The Hoh

Sunday 24.6.18

 The Hoh is an area of forest and alpine meadow and glacial moraine that overlooks the village of Kandersteg. There is a lovely panoramic circular walk from several points in the village....all well signposted. For the amateur botanist like me it is heaven with several species of orchid to be found. 
On our second trip to Kandersteg back in the Spring of 1993, we were lucky enough to find a single Red Helleborine, Cephalanthera rubra growing in the woods on the lower slopes of the Hoh.......just behind the railway station. Despite our many return trips .......we never saw it again. But a walk around the Hoh is always filled with a sense of anticipation, that today may just be the day.
And it was! 



 This is a stunning orchid. The leaves are a dusky grey-green. The flower spike can have 2 to 9 flowers......very occasionally as many as 17!.....and the flowers are a beautiful shade of pink. When fully open there is a resemblance to a pair of outstretched arms. It is gorgeous.
Our walk took us up a winding track to a chalet, out on to an aline meadow that at its furthest point overlooked to valley down to Frutigen. This meadow is a botanical delight....full of campanula, St Bruno's Lily, geranium, aquilegia and orchids.
Gymnadenia, Fagrant orchid 

Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Neotinea ustulata, Burnt orchid

Neotinea ustulata, Burnt Orchid

Dactylorhiza viridis , Frog Orchid

Dactyloriza fuchsii

Listera ovata, Twayblade

Campanula rhomboidalis, Bellflower

Phyteuma

Aquelegia atrata, Columbine


The alpine meadow


The amateur botanist

Bire

Strawberries...delicious

From the meadow we worked our way back along the Panoramaweg and out to a view point at the top of the moraine. There is a stunning view down over the village.
The view down into Kandersteg
We spotted the path down the moraine and thought better of it.....just as well really, because as I made my way down from the view point I spotted them. I could not contain my excitement .....25 years later.....Cephalanthera rubra. A group of 5 plants, all in really good condition, all just gloriously beautiful.








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