Swiss region with least rain for mountain hikes
Olavegil is planning a trip to the Swiss Alps this summer, specifically looking at regions like Davos and Grindelwald for long hiking tours. They are concerned about weather, especially since they've experienced poor hiking conditions in the past and want to minimize the risk of bad weather during their stay.
- Check average rainfall statistics for the regions you're considering to maximize your chances of good weather.
- The Swiss Travel Pass can be helpful for using public transport to access hiking areas efficiently.
- Look into towns like Wengen and Pontresina which offer great hiking access with less tourist congestion.
- If sunshine is a priority, Ticino might be your best bet for higher chances of clear skies.
AI-generated summary-
Hi,
I’m thinking about a trip to the Swiss Alps this summer. Earlier I’ve been three times in the Austrian Alps, one time in Switzerland (Valais) and one time in the Alpes Maritimes in Italy.
All three times in Austria, there were at least 2-3 days with poor weather. The time in Valais (Zermatt and Zinal) and Alpe Maritimes, the weather was at least decent, and good most of the time. I remember the guide on the trip in Valais said that there is regional weather differences in Switzerland, and that the weather is better in the mountains in Valais (more sun and less rainy days), than in Bernese Oberland.
Is this correct? I’ve was thinking about places like Davos/Grindelwald/Kandersteg this summer (first half of july) rather than Valais. But since I’m going mainly for long and high hiking tours, I would like to minimize the chance of bad weather. Should I then avoid certain regions? Or even go south of the Alps where you have more Mediterranen climate?
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Hi Olavegil
You can google the average rainfall by month for the region you are considering.In the Jungfrau region there can certainly be stretches of days with mostly sun or mostly rain but in my experience the weather often changes during the day. Commonly clear early, and maybe cloudy in the afternoon but it is so unpredictable that it is hard to make accurate generalizations. We have had good luck with the weather in August and September with stretches of several days of clear weather but it is a roll of the dice
I believe the Zermatt area may be on average drier than the Jungfrau area. Mark
Hi Olavegil and welcome to MySwissAlps!
Certainly it is very hard to figure out the weather – a little luck is often required!
I might suggest looking at Ticino though – probably the absolute best for higher chances of sunshine. It may or may not have the hiking options you are looking for though.
Hi Lucas,
I have also been looking at Ticino, but have trouble finding good base towns for my hiking trips. I prefer using public transport and use as little time as possible moving around each day. Therefore I was looking to use one or two base towns during a 8-10 day stay, and preferrably villages which gives very easy access to higher mountains.
I was mostly looking at Graubunden and Bernese Oberland. In Graubunden St.Moritz and Engadin seemed like the very best alternative for long and high hikes, but I’ve been reading that St.Moritz is a really high-end town with a lot of rich tourists. Therefore I’ve so far mostly looked at either Davos (or Arosa and Davos) or two villages in Bernese Oberland, for example Grindelwald and Mürren. But if you have some suggestions for Ticino, I’m definitely interested.
You might also look at Wengen if you decide on the Jungfrau area. Wengen,like Murren, is car free and very scenic. Wengen is a little larger with more hotels and restaurants to choose from and is a little better location for ease of travel to the better hikes in the area. Grindelwald has car traffic, is more touristy,and not quite as spectacular views as Wengen. But likely you would enjoy all 3 of the towns. Mark
Only St Moritz itself is ‘rich’ .
Travel less than 2 km from St Moritz and you are in ‘ordinary’ Switzerland. Stay at Samedan or Pontresina, or other places not far away such as Zuoz.
Thank you.
Graunbunden was also my first/initial idea, but I’ve read so much (and seen pictures) about the scenery in Bernese Oberland that it became an alternative. My main concern there was as said the weather. On my trips to Austria it was incredibly boring with 2-3 days of so bad weather that hiking was more or less not an option. Right now I’m considering two main alternatives and two variants of these
1. Davos for 8-9 days (alternatively Arosa for 2-3 days and Davos for the rest)
2. Grindelwald and Mürren for 8-9 days (alternatively Via Alpina from Adelboden to Grindelwald and last 2-3 days in Grindelwald).
Hi Olavegil,
All of those areas are wonderful, with plenty of hiking options. They’re not necessity the best ones when it comes to the weather. But it’s all averages. Summer rain is often in the later afternoon or evening, and you can easily complete a hike before that. We’ve had a lot of dry and/or sunny days in those areas, but also rain.
Yep, know all about afternoon rain, and I’ve seen that very often in my summer trips to the Alps. But as said, I’ve also experienced several days with bad weather all day, and mainly on my trips to Austria, and it’s a priority to try to avoid this as much as possible. When it comes to weather, south of the Alps seems to be better than north of the Alps (and especially Austria), and as far I can see Valais seems to be better than Bernese Oberland (both based on statistics and personal accounts).
As for Graubunden vs Bernese Oberland, I initially thought of Graubunden mainly because I thought it would be a more significant weather difference. But now it seems like it’s smaller difference than I thought, and that a trip to Bernese Oberland may be just as probable as a trip to Graubunden. Maybe a schedule like this:
Day 1: Flight to Zürich and arrival Adelboden
Day 2: Adelboden – Kandersteg
Day 3: Kandersteg, daytrip (Gastnertal seems so good that it’s worth an extra night in Kandersteg)
Day 4: Kandersteg – Griesalp
Day 5: Griesalp – Mürren
Day 6: Mürren, daytrip
Day 7: Mürren to Grindelwald
Day 8-9: Grindelwald, day trips
Day 10: Back to Norway
If you stay in Grindelwald for 2 days check out First to Schynige Platte as a day hike, very scenic. Be sure and take the Panaramaweg route when you get to the Schynige Platte end. Mark
From my experience, rain from the west often hits the north of the Alps and misses Graubünden and Ticino. That is not a guarantee but an observation, it can rain in Graubünden and not in the Bernese Oberland for that matter. I’d go for the area that appeals most to you. Then hope for the best and (also) plan for the worst.
Thanks, Arno.
Btw, if anybody have some tips on Ticino, I would welcome this. I have a pretty good idea on tour possibilities in Bernese Oberland and Graubunden through map studies and tour descriptions, but my knowledge about Ticino is far more limited.
Right now staying in Locarno seems like the most plausible option. And using local bus routes into the mountains. Although it seems it would be long bus tours. Almost two hours one-way from Locarno to the top of the Valle Maggia.
Did you see the link to our Ticino section in Lucas’ post? A lot of sightseeing and hiking tips are there, though not the long and very high trails (yet). If based in Locarno you could do some hikes farther away like the one you mentioned, but there are also very nice options close-by, at an altitude of 1500 to 2000 m for example. Take a cable car to Cimetta, right from downtown Locarno, or to Monte Tamaro, and off you go. This map is helpful I think: map.schweizmobil.ch/?lang=de&land=wanderlan d&route=all&layers=Wan derland&bgLayer=pk&sea son=summer&resolution= 10&E=2709016&N=1112203
It really depends on what you’re looking for. Things will be rather different than in the Berner Oberland, but variety is one of the good things in Switzerland I think 🙂
I heartily recommend Graubünden.
I suggest you avoid Davos. It’s like a city in the mountains. Stay in one of the towns or villages anywhere on the Rhätische Bahn network.
I would recommend Arosa as a day trip destination from a more ‘central’ accommodation point, rather than a place to stay.
If you avoid the Berner Oberland, you will certainly be bucking the trend of seemingly the vast majority of people asking questions on this forum!
Late to the thread, and see that many have not gotten to the essence of your queston.
Here is my contribution:
Go in September for the best, on average, weather.
Slowpoke
Yep, I know. Bernese Oberland seems to be the standard choice on this forum.
I see that Bernese Oberland is probable the best choice when it comes to dramatic scenery, but that is not my main argument for choosing destination. I have no problem hiking 1500 height meters a day for 10 consectuive days, and want as many high and long hikes as possible with a minimum amount of travel each day. And preferably from a starting point close to or above the tree line (walking in the forest is boring). That means reaching peaks close to or over 3000m is an advantage. And I will be going to Bernese Oberland sooner or later anyway.
For these kind of hikes Graubunden seems like a better choice than Bernese Oberland. In the latter region you have to move around some for a longer stay. From Grindelwald I see 3-4 possible hikes of 1000++ height meters each day. Then I have to move to Mürren for another 2-3 hikes, then move again. From Davos I can see at least 5 possible hikes directly from Davos without using cable cars/buses/trains, and several more in close distance using train/bus up the valley to Klosters/Sertig/Dürrboden, etc. Same if I chose to stay in somewhere in Engadin.
Btw, any suggestions of alternative villages in Graubunden? Pontresina perhaps, but any other? Shouldn’t be to small either.
You will like Graubünden. Pontresina is a good base, as well as Samedan, Celerina, Bever, La Punt and many other villages with a train stop.
http://www.myswissalps.com/up perengadine
Here’s a couple of hikes you may like:
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/bever-preda
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/murtel-pontresina
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/piznair-bever
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/murtel-furtschellas
Some others that are not described in detail here are the Val Champagna (accessible from Muottas Muragl), Val Chamuera to the Bernina Pass, Sils or Furtschellas to Val Fex.
You won’t get bored for weeks there!
Already booked a week in Chamonix in the first half of september.
For july it was therefore a choice between Italy and Switzerland. Chose the latter due to better flight connections from Norway to Switzerland, and better railway system in Switzerland than Italy. For travelling from Norway to for example the Dolomites, you either have to spend a lot of time on train/bus, or preferably; rent a car.
Hi Olavegil,
You’ve already been told, and you know, that the weather in the Alps cannot be predicted ahead of time.
The place with statistically the lowest annual rainfall in Switzerland is Grächen, above St Niklaus in the Zermatt valley.
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