Switzerland – Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine

Switzerland – Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine Naturetrek Tour Report 29 June – 6 July 2014 Androsace alpina Eritrichium nanum Piz Palu Sempervivum arachnoideum Report & images compiled by David Tattersfield Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Switzerland – Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine Tour Report Tour Participants: David Tattersfield (Tour leader and botanist) and 10 Naturetrek clients Day 1 Sunday 29th June The group met in arrivals at Zurich Airport and took the train to Zurich main station. We transferred to the intercity express and settled down to a comfortable journey through the Swiss countryside. We changed trains again at Chur, for the most exciting part of the journey through the Alps. The day had been cloudy with rain, but as we climbed higher this gradually turned to snow. We arrived in Pontresina to a gloomy Christmas-card scene, with two inches of snow. After a short minibus ride, we were in our hotel by 8pm and soon tucking into the first of the delicious evening meals that were served during the week. Day 2 Monday 30th June We awoke to snow-covered meadows and forest, making any attempt at botanising a pointless exercise. Not to be defeated, we headed over the Bernina Pass, where there was a possibility of snow-free conditions. We made our way to Surovas station and caught the 10.07 train which, as it happened, was the first train of the day. All went well until we got to Bernina Suot, where the train stopped. An electrical fault had closed the line ahead and we had a while to wait before the fault was rectified. On leaving the train to enjoy the scenery, a dark shadow passed over the cliffs, on the opposite side of the valley. To our amazement, it turned out to be a Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) and was joined by another. One bird perched on the cliff and we were able to observe it for some time; a rare treat. We continued over the pass to Alp Grum, which was, thankfully, snow-free, and made our way slowly to the Belvedere for coffee. Being our first day, it was not surprising that we made slow progress, finding new plants every few paces. Early-purple Orchid Orchis mascula was prominent below the cafe, and Vanilla Orchid Gymnadenia rhellicani and Small-white Orchid Pseudorchis albida were just coming into flower. Below the railway station, the trail led us down through the forest, where some of the highlights included Sempervivum montanum, Whorled Solomon’s-seal Polygonatum verticillatum and Martagon Lily Lilium martagon. The warm sunshine had brought out many butterflies and we recorded at least 20 species during the course of the day. After a break for lunch, we continued down through the forest, on an easy path, making new discoveries along the way. Notable forest birds included Spotted Nutcracker, Crested Tit and Red Crossbill and botanical highlights included a colony of One-flowered Wintergreen Moneses uniflora and the showy Carthusian Pink Dianthus carthusianorum subsp. vaginatus. We emerged into colourful meadows, around the delightful village of Cavaglia and its railway station. Before we caught our return train, we had ample time to visit the Gletscher Garten, where we explored the amazing potholes and other erosion-features left behind after the last glacial retreat. Back in Pontresina, most of the snow had melted, except on the high tops and we looked forward to returning to our planned itinerary. Day 3 Tuesday 1st July As the fresh snow had put the kibosh on our higher-level walks, we took the short train ride to Morteratsch and set off along the four kilometre walk to the dwindling glacier-fields at the head of the valley. The trail is © Naturetrek June 15 1 Switzerland – Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine Tour Report conveniently marked with the positions of the glacier front at various times since the late nineteenth century. As a consequence, the development of vegetation from bare moraine to mature forest can be interpreted. In the forest we looked at Coralroot Orchid Corallorhiza trifida and a large established colony of Lesser Wintergreen Pyrola minor. The riverside gravels and moraines exhibited a diverse flora, the brick-red flowers of Sempervivum arachnoideum contrasting with the deep-blue of Rock Speedwell Veronica fruticans and the rich yellows of Alpine Kidney Vetch Anthyllis alpestris. A regional speciality, Carniolian Ragwort Senecio incanus subsp. carniolicus was flowering next to the track and near the many icy streams were eye-catching clumps of White-leaved Adenostyles Adenostyles leucophylla and a bewildering variety of willows. The glacier, now a shadow of its former self, is reduced to a static slope of dirty ice but, close-up, the ice cliffs at its snout and the torrents of melt-water made an awe- inspiring sight. We retraced our steps to Morteratsch station, where we had lunch, before taking a train to Ospizio Bernina, at the top of the pass. Cooler conditions, low cloud, and a few spots of rain kept us moving, but we paused occasionally to enjoy the colourful displays of Alpine Pasqueflower Pulsatilla alpina subsp. apiifolia, Hairy Primrose Primula hirsuta and Rhaetic Poppy Papaver aurantiacum. On the final part of the walk, we descended through forest to the comfort of the Belvedere and a warming drink, before catching our return train from Alp Grum to Surovas. We were back in the hotel by 7pm for another delicious evening meal. Day 4 Wednesday 2nd July We took the train to Bernina Lagalb for our walk through Val Minor. It remained cloudy and cool, with a little drizzle, mid-morning. The first part of valley had a rich limestone flora with colourful displays of Rockroses and Alpine Gypsophila Gypsophila repens. Vanilla Orchids, Nigritella rhellicani and N. rubra dotted the turf along with Striped Daphne Daphne striata and Alpine Aster Aster alpinus. The very local Dragon-mouth Horminum pyrenaicum, with cobalt-blue flowers, was confined to just one gully. Higher up the valley, we crossed a large area of snow, the remnants of the huge avalanches that had swept down from the crags during the winter months. The sodden turf was covered with myriads of Dwarf Snowbell Soldanella pusilla, an arresting sight that we continued to enjoy over lunch, overlooking the placid Lej Minor. Beyond the lake, this incredible display continued and was joined by carpets of Entire-leaved Primrose Primula integrifolia. Rocky knolls had pink patches of Trailing Azalea Kalmia procumbens, the delicate pendant bells of Snowdon Lily Gagea serotina, deep-purple Primula latifolia and, here and there, the hybrid between it and Primula integrifolia - Primula x muretiana. A short steep climb brought us to a band of metamorphosed limestone which supported a very distinctive flora, dominated by Net-leaved Willow Salix reticulata, with Yellow Whitlowgrass Draba aizoides, Purple Saxifrage Saxifraga oppositifolia and tight silvery hummocks of Blue Saxifrage Saxifraga caesia. At the top of the pass, the glaciers of Piz Cambrena came into view and from here it was a gentle descent to the Bernina Pass, where we had a coffee break in the Hotel Cambrena, before going down to the station to catch our return train. Fortunately, we were back in the hotel by 6pm, as it rained steadily, throughout the evening. 2 © Naturetrek Switzerland – Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine Tour Report Day 5 Thursday 3rd July We took advantage of our first sunny morning and boarded the train to the Diavolezza cable-car. An airy ascent took us swiftly to 2,940 metres and the viewpoint on the ridge leading to Munt Pers. An awe-inspiring spectacle greeted us. Below us, the sinuous line of the Pers Glacier flowed from the icefields below Piz Palu, Piz Bernina and Piz Morteratsch. Much of the recent fresh snow remained, adding an extra sparkle to the scene and obscuring the crevassed and moraine-streaked surface of the glaciers. Near the restaurant, Glacier Crowfoot Ranunculus glacialis was in spectacular flower among the rocks, just emerging from under the snowy blanket, along with Primula latifolia. We followed the ridge to the north for some distance, where a sloping cliff was home to a specialised assemblage of plants, which included the beautiful blue King-of-the-Alps Eritrichium nanum, pink Alpine Rock-jasmine Androsace alpina and bright yellow Creeping Avens Geum reptans. We spent a long time enjoying the sunshine and the awe-inspiring scenery, before returning on the cable-car to the valley. We crossed the road to the lower part of Val da Fain, where we had a late lunch. Around us were a series of springs and wet flushes, influenced by the limestone of Piz Alv. These contained a fascinating range of plants, including the rare Flecked Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza cruenta, Marsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris, the easily overlooked Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris and Variegated Horsetail Equisetum variegatum. In the jumble of boulders below the cliffs, we were able to compare the huge pleated leaves of Great Yellow Gentian Gentiana lutea and White False-helleborine Veratrum album. Alpine Clematis Clematis alpina and Alpine Columbine Aquilegia alpina were in flower around the shrub-clad boulders that dotted the hillside. Some of the group elected to return to the train while the rest of us pressed on to the limestone screes that run down from the mountain summit. They contained an interesting mixture of dwarf shrubs, including Mountain Avens Dryas octopetala, dwarf Willows, Alpine Bearberry Arctostaphylos alpinus and cushions of Blue Saxifrage Saxifraga caesia. After careful searching, we eventually located the tiny emerging leaves of Dwarf Orchid Chamorchis alpina.

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