Alpine flowering

We found at least six different kinds of orchids during my alpine break but I have never seen quite as many as in this one particular field at 1800m in the Valais which was full of Spotted Orchids.

 

We also got to see some Wild Pansies, while the most intriguing plant we encountered was this impressive flowering spike with a rosette of leaves at its base.  We only ever saw the one and it took quite a bit of searching but I eventually managed to identify it as Yellow Bellfower, a high-altitude species restricted to the central Alps.