Open limestone forest

Neither quite meadow nor truly woodland, this landscape tells the story of the forest's cautious efforts to gain ground where nature remains unstable.

In several places along the trail, avalanches and rockfalls are too frequent to allow young shoots to take root permanently. Here, the disturbances are less intense. A sparse forest manages to establish itself, although conditions remain challenging: unstable soil, irregular moisture, and the persistent threat of rocks tumbling down the slope.

Depending on exposure, slope or soil stability, plant species adapt differently. It is this diversity of constraints that shapes a living mosaic, where shapes and colours vary from one metre to the next. In the most exposed areas, we mainly find small deciduous trees with twisted and leaning trunks, evidence of their struggle with the terrain. Where the slope becomes gentler and the soil more stable, conifers such as spruce can grow straight, taller and more evenly.

These sparse forests play an important role in the alpine landscape: they slow down erosion locally, create shade and humidity, and provide a valuable refuge for many species. Between meadow and high forest, they are home to a biodiversity that would not be found elsewhere.