Switzerland Hiking in Late May
We have the opportunity to visit Switzerland in late May and am interested in doing some day hikes in the alps. But, I don't know the snow situation there. Are trails likely to be open at that time or still snowed in?
Tom
Newtown Square 11/1/09
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By late May it should almost all be melted.
Do you know where you will be going? In the Berner Oberland, some of the lifts open the last weekend in May. On the other side of the Alps, in the Valais, I have noticed they don't open until later, but that may be a reflection of demand.
Regardless whether the lifts are open, May is "early season" and you could well find mud and patches of snow. The wildflowers won't be out at the higher elevations, and the mountain restaurants may not be open yet.
If you are OK with all of that, you could have a great time if the weather cooperates. Hotel prices will be "low season" rates and you won't find crowds.
Snow is snow, and when it melts who really knows? Late May should be just fine in most elevations. But that depends on how high you want to go and in what region.
For example the lifts in the Lanterbrunnen Valley, the Schilthornbahn cable car Stechelberg-Gimmelwald-Muerren (5412 ft) is closed for maintenance for a 7-10 day period during late April. Otherwise they are open year round. And there is lots of hiking out of Gimmelwald (4,485 feet), which is not as high as the Schilthorn (9,744 feet) where some snow lasts long into summer.
My pictures above from last April were at an elevation of 2034 meters (6,673 feet) where snow was not a problem. Check historical weather sites for info on where you want to hike.
Hi Tom,
We did some hiking in the Berner Oberland at the very end of May last year. We had heard similar cautionary tales about snow, mud, etc., so we were prepared for all kinds of horrible weather...but it was BEAUTIFUL. Wildflowers in bloom and not a trace of snow until we got up to the highest elevations. You might run into trouble if you're thinking of backpacking for a few days, but I would think any day hike in that area would be fine.
Of course, the day we left Interlaken (June 1), the peaks of the Alps were snowed in, so I suppose it's possible to get bad weather at almost any time of year. But that was only one out of 5 days. The rest were "Sound of Music"-picture-perfect.
Enjoy Switzerland! Emma
Hi Tom,
I was in Gimmelwald in mid-May 2007 and it rained (poured) and snowed 5 of the 7 days we were there. But, other than hiking in higher altitudes, that didn't stop us from hiking around that beautiful area. Go, but just be prepared for both perfect and not-so-perfect weather.
Tracy