I am traveling to interlaken in mid may for 3 days. I am wondering and hoping the hiking paths will be ready from the winter season. What are the condition of the paths? Will most of them be accessible to hike and bike?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
It depends on the winter and the spring. The snow pack should have retreated above the mountain villages that people on this website rave about (Mürren, Wengen, Grindelwald), but much of the terrain at higher levels will still be impassible. You can't rule out a late season snow storm either.
Of more concern would be if the farmers are fertilizing the pastures. The timing varies every year, once again, dependent on the retreat of the snow pack. And when I say "fertilizing" I mean "spraying the pastures with liquified manure through a power hose". Trust me, you don't want to be in the area when this is going on.
It would be ideal if you could move your trip later into June.
Posted by
Deep South, USA
139 posts
I have only a single visit of experience - May 2014 - but it was absolutely perfect in Muerren on May 21/22/23 last year.
This is what the village looked liked on the 22nd.
In fact if anything it was downright warm - we had long sleeves and jackets and ended up stuffing the jackets in our backpack and wishing we had short sleeves (although we were glad we had those clothes on when we took the cable car up to the Schilthorn :-)
PS. The annual 'fertilizer event' must have taken place sometime earlier because there was no evidence of it (except for the greenness of everything) when we walked down from Muerren to Gimmelwald.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you Tom and Bruce for the input!!
Bruce, Also, for the beautiful picture of Murren!
I am so glad to hear the weather was good for your May trip last year! I have been getting worried that the trails will not be ready and the main reason I am going is to hike!
did you do hiking in the days that you were there? And if so which trails? I read some of the higher elevation trails may still be impassable and it would be nice to know which paths might be available. My hope is to do the mannlichen-kleine scheidegg, schynige plate to first and North face trails.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
''My hope is to do the mannlichen-kleine scheidegg,''
I wouldn't bet on it being passable in May for hiking and certainly not for mountain biking. Männlichen sits at a significantly higher altitude than Wengen and Mürren, and having seen a lot of residual snow up there in June, I doubt conditions would be acceptable in May, unless the region experiences a very mild winter and warm spring. The ski gondolas to Männlichen may not even be reopened yet.
Posted by
Deep South, USA
139 posts
When I was planning our trip I asked a similar question and I was directed to a fantastic website that lists the status of many of the hiking trails. When you get closer to your visit you can check it to see what is open.
Tom is absolutely correct - during our visit the Maennlichen - Kleine Scheidegg path was not yet open. If I remember correctly it opened just a week or so after we left :-(