According to the World Wildlife Foundation WWF , there are over 4, species of plants, bird species, 21 amphibian species, 15 reptile species, and 80 mammal species. Many of these species have made adaptations to the harsh cold conditions and high altitudes. Some of the larger carnivore species found in the Alps include the Alpine ibex, the chamois, the Eurasian lynx, the wolf, and the brown bear.
These populations have been reduced in size or fragmented into small groups. There are also numerous rodent species found in the Alps, such as voles and marmots. There about breeding bird species, as well as an equal number of migratory species, in the Alps. The largest bird species found in the Alps are the golden eagle and the bearded vulture. The alpine chough is the most common bird found in the region.
Of the 21 total species of amphibians, only one is endemic, Salamandra lanzai. There are fifteen reptile species are present, including adders and vipers. This is particularly the case when comparing trails in the Alps with those in the Rocky Mountains. Additional comments from Mr. Jones on the steepness of the Alps when compared to the Rockies are here:.
Note 9 Sept Dakota made his blog private sometime in I have left the links in case the blog is made public again with the referenced posts. I was blown away. I ran a relatively long interval workout on the section of trail from Canazei up to treeline and slightly above, and gained nearly 3, feet in the process. In Europe, a 2, meter climb is normal. How many 7, foot climbs do we have in the US? The Grand Teton, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, and a few others. But they stand out; they are out of the ordinary.
What blows me away the most about this is that this kind of terrain is ubiquitous in the Alps. From France to Slovenia the mountains maintain this kind of monstrous vertical, with valleys at 3, ft.
The same could be said for the Alps…. The Alps offer a training advantage in that one can run up steep and sustained climbs without feeling the adverse effects of altitude until five or six thousand feet above the valley floor. With more air to breathe a runner can train much harder than if he were sucking wind at 11, feet, which is usually only two or three thousand feet above Colorado valleys. Yet the summits are at the same elevation as in Colorado, meaning European runners can gain the blood benefits of high altitude and the strength benefits of low altitude, all on runs less than thirty miles.
That is accessibility. And, of course, there is Mr. These comments fly in the face of the perception by many Rocky Mountain dwellers that the typical mountain trail in the Rockies is quite steep. Just run a good selection of some Rocky Mountain trails and you might agree. Looking down valley to Stechelberg, Switzerland in the Bernese Alps; a typical Alps valley- steep and deep. The vertical cliffs seen in the mid distance serve as one of the best base jumping sites in the world.
The Swiss-Disneyesque village of Murren sits atop the cliff on the left. This is presumably being discussed to opine upon which athletes have optimum training grounds for mountain trail competition, particularly ultra-distance events. When the top Europeans come over to the US and win events that are considered iconic of the Rocky Mountains e. My purpose here however is to familiarize US runners with what to expect should they have the opportunity to do some running in the Alps.
After an initial 3 week stint into the trails there I was surprised at and unprepared for the typical grade and length of the climbs. Of course the views, the glaciers, and the generally verdant nature of the valleys are spectacular. The Alps are great place to run and I can highly recommend it as a place to consider for a running-based vacation aka runcation. Not that it really matters but, there seems to exist a general lack of understanding of the topology of the Alps when compared to the Rocky Mountains, at least in the US.
This post will compare some typical trails in three areas of the Swiss Alps with some well-known and some not so well known trails in the Rockies. In addition comparisons of some notable race courses in the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Dolomites with some representative Rocky Mountain and one Sierra race courses are presented.
I will show a few trail comparisons here as examples of what I have found to be typical across the broad expanse of the Alps, but first a few geologic comments. What this means is that the Alps are less denuded than the Rockies and it is clearly evident to even the casual observer. The valleys are typically deeper and the peaks are typically steeper partially due to less weathering and erosion. Although there are numerous other reasons for the topological differences between the Alps and the Rockies the age difference is a primary one.
Another big difference between the two mountain ranges is that the Alps are still in a significant state of active glaciation retreat. Glaciers are everywhere in the Alps, whereas it is a rare occurrence in the Rocky Mountains. In fact it has been said that there are more glaciers in just one of the many valleys in the Alps than there are in all of Glacier National Park in the US.
So if you want to see glaciers- go to the Alps. It is also educational to see the magnitude of the erosion and denudation that these glaciers in the Alps are responsible for. You are seeing geologic processes in real time as the rivers and streams are rushing with whitewater, not only because of the flows but because they are full of erosion debris. The Zinal glacier as viewed from Cabane du Grand Mountet elev. The Matterhorn is just a short traverse beyond the upper ridge.
Outflow from the Zinal glacier is white not only because of the flow rate but also because the outflow is full of erosion debris. The town is quaint and not at all Disneyland-like as many other Swiss Alps villages are.
Subirer, for example, is a small bitter pear that grows in the Alps , near Lech. And so the world was shocked and saddened to hear about his severe brain injury in the Alps last Sunday morning.
Descending the Alps to the east or south into Piedmont, a new world lies around and before you. Bonaparte passed mount St. Bernard, among the Alps , after astonishing efforts. The Marshal was at once sent off to his old home of Lyons to organise there out of nothing an army which was to cover the Alps. He hoped to find a temporary refuge by burying himself among the lonely passes of the Alps.
At forty years of age she still preserved almost all her freshness and could be called "the little Shepherdess of the Alps. Mountain system of south-central Europe.
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