Travelling with a peregrine falcon
The journey continues
After the wild Turbachtal, the bird’s journey takes it south again to Lauenen, described in the book as a magical and entrancing place. In the golden autumn sunshine, the
by Gar ret t Fis
As you’ll probably know, there are many aerial photographs showing a classic bird’s-eye view of the Saanenland as on Google Earth. What’s different here, however, is the proximity and accordingly the wealth of details compared to satellite imagery. Sometimes, you can barely recognise the trees or their trunks and canopies along with the geometry of the districts, forests and land areas, which all look truly amazing. The images alternate from atmospheric panoramic views and close-ups, providing the viewer with multiple facets of the region. The pictures are accompanied by short texts at the start of each chapter. The book is organised according to villages, brought to life for readers through key details and characteristics.
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Breath-taking shots
bird flies over the Lauenensee, and, a little later a waterfall comes into view from the falcon’s incredible perspective. Thereafter, the bird arrives a few feet above a snowy forestry trail in Rohr, a hamlet between the lake and village. Then, it finds its way to Saanen, where it crosses the Gstaad Airport on a late summer evening. Buffeted around on the breeze, the journey continues to the villages of Schönried and Saanenmöser in the north, ending in the remote mountain settlement of Abländschen, where the falcon meets young chamoix and a Saanen goat. One final glance through the “Grossmutterloch” in the Gastlosen mountains and the bird leaves the Saanenland.
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GstaadLife 5 I 2019
Photography by Nick Wallace
Photography by Christopher J. Ladley
As this bird of prey reaches the mountain destination from Valais, it flies along the wintry Gsteigstrasse, coming to rest on a raised rocky area just a few meters from an Alpine ibex. Soon after, the views of the pastures in Feutersoeys and Lake Arnen open up, with the latter being a popular place for both locals and guests. The bird’s journey continues to Gstaad, where, after a courageous flight along the Promenade, it takes in the grandstands where the beach volleyball tournament is taking place, always taking care to maintain a safe distance. Then, he leaves the densely built-up area and heads
to the countryside of the Turbachtal, where only a few buildings are dotted around during his flight.
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ave you also seen a falcon high in the sky and wondered what the Saanenland might look like from its eyes? This book, aptly named “Gstaad Through the Eyes of the Falcon” was published last month. Here, the viewer accompanies a peregrine falcon on a tour over the Saanenland. Despite the two-dimensional view and image format, the reader can imagine they’re flying, forgetting about the actual recording technique with perspectives opened up that are otherwise reserved for birds.