Hi,
I've got the airline tickets, itinerary and hostel accommodations all done.. and now, need to get clothing for the family for our trip up to Jungfrau.. we're from the Tropics, so we don't have any warm clothing at all.. can someone please advise what I should get.
Thank you!
Weather in the lower valley and up to the lower alpine villages is usually warm in summer. It does rain occasionally. Light layed clothing with sunglasses will work fine there. However, the Jungfraujoch is at 12,000'. It's all snow. You're up there with Europe's largest glacier. With light winds, you will need a sweater, light jacket, sunglasses and perhaps a hat. In high winds and stronger weather, you need more. On our trip up, it was sunny and very cool. I had to put on a light jacket and I had a hat. It was cool enough that I had to zip up the jacket. It's currently sunny and 1 degree centigrade in Kleine Scheidegg which is below the Jungfraujoch.
I assume you will travel in the summer... But as the previous poster noted, don't go overboard packing heavy winter clothes that you may only need briefly. During the daylight hours in the summer, the mountain summits usually remain well above the freezing point. For a typical tourist excursion to the Jungfraujoch, it would be reasonable to wear a jacket or fleese with a warm sweater or sweatshirt underneath. Bring a hat, scarf and gloves (they don't have to be heavy-duty winter gloves). Don't bother with winter boots, just wear a good pair of wool socks. And if you're still too cold... just go inside the station to warm up, or start hiking.
At the lower elevations, where rain storms can strike with little warning, it's more important to stay dry. The temperatures are not nearly as cold, but the combination of soaked clothes, and high wind can be dangerous even at temperatures as high as 60 degrees F.
As the previous posts have already covered much of what you'll need, I'll just add an additional few points. Running type shoes are good in late spring, summer, and early fall, but make sure you have an extra pair of wool socks to keep your feet dry. If you take a sweater, your jacket could be light and unlined. Nylon hiking pants are good...many hikers like pants with zip-off legs. Don't forget the sunscreen, a hat, trail mix, and water.
Clare, If you think your kids may want to play in the snow at the top of the Jungfrau my advice would be to put an extra pair of "dry" socks in your day pack for when they are done. When we went to the top we lived in Hawaii at the time, and my son was 11. He played till he was soaked and freezing. I traded socks with him so he would have a dry pair. (It wasn't pleasant:)
Think layers. I start with a short sleeve shirt, layer over it a sweater or quarter zip fleece. Then I put on my north face jacket (lightweight, wind proof, and warm considering it is not bulky at all) If I am still cold or it is wet, I add a Marmot precip (breathable, windproof, has a hood) Because none of this is bulky at all, it all packs easily. Also, each piece can be worn by itself in more moderate climates, so I get lots of use out of everything. I owned all of this, so start by trying to use what you have. (I know I take rain gear to the tropics so you might already have lightweight rain gear.) Also, throw in gloves (I use those stretchy knit ones that don't take up any space and cost about $1 a pair) and a warm hat. You don't say when you are going, but last September we had very cold weather for several days. We had to bundle up even at the lower elevations. You just never know. Have a great trip.
Thank you Larry, Tom, Michael, Jill and Connie for all your help and suggestions.
I was in Zermat in Jun 02 and I did layering like what you all suggested.. thermal inside (easily removed in washroom), a long sleeved Tee with a fleece jacket + gloves)and I was ok. Just that Jungfrau is higher and it's better to be safe than sorry!
You are all such great help.. for our trip, I was concerned about our warm clothing for our trip up to Jungfrau + at the same time, I didn't want to be slave to the clothing/luggage for the next 2 weeks just for that one trip up. I'm so glad this is sorted out now.. I was planning to leave 1 luggage (the Jungrau clothing) at the Interlaken rail station when we were done with it and have them transfer it to the Lucerne rail station while we continue on with the rest of our itinerary through Switzerland but was abit concerned in case of any mix-up/problem. What a relief!
We will get the light-weight windbreakers / jackets.. with that, we need not leave any luggage behind at the station. Thanks for info on the other stuff as well (hat, sunglasses, wool socks, sunblock etc.) Danke Schoen!!
