Going to spend 4 days in the berner oberland and thats all the time I have. I've planned for all outdoor activities and I"m getting really nervous it will rain. Accuweather seems to think it will rain and thunderstorm (i can't see what far ahead on meteoswiss) - i'm nervously hoping accuweather is not accurate. If it does rain, how should i make the most of my time?
When are you going to be there?
I always just pack a proper hooded rain jacket and carry on. I mean if it's a downpour or risk of lightning I wouldn't venture out, but if it's just showers there are lots of well-drained trails to head out on.
There are some tips here from forum member shoe. Scroll down to Weather and Rainy day activities.
Where in the Berner Oberland, exactly? Activities around the Lauterbrunnen Valley area for inclement days would be different than those I might recommend in Kandersteg, for example.
Where in the Berner Oberland, exactly?
Ah yes sorry I forgot it’s a big area. My base is in wengen.
i'm nervously hoping accuweather is not accurate.
It isn't. The weather here is very hard to predict. There is a reason why you can't see that far ahead on MeteoSwiss. A reliable weather forecast more than 48 hours out does not exist in this part of the world. And many internet sites use the US GFS system to predict the weather, and for the Alps all that does is make a wild guess.
My suggestion: Get up early. Mornings are usually better than afternoons. On the days itself it is usually pretty well possible to find out when it is going to rain, and when not, and you can just plan around that. Or ignore the rain. As Swiss mums tell to their children: It's only water, and you are not made out of sugar.
As Swiss mums tell to their children: It's only water, and you are not made out of sugar.
I love that lol!!!
Thanks for the advice.
With shoes, if its a clear day, do i still need shoes that are water proof up on the mountains. I'm not planning to hike much, the most i'll do is the Mannlichen panaromic trail and Bachalpsee. Would there be snow in June such that I need waterproofing?
Regarding shoes: Even on clear days paths sometimes get muddy. So I would want shoes that you can walk through about a cm of water with. And that you do not mind getting dirty.
Ok thanks. When you said to start early, how early is early? 6am 7am 8am?
Or normal mode of operation is to head out around 7, and have breakfast at one of the bakeries...
ok thanks. By that time there will be enough light to see the mountain conditions on the webcams?
it will rain. every day. sometimes only for an hour, sometimes longer.
the mountain webcams run 24/7.
One of the things we did on a grim day where hiking at altitude was inadvisable, was to “joyride” using our BO Regional Pass. Train to Kleine Scheidegg - Jungfraujoch train to Eigergletscher - Eiger Express gondola to Grindelwald Terminal - BOB to Grindelwald for lunch and shopping - BOB to Terminal - Gondola to Männlichen. All included in your BORP.
Another day (we had a 5 day stretch of marginal weather in fall of 2022) rode the train to Thun and took a lunch cruise to Interlaken. Thun is also a nice town to wander with an old town pedestrian area.
You can walk along the river between Lauterbrunnen, Zweilutschinen and Wilderswil (walk between any two or all three). We’ve done that many times in cloudy or drizzly weather. Great view of the BOB running plus a lively river.
Walking the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Stechelberg back to town is lovely in any weather. (Well, it is better in sun!)
Take a packable waterproof hat and you can do almost anything.
thank you for all the suggestions and links everyone.
@Laurel what is BOB??
BOB is the Berner Oberland Bahn, the train between Interlaken and both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. You will become very familiar with BOB.
Ah ok, thanks