Les Chainions - Refuge du Cerneux
18 km
Elevation: up 750m, down 730m
Min altitude 438m, max altitude 996m
Active hours: 4h26m
Steps: 30094


I left before anyone else was up, so I left money with a note and just walked off. It was almost 9.00, I didn't want to wait.
It was a good night to sleep indoors, as there was rain and thunder, and in the morning it was still very cloudy and foggy and everything was wet. Wet grass, wet plants, wet legs. Good thing I was wearing shorts.
At some point I heard a lot of yelling, which was actually a little bit scary, until I realised they must be training or something, and then I saw the dog at which they were yelling. So I guess they were training the dog.

Down to Saint-Ursanne I took a wrong path twice at almost the same spot. It's not always clear where the path is in the grass fields. But I eventually made it and went looking for a grocery store and a cash machine. I found both, though the supermarket was closed on sundays. But the cash machine worked, so i finally had francs to pay with where paying by card isn't possible.
There was some sort of market going on, there were some stands that sold food and some that sold other things (one that sold really nice cups and mugs that I would have wanted to buy if I hadn't been hiking). I spent a long time there planning, looking at the map, checking the campsite guide at the tourist office, to decide where I could go so that I could camp tonight and find a supermarket not too far for resupplying - I was getting pretty tired of having mostly biscuits and other sweet stuff. I also spent half an hour standing in line to buy a galette bretonne for lunch. There was one person making them and they really took their time. But in the end I got my galette, and my plan for the rest of the day, and more water, so at 13.30 I finally left for Delemont. That meant passing underneath one of those high train bridges I love, and then a steep climb that turned less steep but kept going up for 400m. It looked like threatening rain, but the rain kept being blown ahead of me. Until much later, after climbing to nearly 1000m and descending again through forest, when suddenly I saw a village, which had a lot of rain cloud hanging over it. Wind also started up and it got colder, so when I got to a refuge I decided to wait out the rain for a bit. There was a large group just leaving, and they gave me some of their leftover food, a sort of savoury cheesecake they told me is a local specialty, half a bag of chips and some brioche. Very welcome, as I said, I was tired of only sweet stuff. They also left me the last bit of their fire and a bottle of water, so after they were gone (having even offered me a ride, but eh no, I'm hiking, thanks though) I made tea. The rain stopped after a bit but the whole valley and refuge were now enveloped in mist, there was still a lot of wind and it was cold, so not attractive outside. I spent some time writing next to the last warmth of the fire.
And just as I was leaving, it started raining again, which made it so unattractive outside that I went back in. The bad weather held on and in the end I had to deicide I couldn't make it to delemont anymore and would have to sleep in the hut. So I built up the fire, and spent the rest of the day looking at maps, planning and writing. This hut even has a toilet and drinking water so it feels very luxurious. The cows have come really close, so there's constant clanging of bells (it sounds really nice for humans but I keep wondering if the cows aren't driven totally crazy by the constant noise with every move that they make. As far as I know, cows aren't deaf as a rule). Let's see if I sleep better in this hut than the last one. This one has a village close by and is far less remote, so there is a chance I'll feel safer here.

Geschreven door Jewaontheroad