The temperature in Geneva has been hovering around the 30-degree mark over the last few weeks, which has been particularly challenging for all of us in the un-airconditioned WorldTempus office. Discussions over the strength and oscillation of the office fans have reached the highest level of debate, so when an invitation to the Dents du Midi arrived on my desk, it couldn’t have been more welcome.
Heading up to the Dents du Midi by car (although I could have also taken the train) is a pleasurable windy climb up to the village of Champéry, where in just under two hours, I was already checking into the cute Hotel Beau-Séjour. I dropped off my bags and joined our little group of adventurers for a delicious lunch at Le Gueullhi restaurant before heading off for our first activity at the Organic Adventure Park.
The Organic Adventure Park
The last time I did a ropes course in the treetops was a few years ago with my son, who was eight at the time and fearlessly leaped from tree to tree, racing ahead and terrifying me as I worried for his safety as well as mine. Needless to say, it was not an activity that I was impatient to repeat. So, it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I harnessed up for the Organic Adventure Park, but this was to be a whole new experience.
In 2019, the park underwent a complete overhaul of its entire security system, making it easier and safer than ever. There are no double clips to maneuver around the course, like in the past, but one continuous lifeline system that doesn’t require disconnecting between obstacles. Another advantage of this system is that if an obstacle is a bit too scary for you, you can just zip line through it, making the course accessible to everyone from grandchildren to grandparents. The new system gave me renewed confidence as I tried the six different itineraries, I even managed to get some shots of my Alpina Alpiner Extreme Fine Watch Club Limited Edition as I went around!
Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Fine Watch Club Limited Edition
With a white triangular alpine patterned dial and a textured rubber green strap, this was the perfect timepiece for a mountain adventure. Chic but sporty, with its 41mm stainless steel case and integrated strap, this is a timepiece that has adventure in its watchmaking oils! It is powered by an automatic movement (visible through a sapphire case back), displays the hours, minutes, and seconds in the centre, and has a date at 3 o’clock – all this for CHF 1,295 no less.
E-Biking Across the Summits
The following day, our acrobatic abilities were put to the test again as we set off on an e-bike adventure thanks to the lovely people at E-Bike Swiss Rental in the village. Arriving at the shop bright and early, the bikes were quickly adjusted to our height and weight, and we were off, taking the cable car up to the top with panoramas that took our breath away.
The beauty of e-biking is that even though you do need a certain level of fitness and biking skill, the electric power means you can go further, higher, and faster on the same day, allowing you to see and experience way more. Mountain biking – with e-biking technology or not – is not necessarily the best activity for a mechanical watch as the vibrations through the handlebars are quite intense, but thanks to the ruggedness and high quality of its movement, the Alpina Alpiner took it all in its stride.
We biked for three hours, before stopping at a charming alpine restaurant called La Chaux for a delicious lunch with local ingredients. In the afternoon we continued on to discover some of the secret spots recommended by our guide that included a cheese producer, a hidden waterfall, and a sheep farm, all stops that we would have definitely missed if we had been biking on our own.
Just as we started down the mountain to return to the village, the heavens opened, soaking us to the skin. Luckily the Alpina Alpiner is water-resistant to 200m, so I had nothing to worry about there. It was almost a blessing to be cold and wet, as our next activity was discovering the hotel spa. Sliding into the hot bubbly water was the perfect end to the perfect weekend for the Alpina and me. Limited to 50 pieces, there are a few pieces left, so if you are looking for a horological weekend partner for adventures, this timepiece comes highly recommended!
All the details:
Hotel: Hôtel Beau Séjour
Restaurants: Le Gueulhi, Le Vieux Chalet, Gîte Alpage La Chaux, and Alta 1874
Activities : Organic Adventure Park and E-Bike Swiss Rental + Guided Tours.
