Creux du Van via Dos d'Ane

There was the idea of doing a via ferrata on Sunday, but with an unstable weather forecast for the Alps and much more sun in the Jura, plans were changed. I already wanted to hike the famous cirque of Creux du Van earlier in the year, but hadn't yet got around to it. Now was as good a time as any to make up for it. Together with Abi and Martin I took the train to Noiraigue; quick and easy from Zürich with just one change in Neufchatel.

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Large numbers of other hikers get off at Noiraigue, either headed for Creux du Van or for the Gorges de l'Areuse. The paths are really crowded until Ferme Robert. Here, we turn off for the Dos d'Ane ridge. This route is not part of the official Swiss hiking path network. There are some red markings, but they can't always be relied upon. 

The ridge is a mix of soil, woodland, rock and scree. It can be roughly divided into three sections. The first part is the steepest, and some scrambling (UIAA grade I) is required to reach the crest of the ridge. The second part keeps ascending rather steeply, but through scree and woodland, without much opportunity for scrambling. The final section of the Dos d'Ane goes up and down, ascending and descending (or often traversing around) different rock formations. Different route choices are often available, and it's not always clear what's the best choice: traverse on the left or on the right, or just stick to the ridge? There are opportunities for scrambles of various difficulties, but avoiding those the Dos d'Ane hike can be graded T4. There are a couple of nice viewpoints, and this is arguably the most interesting route onto Creux du Van. Next time, I'll take a helmet, though. There were some stones flying past us in a rather disquieting manner...

We join the crowds on the normal route that follows the top edge of the Creux du Van. A rather chilly place to be - both figuratively (the big vertical drop next to the path) and literally (a strong and rather cold wind is blowing). We soon continue and descend through the forrest to the Champ-du-Moulin railway station.

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The Dos d'Ane ridge, though it isn't an official Wanderweg, has often been described here on Hikr (one ascent just a day before ours). With good reason: it offers a challenging and interesting route and an escape from the crowds, at least for a while. But even on the Dos d'Ane, you're not likely to be alone, especially on a weekend. Hence, a helmet is recommended to protect against stones dislodged by other hikers higher up.