eco hikes 1 2,3 KISC Info: Oeschinensee Gondola Single tickets (buy at KISC front office): SFr / (child / adult)

Transcription

1 4 eco hikes ,3 6 8 Welcome to the Oeschinensee Eco Hike. This hike will take you from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee using the gon- dola and returning down the marked footpath. Along the way this guide will show you some of the many things that make up the alpine environment. Safety: This hike is in an Alpine Environment; extreme weather conditions are possible, the group should be well prepared for all types of weather. Please note that these route descriptions are not a replacement for map reading. Always carry a map and know how to use it. Maps are available for hire from Reception. The group leader must ensure that a Route Card has been filed in Reception. KISC Info: Oeschinensee Gondola Single tickets (buy at KISC front office): SFr / (child / adult) In this booklet you will find that hiking route information is in italics whereas information about the area is in normal text. Enjoy your hike!

2 Route: From the centre (1185 m) walk along the main road down to the village. Turn right immediately after the tourist office. Follow the road on the right side of the Oschibach stream and you will arrive at the bottom gondola station. Tickets for the Gondola are available at a reduced price from Reception. 1. Pear Shaped Mountains. First of all you might notice the mountain on the left side of the gondola. This is Bire which is 2,502 metres high. Bire in Swiss German means Pear, as the locals say Bire looks like this item of fruit. Can you see this shape? Bire is also one of the most reliable locations for finding Edelweiss, if you can manage the climb up! If you look at the rock formation on the side of Bire you will see folds in the rock. These were created around 50 million years ago when the African continent collided with the European continent. The two great land masses squashed together and the rocks deformed. This is how the Alps where formed. So what does hydro mean? Hydro is the Greek word for water. Hydro power is currently the world s largest renewable source of electricity, accounting for about 15% of the world s electricity. The hydro electric plant at Oeschinensee is good for the environment because it doesn t emit any of the standard atmospheric pollutants such as carbon dioxide, or sulphur dioxide, which are given off by fossil fuel fired power stations. Ski Lifts As you hike back towards the gondola station, you will pass the ski lifts. There are two T-Bar for skiers to use at Oeschinensee. The worn paths of green are ski runs for people to use in the winter. But what affect have they had on the soil and forest. See if you can find signs of erosion along the bath. Well done for completing the hike! You can either hike back following the Hotel Oeschinensee signs and take the gondola down, or hike down on the path following the river back to Kandersteg. You may even catch the blue bus back to KISC from the stop opposite the church for free if you have a scout knecker. We hope you have enjoyed your hike and grown wiser about your surroundings. 2. A forest full of creatures. The dark green firs are ideal homes for many wild animals. Sharp eyed visitors maybe able to see a large number of different animals in this forest. Whilst the cable car goes up, see if you can spot any of the animals listed on the right. There are also lots of cows (as with all of Kandersteg!).

3 8. Hydro-Electric Power The lake supplies the village of Kandersteg with drinking water and in 1903 a group of local men built a small hydro-electric plant. They used the underground outflow from the lake to generate a small amount of electricity for the village. The second phase, the central power station in the centre of the village was completed in The electricity and water works for Kandersteg has grown and has had a significant impact on the economy and living standards of the valley. The two power stations now provide 85% of the electricity consumed by the village. Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex): An excellent climber that lives in the rocky region along the snowline above 2000 meters. Males are about 1m high, females are smaller. Males and females live apart most of the year, coming together only for mating, when males fight aggressively with their horns for access to mate with females. Hydro-electric power plants convert energy contained in falling water into electricity, as seen in the diagram above. Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota): The marmot is a large rodent, about 50cm long. Marmots live in large family groups, in complex burrows, with dedicated living and toilet areas. You will often see a marmot standing up on his legs, looking out for predators to warn the group about. They can be seen anywhere between 800 to 3200 meters. Hydro Electric Power Station Oeschinensee has an underground water way which leads to the Hydro Electric Power (H.E.P) station. As the water comes down from the lake it turns the water turbine, electricity is then generated. As you get to the end of the footpath you will see the H.E.P station which is the first building on the right. The station produces 11.7 million kw of electricity each year. To keep the supply of water and power running to Kandersteg the company employs 5 full time staff members that work at the H.E.P station and at the water-works in the village. There are many different types of water wheels. Wheels or turbines for electricity generation need to rotate fast and require a lot of water. European Pine Marten (Martes martes): This mammal is about the size of a cat, but has a long slender body and long bushy tail. They have dark brown hair and a cream coloured bib of fur under their neck and belly. They live mostly on their own, marking their territories with faeces. They are mainly seen in the evenings, when they come out to hunt. From the gondola station, you now have a 20 minute walk to Oeschinensee. Simply follow the wide path in front of you. 3. The Bark Beetle A problem which is affecting a lot of the world, including Switzerland is the Bark Beetle (Scolytinae). The small beetle which is no larger than a grain of rice and brown or black in colour has caused destruction in many places around the world. The beetles bore through the bark and into the tree. The females excavate a tunnel between the bark and wood along which they lay their eggs.

4 Upon hatching each grub burrows away from the egg tunnel and feeds on the live bark tissue. Sometimes by sheer numbers alone bark beetles are able to overwhelm and kill healthy trees. This is especially true for Switzerland after 1999 Hurricane Lothar uprooted thousands of trees, causing the worst infestation in 200 years. The only solution is the chop infected trees and wait for the infestation to die out. Other countries, such as the western United States, Canada and Czech Republic are battling similar bark beetle infestations in their forests. 7. Arriving at Oeschinensee As mentioned before, Oeschinensee was created many thousands of years ago by a massive rock fall. Because of this rock fall one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Alps was formed. The lake is 60m deep and one of the largest alpine lakes covering an area of 1.5 km². The lake is at a height of 1,579m above sea level and is a typical alpine lake. On the side of the lake you will see the Hotel Oeschinensee which was built in There are gates at one end of the lake which allow the water level to be controlled so the lake doesn t flood. But it s said if the Blümlisalp Glacier was to fall into the lake it would flood Kandersteg! Oeschinensee is not only filled by glacial run off but also underground drainages. Water that is resurfaced from these are part of the Oeschibach. Bark Beetles (Left), egg tunnels (Middle), and effects (Right) 4. Glaciers Now stop for a moment and take a look at the surrounding mountains. Oeschinensee is surrounded by glaciers. Most of the peaks have their own glaciers. Blümlisalp-Rothorn 3,297m Oeschinenhorn 3,486m Blümlisalphorn 3,663m Fründenhorn 3,369m See actually means lake in German, so there is no need to say Lake Oeschinensee. Fishing is allowed in the summer, including such species: Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush): Native to cold, oxygen rich waters, these fish are around cm in length. Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Averaging around 0.5 to 2 kg, these fish are now on every continent except Antarctica. Arctic Char ( (Salvelinus alpinus): Weighing around 9 kgs, they can be found in lakes in the Alps up to 2,600 meters. One female can lay between 3,000 and 5,000 eggs in one go. There are many footpaths around the lake. Why not go for a wander and see what you can discover!

5 6. Pollution Can you see any signs of pollution as you walk down the footpath? How many types of pollution can you name that could affect Oeschinensee and the surrounding area? Water: There could be water pollution in the lake due to boats with engines being used. Acid Rain: This can be a problem for spruce trees. It can affect the amount of needles on the tree. In some areas you may be able to see right through the canopy. Glacier Facts Presently, 10% of the earth s land area is covered with glaciers. Glaciers store up to 75% of the world s freshwater. Antarctic ice is over 4,200 meters thick in some areas! In the last 160 years the glaciers in Switzerland lost 50% of their volume. How Are Glaciers Formed? 1 - Snow accumulates on the top part of a glacier. 2 - The snow turns to ice 3 - The ice flows downhill where it is warmer. 4 - The ice melts; water flows out 5 - As the ice goes around a corner or over a bump it cracks and crevasses are formed. Noise: Stop your group and tell them all to close their eyes. What can they hear? Airplanes, shooting range, cars, people, trains? Air: Air particles carried from industrial areas. Most of the time the snow accumulation is on the surface and the melting ice at the bottom balance each other out so that the glacier stays the same size. But, due to global warming there is increasing evidence that glaciers are retreating in many mountain areas around the world. Since the 1970s, Europe has lost about 50 percent of the area that was covered with glaciers in Mountain Huts There are eight mountain huts in the Kandersteg area. Three of these huts can be seen from the lake (Blümlisalphütte, Fründenhütte, and Doldenhornhütte). You can achieve the Hüttentest award by visiting these huts and getting your card stamped. To find out more about the Hüttentest please visit Reception. Litter: Food wrappers, cans, etc. Buildings: Gondola, ski lifts, buildings, roads to the lake, tracks and trails. Can you think of any ways to reduce pollution in the area?

6 The Fründenfirn Glacier The Fründenhütte is located on the Fründenfirn glacier, which is just to the right of the Fründenhorn. This is also where KISC also runs the Snow and Ice (SNICE) trips in the summer. Scouts from all around the world have the chance to explore first hand with mountain guides how to safely travel on glaciers, ice climb and perform crevasse rescues. Something the scouts exploring the glacier may not realize is the dramatic change of the Fründenfirn over the years. 20 or 30 years ago, the glacier reached up to the hut itself, making it quiet easy for climbers to literally walk out the door and start climbing. Over the years, the glacier has declined in ice fall or retreated. The scouts and climbers now have to walk over a hilly moraine, which is the sedimentary and glacial deposits built up at the end of a glacier. The opposite effect would be if the glacier had more ice build up, or advancing. Switzerland is actively monitoring it glacial recession and advancing. As of 2009, there have been 95 alps studied. 86 of those are treated from their terminal point, or the end of the glacier, 6 are static, and 3 glaciers have actually advanced. The graph below shows the recorded measurements of the Fründenfirn from 1893 onwards. 5. Rockslide and Formations When you near the lake, take a look at the large rock ramp on the south side of the lake. A few thousands of years ago, Oeschinensee was formed by a huge rockslide. These rocks dammed up the glacial melt off of the surrounding glaciers to make the lake you are visiting today. On the way to the lake you can see evidence of the rockslide and its damming. As you approach the lake, there is a rock band on your right side. Have you noticed the grey band which looks polished? This is called the Rutchflache in German, where the rock slide from. The deposited area right in front of the lake is called the Bersturzmasse, which dammed up the water to form Oeschinensee. Similar rockslides also formed lots of the hills in and around Kandersteg. When you walk or bus back to the centre, notice the rolling hills between the centre of the town and KISC. These hills are actually boulder piles that have had vegetation growth. As seen in the picture below, these rock slides originated from up on top of the Jegertosse! Glacier Advance in Blue. Glacial retreat in Orange.