An excellent introduction to Alpine Flora in general, where we can see many of the typical plants of the Alps together with a few special rarities as well. The views are spectacular, and walks not overly demanding as we explore the various habitats of woodlands, meadows, turf, scree, cliffs, and high altitude alpine zones. An ACTIVE tour designed with walking and flowers in mind.
A six-day tour with Oli Cheney
It’s 4-5 hours to Val D’Isere, passing through French towns and valleys.
A great walk starts off among rocky screes full of Orchids and Pyrola, and then we should see (season depending) the largest European orchid, the iconic Lady’s Slipper, Cypripedium calceolus. The walk skirts cliffs with some of the best forms of another icon and arguably the very symbol of the Alps, Edelweiss, Leontopodium alpinum. Also here are Saxifragas caesia and the rare S. diapensiodes. Beautiful blue Linum perenne accompanies us, then there are Campanula, Phyteuma and Lilium martagon in the woods start followed by outstanding alpine meadows filled with Geranium, Campanula, orchids, Silene, Sempervivum, Trollius and more. A cable car will take us high above the lake to where we find Saxifraga biflora and Linaria alpina, among other high altitude Alpines. The descent is through through fine alpine turf with Primula farinosa, Gentian, Centurea uniflora and beds of Dryas octopetala.
Verges on the way up to the Col D’Iseran are full of interesting flowers including Campanulas spicata and C. thyrsoides. The road gives really easy access to some high altitude plants, and here we find great examples of plants like Androsace alpina, Geum repens, Ranunculus glacialis, Petrocallis pyrenaica, Campanula cenisia, and right at the top if we can find it, Androsace pubescens.
We ascend from Lanselbourg up to a heavenly lake in the clouds, the lake of Mt Cenis (although there is no actual Mt Cenis) from where we walk in the huge cirque above the lake, surrounded by wonderful plants such as Dianthus pavoninus and Aster alpinus and many others. The turf is some of the richest in the Alps, provided the cows haven’t got there first! Higher up and more Campanula cenisia along with (as you’d hope!) Viola cenisia, Saxifraga oppositifolia and S. biflora. On the other side of the cirque we find different flora including Campanulla alpestris and on cliffs the rare Silver Saxifraga valdensis.
The geology is different on this side with a different flora with plentiful Saxifraga caesia and S. diapensioides and more fine meadows. Driving higher we see masses of Vanilla Orchids, Bearded Campanula and fields of Ranunculus glacialis, whilst at the pass where we will see yet another icon, the King of The Alps, Eritrichium nanum.
29 June -4 July 2026
Per person: 1325 Euros
Single supplement: 200 Euros
Included:
Not included:
Minimum number of participants 4; maximum 14.
For more information on our tours
Turkey: +90 535 4125286 | UK: +44 (0)795 854 6807
