This story recounts the legendary origins of the Pont du Diable, or Devil’s Bridge, in St. Christophe-en-Oisans. Saint Christophe-en-Oisans is a sleepy alpine hamlet halfway up the Veneon Valley. The inhabitants keep livestock in the high pastures, or welcome the visitors who come for the spectacular mountains on all sides. In winter, a few discerning…
How one old woman saved the city with a pot of vegetable soup… In this series, we look at some of the more interesting tales of the Alpine region. Some, like the battle of the ‘Escalade’, are true. Others have their origins in myths and legends. This is the story of how a sixty-year-old woman…
Autumn crocus: Colchicum autumnale For the final Alpine flower article of the year we take a look at Colchicum autumnale. This is one of the few Alpine flowers you can still see flowering in mid-October. The delicate pink blooms flower across the Alps, and most of Europe, from August until October. Besides the common name…
In this post, we look at the Bearded Vulture, or Ossifrage (‘bone-breaker’ in Latin), the rarest in the Alps. This bird is known for its unique feeding strategy that helps it to survive in the harsh mountain environment. Description: The bearded vulture is the largest Alpine bird. It can reach a wingspan of up to…
Following on from our series on Alpine Flower Notes, in this series we’ll be taking a look at some of the wildlife that can been seen in our region of the Alps, starting with the Griffon Vulture. One of the most impressive birds of prey that can be spotted in the Southern Alps is the…
Great yellow gentian – Gentiana lutea From June until August, the great yellow gentian makes an impressive sight standing tall in alpine pastures. Many members of the gentian family are subtle and discreet, producing small, delicate, purple-blue flowers. Not this one! It grows over a metre high and gives a dazzling display of bright yellow…
Purple saxifrage Saxifraga oppositifolia I’ve been meaning to write up some notes on Alpine wildflowers for a while. Seeing clumps of purple saxifrage flowering well above the snowline prompted me to start with this remarkably hardy flower. Naturalists have found it flowering at 4505m in Switzerland and at a latitude of 83° N. This makes…
The International Avalanche Risk Scale is an important tool in off-piste decision making, but it is frequently misunderstood. If you have ever said, “It’s only three out of five, it’ll be fine,” you need to read this right now. I am not going to say that you should never venture off-piste on a cat. 3…
The Col d’Arsine is a beautiful hiking destination at any time of the year I have written a few posts about ski touring around the Col du Lauteret. There is also some great walking in the same area. In fact, many of the ski tours make good walks and vice versa. The Col d’Arsine is…
Here in the French Alps, we are enjoying a seemingly endless summer. It is almost November and the sunny, cloudless days show no sign of coming to an end. What does this mean for the winter ahead? Update: It is snowing all over the Alps now. But the point below still stands: the weather in…
