Excursions

On the Flüelapass field trip we will see mountain permafrost landforms in a spectacular setting at 2400 m a.s.l. Flüelapass was the first permafrost research site in the Swiss Alps in the early 1970s and ground temperatures and ice contents have been monitored ever since. We will see different types of instrumentation and discuss interesting phenomena such as ice-rich permafrost in a lake shore, a rock glacier advancing towards a road or air fluxes streaming through a talus slope. The field trip includes a 2-3 hour hike with an elevation difference of 300 m in mountainous terrain and requires good fitness, hiking shoes and warm, waterproof clothing.

Meeting point and time: 13:50 at the SLF in Davos Dorf.
Back approx. at 17.15 at the SLF.

--> cancelled (Alternative: Visit of the SLF at 3 p.m., please sign in at the registration desk.)

This excursion brings us to the Weissfluhjoch, where we will visit the test site from the WSL Institute of Snow and Avalanche Research SLF that is their oldest test site with continuous series of measurements since the 1930s. It is equipped with numerous measuring instruments. It is the only place in the world at this elevation where a continuous daily series of weather and snow measurements exists for more than 80 years. From the test site we will then enjoy a beautiful 1-hour hike to the station Höhenweg. For this excursion a good fitness and trekking shoes are required.

Meeting point and time: 13:45 at the parsenn cable car valley station (inside), Davos Dorf.
Back at 17.10 at Davos Dorf.
Please take your guest card with you (you will receive this if you stay in a hotel).

--> cancelled (Alternative: Visit of the SLF at 3 p.m., please sign in at the registration desk.)

This excursion brings us to the middle-station of the Parsenn cable car: Parsenn-Höhenweg. From there we hike up to the Panoramaweg and the Schiahorn avalanche defense area (approx 0.5hrs). Then we walk down to Davos Dorf. On the way we can observe several avalanche protection measures and the development of avalanche hazard maps is explained. We will enjoy a beautiful 4-hour hike to Davos Dorf (pure hiking time approx. 2hrs.). For this excursion a good fitness and trekking shoes are required.

New: We don't go by cable ca to Parsenn, we go on a valley excursion

Meeting point and time: 14:00 at the SLF, Davos Dorf
 

This excursion brings us to the Davos-Seehornwald research site which is located just out of the town of Davos in a subalpine forest at 1640 m asl and mainly consists of Norway spruce trees, which are about 30 meters tall and up to 450 years old. Here, scientists investigate how air pollution and climate change affect forest health, growth and development as well as the forest’s greenhouse gas budget. The first CO2 flux measurements started already in 1995 and the site is one of the oldest ecosystem flux sites globally (continuous eddy covariance flux data since 1997). It is the only subalpine Class 1 forest site within the European Research Infrastructure ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System). We will get a brief overview of the station as well as its environmental surroundings and we present some interesting scientific observations from long-term research. The excursion includes an easy hike through the Seehornwald, therefore trekking shoes are required.

Meeting point and time: 14:00 at the SLF in Davos Dorf.
Back approx. at 16.30 at the SLF.

In this excursion we hike from the beautiful Dischma Valley to the long-term research platform Stillberg at the upper treeline. The Stillberg has been the research site of several long-term experiments related to snow-plant interactions, treeline ecology and climate change. We visit the main experiment, a 47-year old systematic afforestation with 92'000 trees at and above current treeline.  On the way to the Stillberg, we also get insights into various other research sites including a long-term monitoring plot (Marteloscope) within a very old and very extensively managed subalpine forest. Good hiking shoes and adequate clothes are required.

Meeting point and time: 13:55 at the train station Davos Dorf (the bus leaves at 14:05).
Back at 17.35 at the train station Davos Dorf.
Please take your guest card with you (you will receive this if you stay in a hotel).