Rainy day advice for family based in Grindelwald
Kim is planning a family vacation to Grindelwald from August 23 to September 1, facing forecasts of heavy rain. She's looking for rainy-day activities and safe hikes that can be enjoyable in bad weather, as well as a reliable weather source for the Bernese Oberland region.
- Consider a Lake Brienz cruise and Trummelbach Falls as great rainy-day activities.
- For hiking, check out the BLS Sudrampe Trail for scenic views even in cloudy weather.
- Keep an eye on local webcams for real-time weather updates, as forecasts can be unpredictable.
- The Swiss Travel Pass can be beneficial for families as train fares can add up quickly, making train travel often a better option than driving.
AI-generated summary-
Hi, everyone:
Although it is very early, currently the weather forecast for our vacation in Grindelwald (Aug 23 – Sept 1) shows light rain, rain, torrential rain, thunderstorms, etc. I had a few rainy day ideas — Lake Brienz cruise, the Aare Gorge, Trummelbach Falls — but perhaps I should have a few more. We are a fit family of 5 — mom, dad, 17-year-old twin sons, 13-year-old daughter — and we are open to hikes that are safe & fun in the rain, towns & villages that are enjoyable to visit in the rain, days trips that might help us to escape the rain (we have a car), etc.
Also, on several postings I noticed a reference to a particular weather forecast that everyone felt was very reliable for the Bernese Oberland region. Can someone remind me of what it was? Right now I’m simply looking at The Weather Channel forecast on-line.
Thank you very much! Kim
-
Hi Kim-
<<“Also, on several postings I noticed a reference to a particular weather
forecast that everyone felt was very reliable for the Bernese Oberland
region. Can someone remind me of what it was? Right now I’m simply
looking at The Weather Channel forecast on-line.”>>
Take a look here:
http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/nature
Might be Meteoschweiz:
http://www.meteoswiss.admin.c h/home.html?tab=overview
Some is not available in English; some is. Maps are maps.
<“(we have a car)”>>
Usually, a waste of money better spent on enjoying the trains. Not much use in Grindelwald. Might be helpful for day trips though…with 5 people, rail fares ( or rail passes) add up. The problem is, with day trips to cities…where do you park and how much does it cost? Answer ” A lot.”
Here are some things to look into:
Luzern (local German spelling)
http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
Bern
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rn
and, one that is not so obvious, but particularly useful in bad weather:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/bls-sudrampe-trail
Brienz itself is OK, maybe take the boat, but a visit to Jobin raises the level:
Every time I am in the area, I go there and buy a music box for my granddaughter’s collection.
High altitude hikes in cloudy weather may be safe, but the problem is that you take them in order to see the magnificent scenery. Clouds make that difficult.
Note, however, that cloud in the alpine regions come in layers. Keep in touch via webcams
en.swisswebcams.ch/suc he/ort/grindelwald-2660498/
Check Männlichen, as well.
and tourist offices, while remembering that the forecasts often are unreliable before 48 hours in advance, and local spots of sun or rain will drive a forecast of “rain.” There are a lot of microclimates. I often visit Zürich during a “rain” forecast, have some clouds and showers, then a sunny day.
See attached for “layers”
Slowpoke
Hi Kim,
In addition to Slowpoke’s suggestions, my post of Jun 26, 2017 – 3:23 on the following page might help:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/rain-forecast-in-jungfrau-next-week
Alpenrose
Hi,
Wet weather activties are a bit limited in Grindelwald. There is a glacier gorge called the Gletscherschlucht which is very impressive. There is also the village museum in the old school house, but i think it is only open on certain days of the week. Check at the tourist centre.
Alan
Hi, Slowpoke!
Thanks so much for all the valuable information. I’m hoping that I’m just panicking a bit too early — we had a similar forecast last year for a beach vacation in Puerto Rico, and we actually had only one rainy day.
Thank you particularly for the mention of the BLS Sudrampe Trail! Our goal was to hike most of our nine days, and I hate to give up on that idea entirely. So a trail recommendation was extremely welcome. If any additional trail ideas some to mind (for either you or your posting colleagues), we are happy to travel in search of a good hike.
Best,
Kim
Thank you, Alan! I was hoping to see the Gorge regardless of the weather, so that’s a fine thought.
Best, Kim
Hi Kim-
<<“Thank you particularly for the mention of the BLS Sudrampe Trail!”>>
Thanks. It is a favorite, not the least because of the varied scenery. The weather effect is real, and that slope of the Rhone Valley gets hot son.And, oh yes, the beer garden. I don’t like their Rösti all that much, but the current owners don’t do potato salad. (If you get the Rösti, don’t ask for or agre to the offer of onions ( Zwiebeln) because they use a lot and don’t cook them very thoroughly. Not my style.)
<<“If any additional trail ideas some to mind (for either you or your
posting colleagues), we are happy to travel in search of a good hike.”>>
Neither the Südrampe trail nor this one have the awesome mountains of the Jungfrau region, but they still make good hikes and have compensating virtues. This one lets you do some lake boat travel.
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne
A bit out of the way, and not as probable that the weather would be different, but it could still be nice under low clouds:
Also, although it may be in Alpenrose’s post:
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/truemmelbach-falls-water-in-a-corset-of-stone.html
There are some post son the subject if you search the forum.
Slowpoke
Hi Kim
See this series of 3 PDFs for lots of info on trails, rainy day activities, weather forecasting sites etc:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
It is written from a Wengen base but easily translatable to a Grindelwald base, the two towns are very close.
Do not worry about the weather. And weather.com is one of the least accurate. I remember sitting in Wengen on a lovely sunny day (temp in mid 70s F) and both weather.com and the weather app on my iPhone said it was snowing. Even when rain is forecast it typically is a late afternoon thunderstorm that blows in and out, rare for it to rain all day.
<<“Also, on several postings I noticed a reference to a particular weather
forecast that everyone felt was very reliable for the Bernese Oberland
region. Can someone remind me of what it was?”>>
– from one of the threads that Alpenrose posted.
Slowpoke
Hi, Kim:
FIrst of all, I’m a fan! I used your 3-part series, along with other guidebooks and internet materials, to come up with my itinerary. Your descriptions of where to eat along the particular trails was especially helpful. One of my twin sons is very much looking forward to apple cake for lunch! But I had forgotten you had a section on weather forecasting — I was focusing on activities at the time — so I’ll take another look.
Yes, I certainly don’t need perfect weather, but I would like to get out hiking most days, even if just for a few hours. The Berner Oberland just looks absolutely gorgeous, and when looking at the images on-line, I’ve told my kids that this looks like the trip of a lifetime.
As for snow …. Two years ago, we traveled to Washington State and left for a hike on Hurricane RIdge. Though the weather looked dubious — very cool and misty for late August — the park ranger assured us “it would be great!” Ninety minutes in, it starts snowing. We’re wearing rain shells and shorts. Children started pretending to be abominable snowmen, or yetis. Hands started to freeze. Visibility to nothing. But we made it back and my daughter immediately ran up to the park ranger and said, “IT SNOWED ON US! WHY DID YOU TELL US TO GO?” The ranger smiled, handed her a hot chocolate, and replied, “You just experienced the earliest snowfall we’ve had here in 30+ years. And you’ll remember it forever.” And he’s right. (Though I’m glad we still have fingers…) Of course, the sun came out and the temperature rebounded as we drove down the mountain.
Kim
- The thread ‘Rainy day advice for family based in Grindelwald’ is closed to new replies.
