The only way is up! Signal de Bougy

I know that somewhere above the tree line, somewhere above the snow line, lies a very pleasant place called Signal de Bougy, where children play in water parks and lots of interesting animals wander around their enclosures and even more useful there is a network of off road paths all around the site. For those who have never been click here.

The only thing separating me (in Rolle) from this promised running wonderland was the rather steep looking hill. Compared to the mountains all around, especially the ones on the other side of the lake, this is definitely a hill. But what a hill.



I set of following the yellow diamonds and soon enough one of the yellow signs mentions Signal de Bougy, 1h. These signs are given in the time it would take a reasonably fit adult to walk briskly to the destination. So I figure I can get there and back in one hour. After half a mile the route swings left directly up hill and it hurts. I ease off the gas and to keep moving forwards without the heart exploding I need to go at sub Kenny pace.

The ice at the side of the waterfalls is stunning. I run through vineyards and past detached mansions with views over the lake. By now I've decided 30min and I turn back. Just as I get to Bougy-Villars there is snow everywhere and it starts snowing. I'm at 25mins and suddenly there is a sign on a tree with a map of Signal de Bougy.
On the steepest section I rack up a 14 minute mile. I turn the corner and the road is completely covered in 5cm of snow on top of ice and the 100m to the top looks like it is vertical. Some deer check me out from a snow covered field and decide I'm nothing to worry about. I have to zig zag as it is too steep to go straight and just before the top I recognise a building - I sneak through a gap in the trees and hey presto I'm on the stage of the open air theatre! Judging by the tracks in the snow the only performance here for a while has been by animals with paws and four legs. I add my tracks to the mix and loop back to the top the road I'd been trying to climb. The top is completely blocked off by a 6ft snow wall so I clamber over that and make my way down, instantly putting to good use the frolicking technique so loved by my good buddy Paul.

I enjoy this thought and the speed until the first hairpin when I nearly don’t make it around the bend! I slow down again and decide to wait until I am below the snow line before picking it up again. I do, but it is tough not go too fast when the downhill is so steep, I can feel my back and knee taking a thumping as it is very hard to land mid sole on such an incline, I revert to more frolicking and zig-zaging.

Take the high road back long the railway and am amused to find the total time was 48:47 with 30 of those taken to get me to the top and only 18 required to get back to the bottom.




This one is worth looking at in the fly by video, pause it at the top, zoom out, spin around to look at the lake and admire the view.