and rocky escarpments, sycamore maple field, spruce forest, ash and hazel beech forests, and the list is even longer!
Distance: 9 km. Walking time: 7 hours. Altitude difference: 800 meters. Altitude max: 1548 m.
Day 4: The Gorges of l'Areuse
At the bottom of the gorges, the water stops in a deafening noise and at the exit, the water becomes tender and soft again. By watching the Areuse river flow and the size of the gorges it has built, one can better understand how terrain relief is formed over geological times. We will witness first-hand the spectacle of water raving rocks particles by particles. We will also discover the riverside plants. Deer, beaver or the discreet otter can let us dream of their presence by the traces they leave in some passages.
Distance: 15 km. Walking time: 6 hours. Altitude difference: 450 meters. Max altitude: 860 meters. Level: Beginner to intermediate.
About the guide
Passionate about botany and ornithology, trained in ecology, I have long worked in environmental protection, rural development and adaptation to climate change in the Sahel.
Coming from a family of (small) farmers in the West of France, my initial training focused on the management and protection of nature. My associative activities have also allowed me to develop a solid naturalistic culture.
My professional career began with a regional development project in the Alpes de Haute-Provence. Afterwards, I was an ornithological animator in the Eastern Pyrenees. At 25, I went to Niger and worked there for 7 years, first as an international volunteer (France volunteers) then as a technical advisor for the German cooperation services (DED/GIZ). After a brief return to France and a visit to Canada to perfect my English, I went back to West Africa - this time to Senegal where I coordinated a climate change adaptation project for a French NGO.
Tired of the contradictions of the associative and institutional milieu, I finally chose to fly on my own while keeping a privileged link with nature. While my stays in so-called "developing" countries have led me to grasp the fragility of life, it is quite naturally that I wanted to take a closer interest in health.
I then trained in naturopathy with the Herbothèque (Quebec) and the Mandorle School (Switzerland), and specialized in scientific aromatherapy with Dominique Baudoux. I also returned to my first loves: botany and the study of plants. Settled in Switzerland since September 2015, I also trained as a mountain leader at the Saint Jean d'Anniviers school in Valais. I opened my naturopathic practice in Neuchâtel in the summer of 2016 and am a member of the Syndicat des professionnels de la naturopathie (SPN) and the central committee of the Association suisse des accompagnateurs en montagne (ASAM).
Two caps - naturopath and herbalist and hiking guide - for the same passion: nature. My vocation today is to share and transmit it in many ways.
I propose "nature and health" or "nature and culture" stays, cooking-nutrition courses, herbal walks, botanical walks. It's about walking, discovering a region, its nature, learning about wild plants, who they are, what they do. A complete naturopathic check-up can be integrated into the program. This allows individuals to have a complete view of their health status and to obtain an individualized health optimization program.
The proposed destinations are regions to which I am strongly attached and/or that I know well for having lived there: the Mediterranean basin, West Africa, South-West and West France, Switzerland :
France: the Languedoc Roussillon Mediterranean and its causses, the eastern Pyrenees, the Grenoble region with the Chartreuse and Vercors, the Charente Maritime, Brittany, the Southern Alps.
Southern Italy, Naples region.
Greece: Cyclades and Parnitha Natural Park
Sahelian Africa: Northern Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso.
Morocco: from Essaouira to the South of the Atlas Mountains
Switzerland: Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bernese Jura, pre-Alpes, Valais.
The stays take place either from a fixed point in a gîte, or while roaming. In both cases, healthy local cuisine will be at the party.
Any reservation of my stays abroad for my Swiss clientele is made through the travel agency "Le goût du voyage". This partnership is based on mutual trust and a shared travel ethic. The organization of the pre-trip is thus delegated to competent and experienced professionals, which allows me to concentrate on my work as a guide and to secure this activity on the legal level.
Other tailor-made offers can also be proposed. Feel free to contact me.
The past and present programming of my health hiking activity can be found on the "Events" page.
A blog also presents articles on hikes or stays proposed to inspire you (choose the "hiking trips" category).
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Prices per person
Group of 6 | CHF 850 each |
Group of 7 | CHF 850 each |
Group of 8 | CHF 850 each |
Want a different number of travellers?
Price includes
- Guiding fee
- Accommodation
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Price details
The price listed above is per person for double room accommodation, 4 nights, with organic breakfast buffet, 4 evening meals and 4 picnics. (Group from 6 to 10 people). For single room accommodation the price is 950 CHF per person.///The price does not include personal expenses and drinks, supplementary services, insurance. The transport for the hikes is the responsibility of the participants. Grouping in cars is recommended. The departure is set at 8:30 am every morning at L'Aubier.
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