Alpine Nature Watch

We had commented several times about the paucity of wildlife in the Bernese Alps and we put this down to the amount of walkers there are here. Determined to put this right we made a concerted effort today to find a quiet corner and this led us to the NE slopes of Männlichen, a 2,343 metre summit above Wengen. It was another beautifully hot day and in the distance we could see people of all ages, shapes and sizes walking the track.

Away from the hustle of people we sat quietly and soon enough were rewarded by the sight of an Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota) which was scurrying around the undergrowth. Then amazingly high above on a rocky ridge we glimpsed an Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) which is a species of wild goat only occasionally seen in these parts. It was a real treat and just reward for our patience ;-)

From this we descended to Kleine Scheidegg and took the mountain railway back to Wengen. Another tiring - but superb - day.