Question about hiking in Jungfraujoch area

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    17 June 2015 at 4:01:25 #807411

    We are on a tour in Switzerland and have only one full day free before our tour begins. We are staying in Interlaken. After looking at hiking/touring options, we were considering the following:

    Taking the train to Wengen/cable car to Mannlichen and hiking to Kleine Scheidegg, then taking the train up to Jungfraujoch, and coming down from Jungfraujoch, stopping in Grindelwald-First and perhaps touring there…maybe the short hike to Lake Bachalpsee, then back to Interlaken. I have a couple of questions about this:

    1) is this too much to do in one day?

    2) Are the hikes from Mannlichen -> Kleine Scheidegg and First -> Lake Bachalpsee worthwhile even on cloudy days when we might choose not to ride to the top? If not, do you have a suggestion for a good cloudy/rainy day hike?

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    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    18 June 2015 at 16:29:59 #843843

    Hi bellhanley, and thanks for joining us!

    Your plans are a bit too ambitious for one day only. The hike Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg and a visit to the Jungfraujoch will take up most of your day. If weather is still beautiful once you arrive in Grindelwald, you can always choose to take the gondola ride up to First in the (late) afternoon, but I wouldn’t add the hike to the Bachalpsee to this list of plans too, if I were you.

    A general tip: always keep a close eye on the most recent weather forecast and adjust your plans accordingly. Try to get up the Jungfraujoch when skies are most clear (which is usually in the early morning on typical summer days, but I’m not sure when you’ll be visiting); you can also make a hike after your Jungfraujoch visit. Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg and First-Bachalpsee are both fine if it’s cloudy, although you’ll miss out on the views of course. I wouldn’t do them in rainy circumstances though. If there are chances of rain, you’d better stick to a valley hike (like the Lauterbrunnen valley), and if there’s a risk of thunderstorms you shouldn’t do outdoor activities at all. A boat ride over Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, or a visit to the Aareschlucht near Meiringen are fine alternatives for drizzly days.

    Enjoy your tour in Switzerland!

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