I just got rained out in Murren and the power was out for almost 1 hr :( Now, it looked like it's going to rain in the next few days as well. I probably won't be able to do much hiking.....
I will need some plan B now, what will be good activities to do rainy days? I'm thinking some museums?
There are some ideas here:
Europe is very hot at the moment & this heat has triggered the formation of thunderstorms - especially over the alps. It is highly likely that they will disappear during the night and you will wake up to blue skies. Should that be the case, try and get out early before the heat builds up thermals which create the thunderstorms.
Thank you both Carrie and James. I hope I get to hike north face trail before I leave Murren. I got most of my major hikes done so far. is it a good idea to take boat rides at Thun or Brienz during rain?
That was a fun storm, complete with hail and an amazing sunset! We enjoyed cheese and wine with neighbors by candle light until the lights came back on. I think you may be reading the forecast incorrectly or using the wrong app - it will rain a bit maybe tomorrow evening but it should be another beautiful day, as it was today. And for the rest of the week, same thing. Sunny days with late afternoon/evening showers. Typical for the mountains. Start hiking in the morning and you’ll be fine. Use MeteoSwiss and Bergfex apps if you’re not already.
Hi Wanderweg,
It looked like you are in Murren right now:) I used the meteoswiss, yea for tomorrow, it shows rain but in the afternoon. I will hit the north face trail tomorrow, I wish the allmendhubel funicular train starts much earlier than 9 a.m. and ends later than 5 p.m.
On a cloudy day in June we visited the Ballenberg Open Air museum. We took the train there and boat back. I think the boat would be fine in light rain.
Hi Barbara,
Yea, I thought about Ballenberg as well, just not sure how well it works for rainy day since it's an outdoor museum.
You won’t have much luck traveling through Brienz today (to go to Ballenberg). Last night's storm caused considerable damage. Check the SBB app for train cancelations before trying to go anywhere.
It does look like a great morning for the North Face though, enjoy!
News in German regarding storm damage in Brienz and elsewhere in the BO.
The storm was quite spectacular. We indeed lost power for about an hour. Currently Grindelwald is still cut off, as both the road and the railroad are closed. Apparently a bridge was washed away, so this could last a while.
The only way to Grindelwald right now is over the Männlichen or Kleine Scheidegg. The Männlichen Cable cars started operating early today.
Interlaken - Spiez was also closed for a while last night. In order to help people to their destination they ran an extra lake steamer to Thun!. Must have been an interesting ride...
Hi SwissNomad,
Thanks for sharing the closures at Brienz, I'm supposed to take the Brienz Rothorn in 2 days but now with the train from Interlaken to Brienz cancelled. I'm not sure if I can make it to the already reserved time 8:36 a.m. Not sure if they will let me get on later train if I get there at later time.
If you do not make it to the booked train they will let you take a later one. The reservation is not really a reservation, but a priority boarding pass. Your ticket is good for any train.
It is not clear what the situation will be in 2 days. The damage appears substantial. But there is already a replacement bus service.
Khysky - I’d probably give up on hopes of Brienzer Rothorn. It was directly affected by the River bursting its banks. I’m not sure what they’re going to do about reserved tickets, but I doubt anyone is getting to Brienz or Brienzer Rothorn that soon. If you haven’t seen videos of the mud flooding, it’s aweful.
I would keep an eye on their website. They’ve posted that it’s currently closed, so I’m sure they’ll provide updates as they are available.
https://brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch/
After a storm like this, always be extra vigilant when hiking. Check for any closures before heading out, stay on the path, avoid going near the edges of rivers and streams, and so on. It's all common sense, but unfortunately, not everyone heeds these warnings, often with disastrous results.
Hi Wanderweg, SwissNomad, Wengenk,
They posted on their website saying that the railway track has been damaged,:( They said they will refund the online tickets but I haven't seen it yet.
I guess I will have a boat tour to Thun instead.
Good idea to make other plans. If you have the BO Pass there are lots of options available to you.
I am just finishing up a little hike near Gstaad and everything is normal here. Other mountains are also interesting such as Niederhorn (lots of hiking there) and Stockhorn where there are two lovely mountain lakes you can walk around.
