Chamois
9 places to see and hear chamois in the wild, in 8 countries from Germany to Spain: when each one peaks, where to go on your own, what it costs and what you will hear. Wild animals only, no zoos.
Best time, place by place
| Spectacle | Country | Peak | On your own? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marmots, ibex and chamois in the Berchtesgaden Alps | Germany | 20 Jun – 31 Aug and 1 Nov – 30 Nov | You can go on your own |
| Ibex, chamois & isard rut | France | 15 Nov – 20 Dec | You can go on your own |
| Alpine ibex, chamois and marmots | Switzerland | 1 May – 5 Jun and 10 Nov – 31 Dec | You can go on your own |
| Red deer rut in Val Trupchun, Swiss National Park | Switzerland | 18 Sep – 5 Oct | Partly on your own |
| Red deer rut in the Kalkalpen and Gesäuse | Austria | 20 Sep – 3 Oct | You can go on your own |
| Marmots, ibex and chamois in the Julian Alps | Slovenia | 20 Jun – 31 Aug and 10 Nov – 31 Dec | You can go on your own |
| Paklenica canyons: eagle owl, chamois and rock birds | Croatia | 1 Feb – 20 Mar | Partly on your own |
| Chamois & ibex rut | Italy | 15 Nov – 20 Dec | You can go on your own |
| Cantabrian mountains: chamois rut, bears and wallcreepers | Spain | 20 Oct – 30 Nov and 15 Apr – 15 Jun and 15 Aug – 30 Sep | You can go on your own |
Where to go, north to south
Marmots, ibex and chamois in the Berchtesgaden AlpsMarmot whistles echoing off the Watzmann east face, chough flocks, chamois sneezes, ptarmigan on the Steinernes Meer plateau, golden eagle; cowbells on the alpine pastures; in autumn, roaring stags in the Klausbachtal.
Ibex, chamois & isard rutHorn clashes echoing off rock, snorting and hissing males chasing across scree, and the snow-muffled silence of winter valleys.
Alpine ibex, chamois and marmotsIbex horn-clashes in the December rut, hoof-clatter on rock, chamois alarm hisses, marmot whistles echoing, chough flocks, water pipit; the wind.
Red deer rut in Val Trupchun, Swiss National ParkDozens of stags roaring simultaneously on the open alpine meadows of the 'deer arena' with the Trupchun walls echoing them back; antler clashes across the stream; marmots still whistling in September; chough flocks.
Red deer rut in the Kalkalpen and GesäuseRoaring stags in mountain beech-spruce forest with limestone walls behind — long echoes; in the Gesäuse the Enns rapids run under everything; antler fights, hinds, tawny and Ural owls.
Marmots, ibex and chamois in the Julian AlpsMarmot alarm whistles echoing off limestone walls, chough flocks, ptarmigan croaking above the treeline, chamois hissing alarm sneezes; in autumn the roar of red deer from the valleys below.
Paklenica canyons: eagle owl, chamois and rock birdsEagle owl's deep 'oo-hu' bouncing between 400 m canyon walls, rock partridge cackling at dawn, alpine swift screams, blue rock thrush, chamois alarm whistles, the Velika Paklenica stream.
Chamois & ibex rutSnorts and whistles, horn clashes echoing off cliffs, and the stillness of snowy valleys.
Cantabrian mountains: chamois rut, bears and wallcreepersChamois whistling alarms and clattering hooves on limestone, alpine chough flocks, wallcreeper thin whistles from the gorge walls, bells and the Cares river; bears are silent and distant.