Lower hike alternatives to the Alpine Pass Route

Aloha,
Thank you for providing this useful forum and taking the time to answer all the questions!

We are planning to hike the Alpine Pass Route starting about the 27th of May. From reading the forum it seems a bit early for the high passes. Are there alternative trails to complete a hike from Sargans to Montreux with bypassing the passes that are still with snow pack?
I have been trying to figure out on the wanderlust site which hikes we could take around the passes that are covered in snow. Do you have suggestions on how to narrow our search for those hikes or do you have names for those trails?
It seems as if Suisse has not had an abundance of snow this year...will have to keep an eye on the spring weather.
Mahalo, susi

Hello susi, and welcome! You're right, the end of May may be too early for the Alpine Pass route (Via Alpina). Snow fields are even possible well into July and August. Generally, the advice is not to start any sooner than June, but that's still quite early. What you can do is walk the legs of the route that are at lower altitude. For pass legs, inquire about weather and terrain circumstances at the local tourist offices. If these legs aren't accessible, or still too dangerous, you can alternatively use public transport. Please refer to the Wanderland Schweiz website (to which I linked above) for all details.

Detours or hiking alternatives aren't available for all sections, as mountain passes are involved and the goal is to get from the northern to the southern side of the Alps. So one way or another, the Alps have to be crossed. The only real hiking alternative would be to avoid mountain passes and get to Montreux via the western part of Switzerland. The Jura Crest trail and the Via Jacobi will lead you to Geneva/Montreux via the western side of the Alps and they don't include passes as high as the Alpine Pass route, so they may fit your needs.

Our hiking page provides general tips on preparing for your hike and safety.

Try the Alpenpanorama-Trail
http://www.wandersite.ch/Alpenpanoramaweg.html
which leads more in the north, but also from the Bodensee to the Lake of Geneva

Thank you for your replies. This information is very appreciated. The Alpenpanorama Trail looks very nice....I still hope we can do at least some of the alpine route, but we shall see with the weather en Suisse. Appreciate the highlights of the lowers Alpine Route, so that we may consider staying longer in some of these areas. We have close to 3 weeks to hike, and every bit of Suisse is magnificent! Many mahalos, Susi