[Anonymous]

22 May 2017 at 12:37:09 #811930

Hi we are a young 60yr old couple and come from sunny south africa and will be doing 4 days in Zermatt and Wengen in June. We are not experienced hikers but we want to do the alpine walking trails that would be appropriate and safely -a few hours at a time and seeing the best we can of the scenery.

Will the trail info that suits our experience be available easily at the locations?

We have low ankle bush walking shoes (Merrel and Addidas) not closed ankle boots. Will these be OK for our purposes or should we get more substantial footwear?

We will have a small backpack for essentials and clothing layers and some water and snack food – is this sufficient?

Thanks Mike and Cathy

💡 Save time and get daily forum questions & answers by e-mail

[kim11]

Reply 1 of 7 • 22 May 2017 at 16:21:20 #863684

HI Mike and Cathy,

You sound good to go! The tourist offices will be able to guide you to appropriate trails that are open. Please note that many of the super scenic (and easy) higher elevation trails typically do not open until June 15.

It might be rather cool still in June so be sure to include layers suitable for such weather. We take light first layers (T and a long sleeve), a stretch fleece top, a fleece vest, a thin wind jacket, and a more substantial rain jacket with hood. We also like hiking pants with zip off legs that can convert to shorter pants. The Merrel and Addidas shoes will suit you well for the type of trails you are interested in

[AlanPrice]

Reply 2 of 7 • 22 May 2017 at 21:39:59 #863685

Hi MikeU,

Something you might like to consider is getting a hiking stock. These are enormously useful and just about everybody uses them. Some people use 1 which is great for balance, others use 2 for more security. I use a Leki Wanderfreund because it has a T-handle which i find much better for downhill walking.

Cheers

Alan

[User]

Reply 3 of 7 • 23 May 2017 at 5:09:14 #863686

thanks very much Kim11, much appreciated advice.

[User]

Reply 4 of 7 • 23 May 2017 at 5:10:28 #863687

thanks Tim, we will be taking a hiking pole . Regards Mike

[User]

Reply 5 of 7 • 24 May 2017 at 6:37:21 #863688

Hi Kim11 and Alan, apologies, but I had the dates wrong. we will be in Zermatt and Wengen 10th August to 18th August. would the clothing suggestions be similar or maybe its not as cool in August?

Mike

[AlanPrice]

Reply 6 of 7 • 24 May 2017 at 9:22:00 #863689

The weather in the valleys can be very hot in August, but the basic list above should work well. I’d add a pair of sandals like Teva’s or Keens. Something to keep in mind, you will be going from a southern hemiphere winter to a northern summer so you will need to take it easy for a couple of days to acclimatise.

[User]

Reply 7 of 7 • 24 May 2017 at 9:24:44 #863690

thanks Alan, we look forward to our visit.

Regards

Mike