We had purchased an all terrain pushchair and we were keen to try it out! We found a walk through the vineyards and forests above Morges called Le sentier des Fumas which looked perfect!
We took the train to Yens (around 50 minutes from Geneva) and we were immediately greeted with incredible views of the lake and mountains from the fields and vineyards surrounding the little village of Yens.
Jack had been snoozing on the train, but he woke up when we arrived into Yens. After a quick pit stop in some shade overlooking the vineyards, I fed Jack and then we began the walk to the forest. We love using the region du leman website and app to help us with navigation, but we found that although the walk was described as 4.5km in the wood, it failed to mention that there was a 3 – 4km walk to get to the woods! We didn’t mind this at all and embraced the longer walk, but it was very hot and exposed – good job we had suncream!
The walk took us along a very small road through fields and vineyards. It was slightly uphill from Yens to the forest, but nothing too arduous.
We passed cows and horses, which Jack loved to look at. The route was calm and peaceful and we hardly saw anyone along the way. After about 45 minutes of walking the road turned into a track and headed up towards the forest. We stopped for a picnic by the edge of the forest in the shade.
After our picnic we headed into the forest to begin ‘Le Sentier des Fumas’ or the Fumas path in English. It is called this because in the 17th century, all the crops were destroyed because of bad weather in the region. The people of Yens resorted to collecting acorns in the forest, which they roasted and ground to make bread. During this task, thick smoke came out of their chimneys. That is why people nicknamed the villagers of Yens “Fumas” – and they are still called this today.
We came to a clearing in the forest where there was a refuge, parking and picnic benches. There was also a map of the trail displayed on a board:
We followed the 3.6km path on a circular route through the forest. The path was wide and mostly flat. The sun shone beautifully through the trees and we could see the Jura mountains behind the forest. As it was a very hot day, we appreciated the shade from the forest and Jack enjoyed the different sights, sounds and smells.
After we had completed this circular trail, we headed back to Yens the same way we had come, except this time it was downhill and Jack had his second nap of the day in the pushchair. The whole walk from Yens and back again, with a leisurely picnic stop took around 4 hours.
Information:
Train Station: Yens
Terrain: Small roads, footpaths, forest tracks
Accessibilty: This walk is not completely wheelchair friendly. Accessible with an all terrain pushchair.
Baby Steps 