Chalets de Bostan and Golèse pass loop

Great yellow gentian is a plant regularly found in calcareous mountain pastures and meadows. Looking at just the leaves, it can often be confused with the white hellebore, a plant with alternating leaf arrangement. The gentian, on the other hand, is an opposite leaves plant. Gentian roots are also used to make liqueur. The plant needs to be at least 10 years old before it can be harvestable! What's more, the yield of liquor produced per root is very low: you need 10 kg of roots to produce one litre of liqueur!

This part of the Alps is a land of sedimentary mountains. The limestone was formed over millions of years by the accumulation of sediment and seashells at the bottom of an ocean (between 250 and 50 million years ago). These massifs are marked by the presence of numerous sinkholes and chasms carved out by the water as it dissolved the limestone. The nearby Jean-Bernard chasm, with a depth of -1602 metres below sea level, is one of the best-known in the world.

Woodland pastures are particularly rich in biodiversity. They combine plant and animal species found in forests with those found in pastureland. Coniferous wooded pastures are the preferred habitat of the Black Grouse! These habitats, known for their biodiversity, are in part fostered by human intervention and shepherding. The disappearance of traditional pastoral practices is complicating the conservation of these environments.

Heathlands are littered with low-growing plants that are resistant to wind and snow. Two different groups of plants are commonly found, depending on the sun exposure of the hillside. On the north-facing slope with little exposure to the sun, heathland is dominated by alpenrose and green alder. On the south-facing slopes, warmed by the sunlight, the predominant species is juniper (both common and savin).

The Franco-Swiss border can be reached via the Col Bostan pass. For centuries, this border was the crossing point for many people: migrating populations, war refugees, etc. Smugglers used the pass to illegally transport goods between the two countries (alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, butter, shoes, ammunition). Just imagine the men who used this route in all weathers and seasons, usually carrying dozens of kilos on their backs at night!

The short-toed snake eagle is a bird of prey that can be found in areas inhabited by reptiles. They feed almost exclusively on snakes! It hunts its prey in two ways. In poor flying conditions, it searches for its prey by lying in wait on a tree or rock. When the weather permits, they are known for their motionless hovering flight, which differs from that of the Kestrel, which hovers and flaps its wings rapidly.

Winter is a harsh time of year for most species, so everyone has their own strategy for staying alive during these long months. While the ground is an excellent shelter for small invertebrates, it can also be a shelter for larger animals such as snakes, which hide under large stones, or tortoises that burrow themselves into the ground... Marmots do the same, sealing up their burrows before going into hibernation. Other animals who remain active for only a few hours during the day can use the snow to insulate themselves from the cold, for example black grouse. Just be careful not to trample on their shelters!