We will be in Chamonix and Interlaken in July and will do the usual trips up the mountains. Even though it is summer, how cold will it get and what should we pack to wear ? (ie. Will layering two light coats be OK, or do we need a ski parker, gloves etc.). The rest of our trip is in France and England, so we don't want to pack too many cold weather clothes.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Don't know about Chamonix. But for Interlaken...it will probably be very warm: shorts and t-shirt. When you say trips up the mountains where exactly are you going? Muerren, Schilthorn, Wengen, Jungfrau? Muerren and Wengen will probably be shorts and t-shirt also. Jungfrau always has snow so it will be cold but not to the point of ski parka and gloves. On sunny days it can get quite warm because the sun is so strong. You can easily get a sunburn. I've been twice in June and have only worn jeans and a fleece.
Schilthorn should be warm also with no snow. Again this can all change quickly in the mountains.
Why are you staying in Interlaken? The mountain villages are much more picturesque and since you plan to travel to them why not just stay in them?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
David: Temps in the mountains are proportional to altitude above sea level. Using Fahrenheit degrees, if you're sleeping in a town that's at 1000 feet above sea level and it's 70 degrees there, and you make a day trip where you go up, let's say, to the Jungfraujoch at 11,000 feet above sea level, there it will be ~ 35 degrees colder than where you're sleeping (rule of thumb is 3.5 degrees F colder for every 1000 feet you go up). And this only accounts for the temp only and excludes the wind chill factor, which high in the mountains can be a factor making it seem even colder. This is why a trip to mountains requires bringing layering with you, so you can put it on as you ascend; and bringing a windproof outer liner garment and hat. And sunblock, the power of the sun to burn your skin is much higher at altitude. And sun glasses needed at a place like the Jungfraujoch, the glare from the sun (if you're lucky enough to have sun) off the snow and glaciers is blinding.
Posted by
Monroe, WA, USA
151 posts
We were in Chamonix last summer at about the same time. It was COLD! We had planned to go over Mt. Blanc in the gondola to Italy and found it iced over and impassable due to weather. I do not know the current conditions but be prepared. We had to modify our travel plans significantly due to this news. The town itself gets chilly at night and it's at a much lower elevation. We purchased hats, fleeces, and sweatshirts in town as souvenirs and found them reasonably priced as well as durable. Fondue and raclette were very appropriate for dinner.