Versoix, Western Siberia.
Following on from Geneva is Lake Geneva, one of the largest lakes in the Alps. Famous for its jet d’eau in Geneva, this lake continues for 73 kilometers towards the Valais, sharing its shores between Switzerland and France. On the south-facing Swiss shore, with exceptional panoramic views of the Alps, the climate is mild, and the steeply terraced vineyards have been cultivated since the Romans, but more intensively after the 11th century, giving rise to the many grape varieties for which the region is renowned.
Fed by the Rhône and a multitude of Alpine springs, climate change is having a major impact on the waters of Lake Geneva, which are struggling to renew themselves due to high winter temperatures and the lake’s great depth. Favored by the steep relief around the lake, winds can become violent very quickly, tumbling down the slopes at high speed and slamming into the lake with astonishing force to cause sudden storms. This is a major problem for yachtsmen who imagine they’re sailing on a lake that’s always calm, but suddenly find themselves in unprepared trouble. In February 2012, the wind blowing down from the mountains combined with exceptionally low temperatures to create a memorable and highly photogenic episode. On an average morning, it was -11°C and the sky was perfectly clear, but suddenly, around February 12, the temperature plummeted towards -20°C. Combined with a strong wind blowing from east to west, the lake began to stir and the waves pounded the banks, emitting spray that froze almost instantly, depositing itself on all nearby objects over a distance of some fifteen meters.
So it was that I found myself with a few people at the little port of Versoix for some admirable shots, quite unique for this part of Geneva. With almost 20 cm of ice deposited everywhere and on every object, including the unfortunate cars whose owners couldn’t move them in time, the main difficulty was to stay upright and to be able to activate the camera shutter release as the icy wind penetrated everywhere.
It was an unusual sensation, and gave an idea of what a Canadian blizzard can be like, but in this case, the equipment usually went with it. Only one person on the pier didn’t seem to be suffering from the cold, but that was without counting on the local sense of humor.
Versoix (Switzerland) – February 12, 2012
