Plant Hunting Beside a Glacier

This panoramic photo was taken on a plant hunting weekend in Switzerland, earlier this year (2006). A series of 3 panoramas were taken on this day at different altitudes as we followed the same stream / torrent / river.

The lowest panorama was taken at approx 1500M below a spectacular waterfall.

This panorama was taken at just over 2000M as we were taking a quick rest.

The highest of the three panoramas was taken at 2500M where we were above the snow line. You can see that flora is still quite prolific at this level including an interesting pink flower on one of the rocks.

Both Ed Ikin and I explored the amazing diversity of flora available in this area of the Alps between 1300M and 2600M. On the first day we explored above Villars sur Ollon, between the pretty hamlet of Les Ecovets (1300M) and Bretaye (1810M). Examples of the many flowers we found are here. We also saw lots of cows.

The second day we walked from Reusch to just beneath the glacier of Les Diablerets. We simply ran out of time (and energy) to make it to the top. There were so many plants to photograph on the way up that progress was pleasantly impeded. Here is a panorama taken from the top of the glacier Les Diablerets. This was taken on a separate journey approaching the summit from the other side of the mountain with the much more leisurely use of a cable car.

The journey up the glacier was not without drama. We climbed along the long path that can be seen from the panorama as you look down the valley on the left slope. About halfway along this path we heard falling stones from above. Looking up we could see two large (approx 15kg) stones tumbling down the hill very fast towards us. Each time one of the stones hit the ground it made a low pitched thud and bounced in a random manner down the slope. One stone stopped about 150M away from us but the other was heading straight for Ed. We started to run but realised that this would not be very effective so instead, we stopped to watch the boulder approach. It was traveling very fast and at the last bounce it veered to one side away from Ed and safely between the two of us. I'm quite sure that it was traveling so fast that we would not have been able to dodge our destiny! No other rock movement was seen that day in the whole valley so it was quite unnerving to have had such a close call. Sadly no photo of the event was taken as I was too concerned with survival.

To travel between Villars and Les Diablerets, there is a very pretty road that shuts over winter called Col de la Croix. This winds up to 1778M and passes by the very beautiful Reserve Naturelle de Taveyanne. A panorama taken in an alpine pasture at the base of the Reserve is here and on a separate occasion I have taken a few photos of the summer village at Taveyanne, and some photos of streams, spectacular landscape and more flowers.

Europe / Switzerland

Lat: 46° 20' 27.1" N
Long: 7° 14' 22.85" E

Elevation: 2043

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

The panorama featured in this page and all those linked to were taken handheld with a Canon 10d and a sigma 8mm lens. There was no way I could carry a tripod and panohead up the mountain! PTGui did its magic to bring it all together.