Dolomites July 2009

[Paddy Tobin]

Lovely last set of photographs, Cliff. Looking forward to the rest of the report.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Many thanks Paddy and my apologies for what may be a lengthy delay in posting the remainder of my Dolomites 2009 images ... they will all have to be resized again and manually filtered in case of subject/location duplication.

[mark smyth]

Cliff, how many photos did you take? Did they fit on one memory stick?

[Brian Ellis]

It's well worth the wait Cliff, super photos as always and that Veratrum is really yummy.

[ranunculus]

Thanks folks.

Mark, I took well over 2500 shots during the two and a half weeks and used about eight different memory cards, but I also had my laptop in resort (for my digital presentations), so I also backed up all the photos on that.  I retained the images on the cards so that I could put them straight onto my main computer when I got home.  I used to take an X-Box with me if I didn't take my laptop and backed up my cards on that. 

Your comments are much appreciated Brian.

[cohan]

Thlaspi rotundifolium

View from Cinque Torre

i'll have to agree with robin on both of these--the thlaspis are really nice, and i love the sort of lighting in a landscape that makes it look like a painting...
these mountains have a very different feel to ours....somehow softer, and definitely more inhabited feeling... of course i wouldnt say that if i were in one of the major park centres here...lol

[Luc Gilgemyn]

31°C out here today - very "unbelgianlike" and far too hot to my liking to be outdoors !
So, perfect timing to plunge myself into the coolness of the sunny, floriforous Dolomites once again !

Thanks again Cliff - this IS an awesome thread !! 

[Martinr]

Just about recovered from two wonderful weeks in the Dolomites and a return to work. It will take some time to sort out the pictures, check some plant identities, etc, etc..............but I couldn't resist posting a picture of this wonderful specimen of Phyteuma comosa. Like all good things it appeared when hope had been lost (on our last day) and involved hard work getting uphill and a significant amount of exposure on steep ground and narrow ledges. We were wearing helmets and gripping cables at the time this appeared!

[David Nicholson]

Notice you said "we" Martin. I take it Mrs R was tempted to mountaineer too

[ranunculus]

O.K. Martin ... you do realise that we have been to the Dolomites at least eight times and have only ever seen foliage of the Devil's Claw?  If I didn't grow and flower it in the garden or hadn't seen it at the shows I would seriously believe it to be a figment of your imagination!  Location details of your find will certainly be requested by Kata and yours truly (but NOT by Sue who has already read the words 'helmet', 'cables' and 'exposure)'

Lovely shot by the way!

[Martinr]

David, Mrs R was indeed tempted, this climb involved tunnels as well, right up her street!

Cliff, location, location, location....well for a small fee

[Ragged Robin]

Quite incredible.....so pristine, so unusual, so well photographed! 

[ranunculus]

David, Mrs R was indeed tempted, this climb involved tunnels as well, right up her street!

Cliff, location, location, location....well for a small fee

Well, if tunnels and cables are involved then it is probably at Laguzoi, up above the ruined military hospital perhaps, on the route to the Via ferrata?  We have certainly seen large sprays of foliage there, but never in bloom.

[cohan]

Just about recovered from two wonderful weeks in the Dolomites and a return to work. It will take some time to sort out the pictures, check some plant identities, etc, etc..............but I couldn't resist posting a picture of this wonderful specimen of Phyteuma comosa. Like all good things it appeared when hope had been lost (on our last day) and involved hard work getting uphill and a significant amount of exposure on steep ground and narrow ledges. We were wearing helmets and gripping cables at the time this appeared!

wow--its a really amazing plant, and heroic photographic efforts, sounds like!

[Paddy Tobin]

Come on, Cliff,

Let's see some more.

Paddy