72625 posts
Hello Neal Andrews,
Welcome to MySwissAlps!
What a wonderful birthday gift for your girlfriend.
Optimal hiking season is more around early September. However, please read the link below for some helpful tips on hiking in Switzerland:
http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king
I will attach a practical website with a weather app on there that would be beneficial for you to download in case the weather changes while you are in Switzerland:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/practic al/websites
There are some huts that are open but I will attach a website so you can double-check:
http://www.sac-cas.ch/en/
In terms of challenging hikes around the Geneva area I am not too familiar in that region. Let’s wait a bit, I am sure there are members who can suggest some routes that would be of interest.
I wish you and your girlfriend a wonderful time in Switzerland!
Best regards,
Suzanne
72625 posts
Hello Suzanne, thanks for your message 🙂
I will look at the websites you suggest.
It is a bit more expensive, but I can also fly into Zurich.
The weather looks sunny with high cloud. I don’t mind if it gets a little cold!
Cheers
Neal
7567 posts
You might have better luck taking a train
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
to someplace in the Bernese Oberland or other parts of the Alps. No way to predict, but there are a whole lot of huts and trails there. Check this website (lists and map) for routes near Geneva:
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland.html
You can set it to show huts:
map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=en&land=wanderlan d&route=all&layers=Bed breakfast%2CYouthhoste l%2CBackpacker%2CMount ainhut%2CWanderland&bg Layer=pk&logo=yes&seas on=summer&resolution=5 00&E=2631750&N=1189000
Here’s a good topo – same basic map as SchweizMobil; different accessories. I like the color coding of trails.
http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /hiking-in-switzerland/more-wl/hiking-trail-network-and-signalization.html
One of the forum members – Snowman – lives in Geneva. Perhaps he’ll pick up on this.
Slowpoke
PS – Weather forecasts for Alpine regions are notoriously unreliable…even 24 hours ahead of time. Anything more than 3 days distant is hopeful fiction. Switzerland is full of microclimates.
I have found this website to be a bit more useful for localized forecasts thanh some:
http://www.meteocentrale.ch/e n/europe/switzerland/w eather-wengen/details/N-3517887/
72625 posts
Much of the Alpine region in the Geneva hinterland is of course on French territory, so it’s almost off topic for a Swiss forum.
Suggest you email the Geneva section of the CAS: cas-geneve.ch/index.php
Also do some web searching for the Mont Blanc area and the French Alps
Don’t forget also that the Jura mountains are good for hiking especially
My brother was with my relatives in Geneva a few days ago and weather on both Alps and Jura was superb.
825 posts
Hello Neal Andrews,
Congratulations for wanting to hike! I am sure you love nature. Did you consider (for next time) avoiding flying? Geneva International Airport is located close to the city and tens of thousand people suffer from the noise and air pollution due to aviation, among which low cost flights.
Anyway, let me not be too sectarian. As mentioned by others, Geneva is close to France. One nice place is Mt Saleve. Take bus #8 to Veyrier, cross the border, take the cable car to the top of Saleve, where many hikes are possible, with, weather allowing, stunning views of Geneva and the Lake. That would be a day trip. Further away is Chamonix. A new rail system will start operating in the Franco-Swiss Geneva region on December 15, but for the time being, the way to go to Chamonix from Geneva is by bus. The bus terminal is located at Place Dorcière between the main railway station and Mt Blanc bridge. Plenty of hiking opportunities in Chamonix. i am not familiar with huts there. My favorite hotel there is Le Labrador.
If you want to stay in Switzerland, you could take the train to Le Seppey (1hr 24 from Geneva, departure every 30 min. after the hour, change at Aigle), and from there hike to La Lécherette, and then onwards to Château d’Oex or even further. Part of this suggestion is Stage 3 of the Tour des Alpes vaudoises. Accommodation possible at col des Mosses, La Lécherette (Is or was nice, I stayed there twice, I’m just not sure it still exists…) or Château d’Oex.
The weather should be nice, as far as one can tell. Enjoy!