I'm hoping there are some locals on this board - or others who have done this hike.
We're planning a trip in summer of 2018 to do this hike. It's a long story, but we've done "most" of the hike before. We did it June 27th of 2012, but were unable to complete it. The hike was technically still closed, but many people were doing it anyway. We followed another swiss couple about 2/3 of the way into the hike - way past the faulhorn (which was just getting ready to open for the season) until we ran into another swiss woman who had just come from the other direction and implored us not to do it without poles. We were doing it from First to Schynige Platte. She showed us pictures she had taken of a very steep ice field. So - we ended up going down a very steep valley which was really no fun on my knees and toes!
We really want to do the complete hike so - we are doing a 6 week trip with this hike as the anchor. Here's my dilemma - I would like to do it earlier in the season rather than later to avoid the tourist crowd, but not so early that it won't be open! Right now I have it planned for July 17 - 19 or so, but would love to move it up a week. We are preceding it with a bike tour on the Mosel from Metz to Koblenz and would love to move that into June as much as possible.
So - if you've done this hike would you mind telling me when in the summer you did it?
Thanks!