Off-Piste skiing May/June from Wengen

We have use of a house in Wengen but cant get there until May - after ski season. Here's my question, what is the snowpack like in May/June from Wengen on up? How high can we get on trains and Luftseilbahnen and how low can we ski? All assuming an average snow year. We're very comfortable skinning up higher but prefer not to earn all of our elevation.

THANKS!

Hi Vermonter, welcome to MySwissAlps!

I'm not an expert on this, but May/June is not the best time for skiing. Winter season is from mid December to mid April, depending on the weather and season. I doubt if there will be any options at all. There will be snow in higher terrain, but there won't be prepared pistes or ski lifts. Off piste skiing would indeed be the only option, but I can't think of places where it's reasonably safe to do so. You'd best ask Wengen Tourism for tips. If there are options, they will know for sure.

The trains and some cableways will operate and can get you as high as Jungfraujoch at 3400 m. There is snow all year round, but skiing without a guide on the glacier is very dangerous. There are guided tours though, but I'm not sure if there are ski tours as well. The Wengen tourist office will be able to get you more details.

I hope this gets you started!

Thank you. We were once ski mountaineers so comfortable on challenging terrain but we prefer not to deal with glaciers on this trip. I'll study up on this option more.

Alternatively, we're looking for an off-season time to visit (that's how we get use of the house), any suggestions for skiing or hiking? I've been in July before but only very briefly and it was clearly high tourist season. Do the crowds thin out in Sept/Oct?

<<"Do the crowds thin out in Sept/Oct? ">>

Yes.

You'll probably still have trouble finding places to ski that you can access until the snow gets thicker later in the year. After October 23rd, a lot of the cableways and some mountain railways shut down till mid December. No customers, no skier in late Fall, early Winter.

Wengen Tourist Office is a good place to check, as Arno suggested.

Slowpoke