MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Hiking trip or not with 10 & 12 year olds end Oct?
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Hi,
We just arrived back from a beautifully sunny 3-day long weekend in Zermatt with hiking (5 Seeweg, Gorner Gorge), sightseeing (Gornergrat Train, Matterhorn museum) and having fun trying out lots of Ziplines in the Forest Fun Park. We loved all that Zermatt had to offer despite the crazy prices and now I am wondering about doing a similar thing another place in Switzerland for a 3/4/5 day trip during our school break from around 22nd of October as I wonder what other gems are out there. I loved all of the
trip but especially the hiking, the museumand the compactness andcosy feeling of the old part of Zermatt where we stayed in a flat. Experiencing that was super special and very different from say going to Verbier, Leysin or Anzerre where we have been skiing.I am now wondered about Grindenwald, Lauterbrunnen or similar. However, I understand from people in Zermatt, the net and from discussions on this forum that lots of mountains villages, and some train lines, close down around this time.
Do you kind people on this site have any thoughts on this plan? Or might you have completely different suggestions for where to go, and what NEEDS to be seen
of Switzerland and what might be an all-around fun trip with some hiking with my two daughters? Or had we better wait with another mountain hiking and village fun experience till Spring or early Summer? If so when, I see people saying June is too early due to melting snow etc?We live near Lausanne but are very happy to travel..
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Hi Hikingmum and welcome to MySwissAlps!
A fair number of mountains do tend to shut down either until spring or for 3-5 weeks for maintence starting around late October. You can look through our list of major Swiss mountains here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ac tivities/naturalsites/ mountains – click on the route tab for each mountain’s web page and you’ll see operating dates.
At least as you live in Switzerland you can keep an eye on the weather and perhaps keep your plans flexible / book last minute and see how the weather conditions are. Most hikes over 2000 meters will have closed by then. Look through our list of major hikes here for more details: http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king
I have a feeling that the Lausanne/ Montreux area (http://www.myswissalps.com/so uthwestswitzerland) or Ticino would be best in late October. Have you been to the Ticino region yet? http://www.myswissalps.com/ti cino
By the end of October, alpine hiking options are basically not an option until mid- June (except for some opening in December for snowshoeing).
Hi Lucas,
Thank you so much for your thoughts and all of the info. It is much appreciated.
And no, we have not been to Ticino yet. Lugano does pass through my mind on an off as I see it is on many bucket lists of what to see if CH but it is difficult to know where to go when. Love the links with both info on sightseeing and hikes. Brilliant. Now I see there is both sightseeing and hiking in the area, including town-, forest- and cultural- hikes, and you highlighting it is the most southern point of CH I reckon this is a great option for us for late October. Once I have looked at it all in detail I might be back to pick your brain again.
Actually, as I am here do you have any favorite hikes in the area that must not be missed? -Say, that includes either a nice spot to eat a picnic or a nice
cafe, or a waterfall/suspension bridge/cute village/a beautiful forest with piles of Autumn leaves to kick or some other hidden treasure my girls might like.Wishing you all a happy Saturday from Vaud,
Karen
In the Lugano area? Yes a couple I can mention and they are on the site here too.
If you’d like to read about my weekend trip there last March see here: http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/ticino-region-trip-march-31-april-2
I didn’t do too many hikes there but a couple and they are noted in more detail below. I really like the Cenotvalli Express from Brig to Locarno as well. http://www.myswissalps.com/ce ntovalli
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/lugano-gandria
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/lavertezzo-ganne
- http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/castagnola-gandria
- http://www.myswissalps.com/mo ntebre
If you have a car, you could drive yourself (no bus access I am aware of) to the village Curogna (pictures on my trip report). Beautiful views and even if you get fog it is quite an atmosphere).
Hi HikingMum,
If you are based in Lausanne, I suggest you explore the Jura range. There are a number of beautiful landscapes, such as La Combe des Amburnex, west of Le Marchairuz road pass. Until mid-october, you can stop at the Pré aux Veaux mountain chalet, for a simple meal or just a drink: http://www.pre-aux-veaux.ch/
Or, a bit further (above Lake Neuchâtel), Creux du Van, the Swiss Grand Canyon. Mountain restaurants there are opened until early november, and this time is the right time to go there, as the place is quite crowded in summertime. If you hike a bit away from the roads, you are likely to see bouquetins (ibex). One mountain restaurant I can recommend is Le Soliat ( http://www.lesoliat.ch/68/acc ueil?&wslanguage=en ). Or La Grand Vy, or La Roche Devant, with view on Lake Neuchâtel and, further away, the three “giants” of the Bernese Alps: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
Further away and in the Alps again, as Lucas suggests, there is Ticino. There, I would recommend Lake Tremorgio, with a beautiful alpine landscape. By public transport, go to Airolo (Train), then Rodi-Fiesso (bus), and take the cable car, open until mid-october: http://www.ticino.ch/en/commo ns/details/Teleferic-Tremorgio/1001.html
Enjoy!
Dear Snowman,
Thank you so much for the recommendations for things to do more locally. They could all be real contenders if our energy levels are low; that way we can have a mix of hometime and hiking time with minimal travel time. I reckon I might need this option.
Le Soliat looks like a good place to use as a base as you can stay there too. What are the walks in this area like compared to around La Grand Vy etc?
If you were choosing based on the beauty/excitement of the walks would you go for around Neuchatel or go that bit further to the Bernese Alps?
Thank you again, your input is much appreciated.
Dear HikingMum
I was not aware of the accommodation possibilities at Le Soliat. Le Soliat (picture 8) is, among the three places I mentioned, the one closest to the “canyon”. Food is good. From La Grand Vy, you have to hike a bit more (not much) to the canyon, with more chances to see bouquetins. Food at La Grand Vy is excellent (by mountain chalet standards) as far as I can remember. From these two places, you don’t see the Lake or the Alps. For that, you must go to La Roche Devant. Food is more simple there, and you are away from the canyon. If you spend the night at Le Soliat, you can enjoy the view of the “canyon” (the actual Creux-du-Van) and admire the view on the second day, or vice versa (actually, the sunshine towards the Alps would be better in the evening).
What I meant by view on Lake Neuchâtel and the Bernese Alps is the scenery as seen from La Roche Devant. I attach a few photos, see #11..
I’ll have another suggestion for you in a next post.
Another beautiful one-way hike near Lausanne that your kids may enjoy is the vinyard hike in the Lavaux. Maybe you already know it if you are in Lausanne. Take the train to Grandvaux, and hike down (I said your kids would love it!) to St-Saphorin. You will be on a small road (paved, almost no traffic). The attached map shows a longer portion, the other way round, upwards from St-Saphorin. In October, the vine leaves may have turned yellow and brown, beautiful on a sunny fall day ( http://www.landolia.fr/photo/ 2010/photo-lavaux-lac-leman-suisse-27939-xl.jpg ).
By the way, check out Switzerland Mobility ( http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /summer.html ), for suggestions and maps.
Attachments:Thank you so much for all these details and photos: Looks stunning and the two-day itinerary sounds perfect. Amazing views, exciting nature, cute animals and great food, not
to far from home. Thank youYes, I did do the Lavaux vineyard hike a few years back. It is beautiful and I did wonder about taking my girls one day. But I much prefer hiking in less urban settings so the other ‘canyon’ walk draws me more, though I do agree Autumn is a great time to see the vineyards. I can keep that one in mind in case we have a spare day.
Hi Hikingmum,
If you haven’t seen our regional information pages yet have a look here: http://www.myswissalps.com/re gions – might give you some good ideas of where to travel and what to do in various regions in the future.
Cheers!
Thank you
Lucas . I need to have a good look around the whole site I think and get familiar with it all. It seems like just what I am looking for. Thank you again for directing my search for info to such relevant places.
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