[Removed user]

3 August 2016 at 18:57:44 #809806

I’m planning a trip to the Bernese Oberland in mid to late June starting with Lucerne, then going to Lauterbrunnen, Berne and Zermatt. Hoping to hike on Mt. Rigi and in the mountains near Lauterbrunnen. We are in our sixties so need scenic trails that are not too steep or too long. Questions:

On average, will there still be snow on the trails in mid- to late June in these areas?

Any suggestions for hikes would be helpful.

Thanks!

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[Annika]

4 August 2016 at 7:12:44 #854806

Welcome to MySwissAlps, rarecat!

June is a beautiful month for a visit to the regions you’ve listed. It’s not high season yet and there will still be more snow on the mountain tops than in July and August. Weather wise there are no guarantees, so trail conditions will vary each year. But generally, snow free trails should be accessible by the time you visit. The higher and more challenging ones may still be closed though. If you pick the lower ones, it should work. Please find suggestions through http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king. You can sort trails by region, difficulty and duration.

[Slowpoke]

4 August 2016 at 18:49:55 #854807

Hi rarecat –

My favorite trail in the Bernese Oberland that is both spectacular and easy is the walk from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, which I usually access from Wengen.

http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg

In June 2015, I visited with my grandson, and due to schedule constraints, our trip was in early June. We saved the B..O, for the last days, and were up there on June 14 and June 15. The trail was open, with plenty of snow residue here and there. Unfortunately, we had clouds and fog for both the days that we were there, and finally ended up visiting Brienz.

Over the years, we have visited the Jungfrau region in early to mid June, and found that the high Alps were often inaccessible, or the cableways were not all running. By the middle of June,starting at about he 15th, tourist facilities and the transport options were opening up, and by late June, most things were open and the tourist were still not thick.

At lower elevations, such as around Lake Lucern, Spring was fully at work.

June is wonderful for the wildflowers in the alpine meadows.

We have switched to September as our preferred month. More stable weather, drier than June, and the tourist have thinned out, while the facilities are generally all still available.

Here is how I judge the arrival of Spring in the Jungfrau region. I have gotten in the habit of checking from late May through June day by day for the cableway service from Wengen ( Wengiboden) to Männlichen LWM (Lauterbrunnen- Wengen – Männlichen) in the timetable:

http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

I use that as my personal measure of how open the higher trails are….that hike is at about 2300 meters.

I also check hotels for the dates when they open for the Summer season.

The pattern seems to be that the cableway up to Männlichen will be open on weekends in mid to late May, depending on snow conditions, and somewhere around June 15th it is usually open full time. Could be sooner if the snow has melted and the rail opened; could be later if there is a heavy snow pack.

This link does show trail open/closed status, but in mid-June, status my vary from day to day, and may not always be reflected in this chart:

http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/som mer/tourism/destinatio ns/kleine-scheidegg/hiking-trails/

As Annika pointed out, altitude is critical in the change of seasons.

Slowpoke

[AlanPrice]

5 August 2016 at 3:06:14 #854808

Hi Rarecat,

It can snow in the mountains at any time of year, but as a rule of thumb, all of the easier mid-level walks will be clear (especially the ones on the northern side of the valleys because they get direct sunlight) and most of the higher walks should be open, depending on how severe the winter was. Slowpoke has mentioned a few of the easier, spectacular walks. The trick is to give yourself enough time and go at your own pace. All the trails are signposted with the estimated time to reach the destination, but I always ad about a 25% because I like to stop and look at the scenery.

Have Fun

[Removed user]

25 August 2016 at 0:45:44 #854809

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. I will check out all the links and let you know if I have more questions. Since we won’t be doing hikes in the high altitudes, I expect late June would be fine for us.

[Slowpoke]

25 August 2016 at 0:48:18 #854810

Let us know if you have more questions.

Slowpoke