Hiking the Saleve

Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to ascend the Saleve in just about every different condition and manner– running through snow, hiking through rain and fog, biking in Summer heat, and now hiking through the clouds to complete and utter beauty.

Known as Geneva’s “local mountain” the Saleve is located just over the French border but is one of Geneva’s landmarks. At an altitude of 1097 meters, or 3500 feet, the views on a crystal clear day are striking. During the Summer months, the Saleve is a popular spot for paragliding and picnics. In the cooler months people typically drive up to the top for a scenic lunch or drink in the restaurant. In the winter months, many people drive to the top for an afternoon of cross-country skiing. But, during these in between months, when a foggy, cloudy haze covers Geneva, many people head to the top of the Saleve for blue sky and sunshine.

After receiving a new pair of hiking shoes from Ahnu Footwear to test and review on my blog, as part of a partnership with Fitfluential, I knew I wanted this past weekend’s agenda to include hiking. Luckily after a few quick emails, six of us were up for a Saturday hike.

Our group met at the bus stop on Saturday ready for a morning of fresh air and hopefully sun. The morning greeted us with cool temperatures and a light mist, not ideal for hiking. This time, after learning so much from our Chamonix hike, I made sure that everyone carried plenty of water and food along with bringing plenty of clothing. Reanud even carried he and Sarah’s adorable 18-month-old son on his back! I mean seriously, I hope Ugo realizes what a lucky kid he is! Bundled up in the equivalent of a snow suit or baby sleeping bag, Ugo nodded off and on during the hike.

Once again, Renaud served as our fearless guide, happily leading our group up the Saleve. When we started, the trail was in a deep fog, limiting the views as we ascended up the path. There are so many different paths leading up the Saleve that no visit feels like the last.  This path felt a bit steeper and more difficult than previous times, but it could have been due to the slippery, wet leaves.

After about an hour and a half of pretty strenuous hiking we finally reached a clearing on the edge of the tree line. From this clearing, we could see the Mt. Blanc and the clouds and fog we’d just hiked through.

We continued to hike across the top of the Saleve, for over a mile, before stopping for a picnic lunch. No longer protected from the wind, we added extra layers and gloves, to stay warm during our lunch.

After eating and taking a few more pictures, we continued our hike, across the top of the Saleve. We kept our heads turned towards the sea of clouds, completely in awe of the views. While the clouds blocked Geneva and the lake, what we saw was more beautiful than anything I could ever imagine. The clouds were bright, white and seemed to be more like an ocean, crashing into the cliffs. The views reminded me of the Pacific Coast, not cloud cover.

After crossing the Saleve, we began our descent down, which included breathtaking, cliff trails and steep, slick steps through canyons.

Nine miles later we found ourselves immerging back into the Geneva fog, in awe of the beauty we’d seen just a few thousand feet above.

Thank you Renaud, Lauren, Sarah, Emily and Essensia for the wonderful day and gorgeous pictures!

If you want to read more about my Saleve adventures, see below:

An Autumn Adventure Up the Saleve

Running Up Mount Saleve