Jackpot in mountain paradise

A very special and very difficult-to-access place in the Swiss Alps had long been on my photographic "project list".

Deep in a valley basin at over 2300 meters above sea level lies a small raised bog, where cotton grass blooms in abundance during the mountain summer. A still stream, fed by the surrounding mountain slopes, flows gently and gracefully through the bog. The sun will rise opposite, behind the impressive mountain range, bathing the sea of cotton grass in a soft morning light – a perfect morning spot… that's the photographic plan.

The plan for the trip proved more complex. So many things have to align perfectly: the cotton grass needs to be in bloom, and it must be as windless as possible so the cotton grass is sharp and doesn't quiver in the breeze. At least three days of stable weather without thunderstorms or rain are required beforehand. Too much water after a heavy thunderstorm or numerous days of rain would flood the high moor. The trip can't be done in a single day, so an overnight stay is necessary to capture the sunrise. This means planning for a bivouac and carrying the appropriate equipment (in addition to all the camera gear): tent, sleeping bag, food and drink, and warm clothing. Even in summer, the lowest temperatures at these altitudes hover around 4 degrees Celsius.

Last but not least, there is no marked mountain hiking trail leading there; finding the best and safest route is purely a matter of feeling and luck.

So my esteemed photographer friend Marc Bovard , his girlfriend Heidi and I reserved the last week of July, hoping that everything would fall into place during that time.

The weather forecast looked promising for the end of the week, so we headed for the mountains. A final hot meal in the valley, then we laced up our hiking boots, shouldered our packs, and set off.

The first 300 meters of ascent followed a steep but manageable and marked mountain trail. After that, the trail branched off into a different area, and we had to find our own way down towards the high moor. In some places, huge boulders blocked our path and had to be circumvented, sometimes requiring some serious scrambling. Every step had to be carefully planned; the heavy backpack swung with every large step, making sure footing even worse. I slid down a few particularly steep sections on my backside, just to be safe 😁🙈. Halfway down, after skirting a mountainside, the small lake below the moor suddenly came into view, and we knew: we were on the right track.

Energized, we climbed the last few meters down to the small lake, took a short break, and then climbed back up along the stream on the opposite side. A view opened up to reveal an untouched little mountain paradise, with a high moorland at its heart, dotted with thousands upon thousands of flowering cotton grass clumps.

Finding the perfect spot for the tents, setting them up, getting settled in, and gathering food – everything went incredibly fast. Marc and I were gripped by photography fever; we wanted to find the best photo locations as quickly as possible and were eager to capture the evening light. We needn't have rushed so much. The light was rather dim and flat, and as sunset approached, the cloud cover thickened, eventually blocking out all sunlight. This dense cloud cover dampened our optimism for the following morning. A little disappointed, we crawled into our tents and set our phone alarms for 4:45 a.m.

4:45 a.m., head out of the tent. It was still quite dark, but we could still see the dense cloud cover and the swirling fog in the valley. Only a few stars shimmered milkily at the zenith – not ideal conditions. We decided to treat ourselves to another 30 minutes in our sleeping bags before setting off. After half an hour, the scene was completely different! Most of the dense cloud cover had dissipated, and the remaining cloud cover from the approaching warm front was just right – the first delicate orange hues in the sky. Now, let's go!

What happened next in the sky and on the horizon was spectacular, a true celestial fireworks display!

The rising, but not yet visible, sun set the clouds ablaze in all intense shades of violet, pink, and orange. The illuminated carpet of cotton grass blossoms took on a delicate pink hue, and the water winding through it reflected the celestial fireworks. And as if that weren't spectacle enough, as the icing on the cake, mist cascaded down the steep mountain slopes of the opposite mountain range in the distance. Marc and I could hardly contain ourselves behind our tripods.

All we could hear were "wow, wow, look at that, aaahhh, and ooohhh." We knew we'd hit the jackpot, struck gold! It was simply impossible to photograph this beautiful spot in a more spectacular light. Even almost an hour later, when the light had become flat and harsh, we found it hard to tear ourselves away and pack up our gear. As a second treat, Heidi was waiting for us at the tents with warm tea and Biberli (a type of Swiss gingerbread).

What a spectacle! A deep sense of gratitude filled all three of us for having experienced this priceless morning together in nature. Jackpot in mountain paradise!