Summer Alpine Hike Anyone?

The forecasters made it clear that today was going to be a throw-back to winter ....... and they weren't wrong. Rain early, sleet as I got off the bus at Mattmark, high in the Saastal, close to the border with Italy. Snow followed as I hiked around the reservoir, not that the reservoir was actually visible for the first couple of hours!

The higher the altitude, the better equipped are the plants when it comes to dealing with extreme weather. These alpine Pasque Flowers, Pulsatilla alpina ssp apiifolia, usually flower soon after the winter snow melts, so this is water off a ducks back to them. I was fully waterproofed and took a collection of unusual photos of alpine plants and their environs from under the cover of my umbrella which got progressively heavier as the snow stuck!

As the day progressed the weather improved, even a few bursts of sunshine in the afternoon and eventually the full glory of the mountains was briefly revealed. Starting late, I managed to miss the last bus back. The two and a half hour yomp back was less of a problem than the steep descent from the dam which made my knees very grumpy! Well worn, I got back to base after dark hoping for better weather tomorrow.

See yesterday for a warmer view from the Alps. I'll be adding a few more when time allows.