St-Luc to Chandolin

From St-Luc we followed the old mule trail to Chandolin for a delicious rösti in the Cabane d'Illhorn. We managed to get there dry in the forest of arola pines & larches.

Here is what the arola (also known as the Cembro Pine)pinecone looks like.

It needs the help of a special bird, the spotted nutcracker to open it up and get to the grains.

It then buries the seeds in the ground to feed on in winter. Fortunately for the tree the bird sometimes forgets where it has buried its cache, (hopefully) allowing the seeds to germinate into a tree 40 years later!

Cabane Illhorn hiding in the trees - a surprisingly high treeline in Chandolin. This area has a special flora as it is so well protected. Which is why at 2000 meters Chandolin is the highest village in the Swiss Alps inhabited year-round. They have water & wood - the essentials for survival! The Illgraben cliffs also harbor interesting features that are well worth visiting.