Out and about in the Alps

Here are some pictures from a few hikes I have taken in the Col du Galibier area, which is to the north, and about 160 feet higher in elevation, of where I am staying at Col du Lautaret.

Icy glacial lake

In French, these chunks of ice are called seracs. 

Pascal, the head gardener at Lautaret, poses with a chunk of snow which seems to be precariously balanced next to a stream.

Pulsatilla alpina 

Pulsatilla verna

These Gentiana flowers have amazing shiny spots on the inside.

Sardanella alpina can flower even when the rest of the plant is covered in snow.

On a southwest facing schist formation, cushions of Androsace helvetica are flowering.

One way plants have adapted to growing on scree is to root along their stems. As loose rocks shift downwards, these plants move down as well!

Movin' on down the slope

Geum reptans

Windy roads to reach Col du Galibier