Dolomites mid june 2009

[ian mcenery]

Day 3 and up to St Croce. A lovely place which face West. We first climbed to follow the high path skirting the high cliffs wit some screes  and then descended through some wonderful alpine meadows to Pedraces


St Croce views
Sasshonger from St Croce
Rhodothamnus habit and examples. Although we saw these in amy places these were the most fully flowered, largest and most beautiful plants we saw

Rhododendron most were not yet in flower
A meadow just below the screes where this was dominated by G verna, acaulis and Primula farinosa

[ian mcenery]

more of day 3

The meadow mentioned in the last post and G Acaulis
Papaaver rhaeticum
Picnic
view back to St Croce
Orchids
Pedicularis

[Paddy Tobin]

Lovely, Ian.

Many thanks, Paddy

[Armin]

Ian,
wonderful picture tour - it is always a great pleasure to see the wild Dolomits with its flora and fauna
Thanks for posting.

[Martinr]

Thanks Ian, took me back to St Croce in February when it was just a little colder and whiter! Only 2 1/2 weeks to go till we're back again. Hope you didn't use up all this year's quota of good weather

[ian mcenery]

and the last from day 3

Alpine meadows with amazing displays will probably be even better now
Aster alpinus
Campanula barbata
Campanula latifolia
Geranium sylvaticum
a well deserved tipple  
Salvia
clematis alpina
Looking back

[ian mcenery]

Martin it warmed up just before we arrived and by the end of the holiday it was decidedly cold with north winds but nothing to stop us except that much of the snow had not yet melted. All had gone from St Croce though

[Hristo]

Super photo series Ian, many thanks for the tour!
The orchid has an intense colour to it, did you ID it?

[Lvandelft]

Ian, what magnificent pictures of a beautiful piece of the Dolomites and the flowers.
Cannot get enough of seeing such pictures. Thanks a lot.

[Paddy Tobin]

Ian,

Your photographs reaffirm my opinion that the meadow meadows and their flowers are outstandingly beautiful and, for me, far more enjoyable than the upper reaches of the mountains.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Ian,

Your photographs reaffirm my opinion that the meadow meadows and their flowers are outstanding beautiful and, for me, far more enjoyable than the upper reaches of the mountains.

Paddy

I agree, Paddy.... but the dramatic high tops make a fabulous backdrop, don't they?

[ian mcenery]

Ian,

Your photographs reaffirm my opinion that the meadow meadows and their flowers are outstanding beautiful and, for me, far more enjoyable than the upper reaches of the mountains.

Paddy

I agree, Paddy.... but the dramatic high tops make a fabulous backdrop, don't they?

I too love the meadow flowers but it is the scenery I mainly go for. The feeling that you get when high up in the mountains particularly when you are on your own or sharing with someone close is hard to describe but let us say it is definitely good for the soul.  The walk this day was up to the Laguzoi a walk we had done before by using the cable car to make the main ascent. This was also the plan this time BUT the cable car was having a major refurb so after some discussion we decided to walk up to the ridge. There was some small snowfields to negotiate but nothing desperate but there were few flowers when we made the col only soldanellas and a few sax oppositifolias. However the frisson felt when trying to find the path in the snow, the occasional difficlty of crossing a snowfield and the fact that we saw no one at all gave the enterprise an edge

The first shot shows the route which is to ascend the ridge just visible to the left


 

[ian mcenery]

and a few more

The way down and the view
some WW1 fortifications including some carved into Tofano truly amazing
Phyteuma comosa
Daphne striata
Dryas there was a lot

[tonyg]

Continuing magnificently Ian! 
I disagree with the opinion that the meadows beat the high places.  (And I guess you like the high places given the efforts you have made to visit them )  However you have confirmed in my mind that an early visit offers the best of the meadows.  I am moved (you did say like a religious experience I think) by the high mountain places and the flowers that brighten them, the senses are always vibrant after the effort of getting there which heightens the experience.

[Paul T]

Glorious!