Help: switzerland June 07

[Matt Mattus]

Hi everyone,
It's been a Looong tme since I've posted, but I've been writing a book, and now the manuscript is in, so I am back to civilization! (not a plant book, unfortunately).

Joe and I are visiting Switzerland in four week, arriving June 7 and departing June 18. We rented a car, and have no hotel reservations or knowledge on where to go, to photo alpines. Any advice is welcome, as to. 1. where to stay, 2. distances and driving times, (between Zurich and Milan, for example), and any towns that we should not miss.

currently, I am thinking of driving to Pontresina once we land, and stay there for a couple days. Then drive to Sevla Val Gardena in the Dolomites....am I crazy? Is this managable? Any advice on if we really need to reserve reservations at mountain lodges,  or can we 'wing it', and find lodging once we get there, is welcome. Last year, when I visited Italy, I would have liked to have more mobility, and wished that I had not made reservations for a week, since everyplace seemed 1/3 full.

Share your fav hot spots for alpine, drives, trains, etc.!


Thanks in advance!

Best

Matt Mattus
Worcester, Massachusetts

[Maggi Young]

Really good to have you back with us Matt. Trust the book will be a  success. Hope you and Joe have a really great holiday, I'm sure there will be plenty advice forthcoming from forumists to be of help to you.
 How are things with Fegus and the beautiful Mugrat?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Matt !
Just some quick hints :

- no need to make any reservations in June - you'll find plenty of vacancies without a problem
- Pontresina is a great starting point for the surroundings : Val Rosegg and the valley of the Morteratsch glacier will give you plenty to look at.
- a drive from Pontresina to Val Gardena is absolutely no problem - there's even more than one possible trajectory - depending on which way you take, and which passes are open for traffic, distance is between 200 and 300 Km.

Have fun !

[Heather Smith]

Hi Matt,
Nigratella rubra grows in the Val Minor. The Swiss National Park is in the Engadine. Samedan, nearby, is a lovely stone village and my favourite Swiss village. I haven't been there for 19 years so I expect things have changed (except in the Park). The Roseg glacier in the Val Roseg is impressive if you do the Boval Hut walk (not difficult and wonderfully worth the effort).  If you walk up the floor of the valley, you will notice that the position of the snout of the glacier has been marked for various years. If you go this way, look for 1989 or nearest marker - that was where  I was photographed amid the ice of the snout. I'd love to know how much further up the valley the snout is now.
Please post photos of your trip when you return.

[tonyg]

Hi Matt
You fly in as we fly out!  Last year I was based in Pontresina for a week.  Posted a few pics in the thread linked below (old forum) where coincidentally there are also a lot of Dolomites pics.  Sure you'll find lots to see but maybe a bit early for Bernina Pass area?  I went end of June/early July last year.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/4/35221.html?1152719190

Good luck - looking forward to the report!

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Matt!

I agree with Luc - you don't need to make any reservations. I've travelled in June two times with Chris and never had problems to find an accomodation.

If you get the chance you have to drive the "Glacier-trip" - Susten-, Furka and Grimselpass. On Susten you should get the chance to see thousands of soldanellas - the ones from the photo for your primula-magazine I sent you.

If you're driving direction Susten-pass from Innertkirchen, look for the marker to Gental/Engstlensee, 3,5 km behind Innertkirchen (Road charge 4 Euro). Engstlensee is beautiful for hiking trips!

You can also drive the "Gotthard-trip", directly beneath the Galcier-trip - Gotthard-, Nufenen- and Furka-pass.

Driving from Switzerland to the Dolomites is also possible - I've done the trip from Leukerbad to Val Badia in 12 hours, via Lago Lugano, Lago di Como, Paso di Sella, Paso di Monte Giovo, but that was not enough time for searching plants - only for watching the beautiful scenery!

Hope this helps

[Matt Mattus]

Thanks everyone!. Now wecan't wait!. I will surely send in photos, when we return.

Maggie...Margaret and Fergus are fine, Fergus is develish as ever, and Margaret is as sweet as ever. She' s been ill, but after a many thousand dollar investment to find out what was causing her breathing problem, after CT scans, broncoscopy's, biopsy's, xrays, and weeks of recovery from the proceedures, we now know that the cause is allergy's (most likely to Primula, I suspect!). One more litter of puppies Joe says, and she retires. I hope no more litters, poor thing. Saw your precious little thing, how cute.

We'll post soon, boy time fly's by!

Thanks everyone for the advice, any more is welcome, I am thinking that we will start in Interlaken for a couple days, then Pontresina, then Val gardena, and then return back to ZUrich stopping for a couple of days somewhere!

Thomas, sorry I never sent the Star wars stuff, all was too large!. Make sure you go see Transformers the movie now!


Cheers

matt

[Heather Smith]

If you are going to Interlakin be sure to visit Schynige Platte. It is accessed by a cute little, narrow guage scenic railway. There, in the perfect setting, is a long-established Alpine Garden where all the most special plants that grow in Switzerland are grown.  The best bit is that they are labelled, though not in English. There are the German, French and Romansch (I think) names, and, of course, the scientific name. 

Out beyond the Alpine Garden there are beautiful plants including the best Pedicularis foliosa I've ever seen. There is a great view of Interlakin fron the cliff overlooking it.

What a wonderful trip you have planned.