Trenchtling/Hochschwab 9.7.2017
A few weeks ago I saw some orchid pictures on Facebook. In answer to my question, where they were growing, I got the information "Trenchtling". Not knowing anything about this mountain, I did some internet research and found out, that at the eastern part of the mountain there is a pasture called "Edelweißboden", yielding lots of Edelweiß and black vanilla orchids. It happened that Herwig Gießwein suggested a walk for the weekend, so this was my decision which he accepted readily.
We start at the Hiaslegg inn, situated on a small saddle on a gravel road open to the public, between Tragöß and Trofaiach.
We start at 7:15, to escape the prevalent heat.
Orchids on the way ...
... Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).
Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)
Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and yellow wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum).
Turk´s cap lily (Lilium martagon)
View over the valley of Laming, with the "recreational lake" at Pichl/Großdorf.
Two orchids close together: Fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) and White adder's mouth (Malaxis monophyllos)
The second variant of fragrant orchid, the Short Spurred Fragrant Orchid or Scented Gymnadenia (Gymnadenia odoratissima) a few metres further.
Arrived at the "Rossboden" with wonderful flower meadows.
Ox-eye (Buphthalmum salicifolium)
Ox-eye (Buphthalmum salicifolium)
Berg- (Alpen-) Greiskraut (Senecio [sub]alpinus)
Three more beautiful exemplars of White adder's mouth (Malaxis monophyllos)
Alpine Pink (Dianthus alpinus)
"Big" heliosperma ("Alpen Leimkraut", Heliosperma alpestre)
View to the Southeast. We can see that it will get hot, though as early as 9 a.m.
First Vanilla orchids
Flower meadows ...
And then, all of a sudden, the landscape changes when we leave the steep slope to enter the plateau. Here thousands of Alpine Edelweiß (Leontopodium nivale) are growng, so many that you have to take care not to step on one.
Full flower at the moment.
Huge lots of Edelweiß ...
Earleaf - bellflowers (Campanula cochleariifolia) in between ...
... as well as Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus) and Black Vanilla orchids, here together with some Edelweiß.
Whereas Edelweiß covers the very scraggy places between the slope and the plateau, on the plain grassland of the plateau thousands of Black Vanilla orchids (Nigritella rhellicani)
View to Southwest, o the pointed summit of the Eisenerzer Reichenstein.
Numerous Alpine asters
Black Vanilla orchids (Nigritella rhellicani) and Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus)
Herwig is fascinated too.
Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus)
Black Vanilla orchids (Nigritella rhellicani)
We walk a bit more up and fidn this place with excellent view down and over to the valley around Tragöß and to the main summit of the Hochschwab.
Panoramic view to the Hochschwab massive. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
We discuss a bit about the question, which mountains can be seen, and my opinion that the summit exactly behind Herwig is the main summit of Hochschwab.
View to the Sonnschienalm.
Alpine saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata)
Another short leg walking, but here we turn back. The summit of the Hochturm isn´t that interesting for us. Another view to the Sonnschienalm.
We have a short lunch break at the Edelweiß place.
I discover this wonderful flowrishing dark-red helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens) on the descent.
More down now, and first showers are drawing over the neighbouring Thalerkogel. They don´t reach us though.
Yellow foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)
More showers
Nearly back at the saddle, we find a common floxglove (Digitalis purpurea). I read in Wikipedia, that this plant prefers areas devoid of limestone. So what? inmidst the limestone mountains? So I have a look at the Wikipedia page of the Trenchtling, and it says in the chapter "Geology", that the mountain mainly consists of limestone, but in close contact to the underneath "Werfen formation" (slate). And indeed, the rocks haver a more dark, greyish colour here.
We have a bit time left, so we decide to have a visit to the famous "Green Lake". This is the "Kreuzteich", which we not knowing consider to be the Green Lake. We detect the error only on the way back, but this water also is very beautiful.
At the outflow of the Kreuzteich.
Reed
Kreuzteich and the view to the Pribitz (1.579 m).
Panoramic picture of the Kreuzteich near the Green Lake, Tragöß. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
