Help needed to plan hiking itinerary in mid-May.

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    23 March 2012 at 22:02:32 #805074

    Hi all,
    I needed some help planning an itinerary for hiking around Switzerland in mid-May, for about 8 days. I was hoping for long solo-hikes, spending nights in refuges/hostels. I’ll be traveling from half-way around the world to Europe for work, and want to make the most of the Alps on my few days off. I’m not looking for snow-hikes nor to push myself into lung-busting marathons… not more than 10-12kms a day, carrying a 10-12kg pack of the basics.
    I would prefer a continuous long hike over many days staying overnight at the refuges, but if that would mean skipping some of the pretty (but distant) sights, I wouldn’t mind doing day-hikes around a base-town for a few days and then moving on by train to another base for more day-hikes. There are many sites with info about this, but can’t figure out which places will be snowed under and which trails still open in mid-May.
    I guess its a kind of vague set of requirements… basically, I just want a short list of places with unmissable scenery that can be reached without hiking through much snow in mid-May… and can be covered in 8 days, starting from Geneva. Train-travel is an acceptable option, but the more time spent hiking the better.
    Thanks for reading this, and any suggestions or comments are very welcome…

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Wandermann
    Participant
    265 posts
    24 March 2012 at 10:13:14 #835382

    Hi VagaBond007,

    I hope other forum members can help you. I can’t, concerning routes and snow conditions. In the category “any suggestions”: do you know the website map.wanderland.ch? Under “Hiking in Switzerland” you may find interesting options.

    And maybe the site http://www.wandermap.net can be helpful too.

    Good luck with your preparations!

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    25 March 2012 at 4:24:15 #835383

    Hi VagaBond007,

    I would suggest to take a look at the Jakobsweg (route of St. James). It goes all the way from Geneva to the north and north-east of Switzerland. Most sections are below 2000 meter, which is what you need for snow free walking in May. The various sections are well described on the website, so I’m sure you’ll be able to pick a route that fits your plans.

    Our forum members, including myself, would love to hear about your experiences after you return. Have fun!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    30 March 2012 at 17:04:58 #835384

    Thank-you both for your suggestions… I’ll write back with a few more questions once I finalise a route.

  • The thread ‘Help needed to plan hiking itinerary in mid-May.’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.