Valais - Highlights of the Swiss Alps

The Swiss canton of Valais, in the heart of the Alps, is home to some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Europe and an abundance of natural history. The charming, car-free village of Bettmeralp will be our base for the week, and from our family-run hotel we will explore the beautiful forests, valleys and high peaks in search of the region’s varied wildlife. Above the village lies the stunning Aletsch Glacier, and we will enjoy spectacular views of this during our week’s stay. The glacier’s 27 billion tons of ice slowly flows down into Valais from the dramatic slopes of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks and lies within the 825- square-kilometre UNESCO ‘JungfrauAletsch Protected Area’, the first World Heritage Site to be designated in the Alps.

After a short flight to Geneva we travel by efficient Swiss rail, following the mighty Rhône along the length of the valley, before completing our journey by cable car, for this is the only way to reach Bettmeralp. Each of our daily excursions will be on foot, covering up to 6 miles each day, though we will make full use of the efficient network of mountain cable cars and chair lifts to thoroughly explore the area and avoid trekking uphill where possible! At this time of year the meadows above our hotel are not only home to colonies of comical Alpine Marmots, but will also be filled with a stunning array of alpine flowers, and so this is where we will begin our explorations on our first morning in Valais. Species such as Alpenrose (Rhododendron ferrugineum), Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina), Globeflower (Trollius europaeus) and Mountain Houseleek (Sempervivum montanum) are common, and there should be an abundance of Primulas and Campanulas, as well as numerous orchids and gentians. We will also look for some of the rarer alpine specialities, such as Dark Vanilla Orchid and Alpine Rock-jasmine. The sun should bring out a wide variety of butterflies in the meadows, including Common Swallowtail, Alpine Grayling, Alpine Heath and numerous blues and fritillaries. Bird walks around the village may produce Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, Citril Finch and Cuckoo, whilst a visit to the adjacent Aletsch Forest provides us with the opportunity to look for such highlights as Black Redstart, Firecrest, Crossbill, Crested Tit, Nutcracker and Red-backed Shrike.

On at least two days we will use the cable cars to ascend to over 2,600 metres, where the views across the Aletsch Glacier are simply stunning. Whilst taking a moment to appreciate the mountain vista, we can look for Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch and, with a little luck, we might see a Golden Eagle soaring overhead. Walking from the cable-car station we will soon see some of the high-altitude specialist flora which may include Glacier Crowfoot, Ranunculus glacialis, Glacier Mouse-ear, Snowdon Lily and St. Bruno’s Lily. On another day we will enjoy a change of scene and make our way down through stands of Larch and Norway Spruce into the picturesque Rhône Valley. Here the hillsides are cloaked in stunning hay meadows, and at this time of year many of the higher fields have not yet been cut, enabling us to find species such as Alpine Thistle, Viper’s-bugloss, Bladder Campion, Carthusian Pink, Queen-of-the-Alps and Wood Scabious. In the warm and sunny valley we should also find a different array of butterflies from the higher altitudes, including Dryad and Marbled White.

Having enjoyed views of the mighty Matterhorn from our hotel during the week, on one day we will descend into the valley and join the final section of the famous ‘Glacier Express’ railway line, taking us up to the opulent mountain resort of Zermatt and the Matterhorn itself. Continuing on the cog-wheel mountain railway up to the Gornergrat at 3,089 metres, we will pause here to appreciate the stunning view across the Gorner Glacier towards the Matterhorn, and the panoramic view of the other twenty-eight 4,000-metre peaks that are visible from this part of the Alps. Once we have had our fill of enjoying the scenery, we will turn our attention back to the flora and fauna. Here the stony turf should be rich in early spring alpines including the brightly coloured Alpine Toadflax, Short-leaved and Alpine Gentians (Gentiana brachyphylla and G. alpina) and Bird’s-eye Primrose, whilst the high alpine birds include Snowfinch, Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit and, of course, the characterful Alpine Choughs that are certain to be eager to share our picnic lunch!