A walk from one forest to another from Founex to Arnex....
Posts tagged “heat”
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A Walk In The Shade — Aug 15, 2021 -
Cycling in a Level Three Heat Wave — Aug 14, 2025Yesterday as I cycled from Nyon to Geneva I felt my mouth become dry so I drank, felt it get dry again, and drank again. The wind that is usually cooling, or cold was warm. I was having a hair dryer ride. This is a term I use when the air is so warm that it offers no cooling effect.... -
The Curious Habit of Dressing to Be Cold — Jul 8, 2025One of the strangest things, in my observation of other people, is that they dress as if it was warm when it was cold. They dress in shorts and t-shirts to walk in the mountains in spring. That’s quite absurd, given how the mountains, in April tend to be cold.... -
Cycling and Suspected Heat Exhaustion — Jul 6, 2025Over the last week I have cycled, and climbed over 3000m. Yesterday I climbed 1664 meters over an 89 kilometre ride. It was divided into the first climb, from the Léman towards La Cure, then a flat bit, ridden fast, before getting to the climb to Marchairuz and that is when I ran out of power.... -
The Beauty of Flowing Air — Jul 1, 2025People think that to be comfortable on a hot day you need to rush to an air conditioned room or building but that idea is wrong. When I worked on one building, for three years, I called it “air conditioned hell” for a simple reason. For the body to cool it needs air flow to help evaporate water. When there is no air flow it feels stuffy, and we interpret this as being too hot.... -
The Morning Run — Jun 17, 2025Usually I like to go out in the afternoon because that was often when I felt the need for a mental break. This morning, and yesterday, or a day or two I went out in the morning. Part of the reason for this is that summer temperatures are arriving. We are getting back to 30°c or more, and running in that temperature is not as pleasant.... -
Spring is Coming — Mar 7, 2025Recently it has been feeling warmer as spring is making an appearance. I noticed that buds and leaves are getting ready. Orchids are flowering and trees are ready. I also noticed that there is quite a bit of pollen in the air and it’s warmer. Warm enough to start thinking about cycling....
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The Water Bottle Paradox — Sep 4, 2024This weekend when I hiked to Valangin I thought that I would found a water fountain along the way, so I took just 600ml of water. A few weeks ago when I went to Charmey I took the same amount of water because I didn’t want too much weight for the Via Ferrata. The result is that I have run out of water twice recently.... -
Experimenting with Air Conditioning — Aug 9, 2024I live in a Minergie, which, in theory, means that I never need to worry about climatisation because the building keeps itself warm in winter and cold in summer. In practice the features that make a flat fantastic winter make it awful in summer.... -
Keeping Cool in a Heat Wave — Jul 31, 2024We are currently in a heat wave. During heatwaves my velux heat up in the afternoon sun and radiate heat both into the apartment during the day but also at night after the sun has set. I have found that during a heat waves it is wise to close the blinds and close the windows as soon as it is hotter outside than inside.... -
On Summer Heat — Jul 17, 2024For as long as I remember I have enjoyed summer heat. For a long time I lived in a house that was like a cave in summer. It would be 30°c outdoors but 21 to 25°c indoors. It felt like stepping into a cave when I got home. For a summer or two I lived in a apartment on the 5th floor in Meyrin and during the 2003 summer heat wave I would open the windows on both sides of the building and get a nice draft....
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Watching the Weather Again — Jun 26, 2024For five years it was sunny almost every day in Switzerland. It was sunny so often that the water tables declined and village fountains dried up, as did fields. Clouds of dust could be seen rising when tractors worked the fields. It’s because of this excellent weather, for years in a row, that I stopped looking at weather apps.... -
A Warm Octobre — Oct 7, 2023This morning I saw someone walking in shorts and a t-shirt and I saw more people in t-shirts. Switzerland is currently 8°c warmer than it should be at this time of year, and drier. The sun is shining and it rarely rains. The weather is stable and sunny, every single day, for weeks or even months at a time. We had a few minutes of rain recently but no more than that.... -
Recovery Day — Aug 25, 2023We are in a heatwave and despite this I have cycled for four and a half hours and walked for three hours and fourty minutes. For the bike rides I woke at 6am to avoid rush hour traffic, and to do things before the temperatures rose. Yesterday the temperature in Geneva reached 39°c. Just a few decimal places away from 40°c heat.... -
Air Conditioning and Heat Tolerance — Aug 23, 2023Years ago, when working in an air conditioned office I came up with the theory that air conditioning, rather than helping us, during heatwaves, actually has the opposite effect. I came to this idea when I stepped out of my air conditioned office into a warm summer’s day wearing a fleece, and maybe even a sweater. It seemed absurd at the time, because around me people were walking in t-shirts and shorts and I was dressed for winter.... -
Walking Heatwave Strategy — Aug 22, 2023Two days in a row I have poured water on my head. The reason for this is that yesterday we were in 35°c heat and today we were in 33°c heat. When you’re walking for two or three hours at the solar Maximum the best cooling strategy is to pour water on your head, as I did. It’s a quick way of cooling. It’s not that the water was cool. The water is warm, heated by direct sunlight for the last half hour, or even hour.... -
An Afternoon Walk in the Heat — Aug 17, 2023Yesterday I went for a walk with a Garmin Etrex 32 that was sometimes in my hands and at other times in my pocket. I could have been hands three with a GPS watch but it’s good to play with a variety of devices. I chose the Etrex because it was paired with the Tempe thermometer....
