Recommendations hiking in October in CH (or F)

Coffee
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Hello friends!

Where can you recommend spending a weekend or two in October?

Regions: Valais/Wallis, Bern, Fr(e)iburg, Vaud/Waadtland, French Alps, or very easy access from these regions

Hike/s: 5-15 km, T2, max easy T3, we do have spikes in case of snow though I would prefer no (melting) snow

Other: particularly epic nature please :blush:

I was thinking about:

  • Zermatt - but will it be nice? Will the 5 lakes hike be accessible? It’s a bit far so will it be worth it in October?
  • Aletsch - accessible?
  • Grindelwald, First - same, might there be snow?
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In Vaud, what about the Toblerone line?

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No crystal ball here, as far as weather is concerned. So flexibility is the key!

From a weather point of view, I would also look for ideas south of the Alps. With 5-15 km in mind, you will probably hike 5 hours at the most. Which makes most locations of Switzerland accessible, considering a sub-4 hours train ride there and back. I’m assuming overnight stay?

You didn’t mention accommodation. Any requirements there? Would you consider spending a night in an alpine hut spectacular? Or rather pitch a tent or get pampered in a nice hotel?

I find SĂ€ntis/Alpstein area spectacular. Oeschinensee, Lauterbrunnen valley with Wengen or MĂŒrren, Hardergrat near Interlaken, Chamonix towards Switzerland - all very nice!

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Thank you for the recommendations!!
I’ll check in with who I’m going to hike with :+1:

@dom.swiss
Yes exactly, we’re looking for an overnight stay. Yes alpine hut is great, wild camping no, fancy hotel not necessary.

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October can be tough in the Alps - if you need to “fix” things now I would rather look into the Jura (parts of the national hiking trail 5 for instance). If you are flexible, you can be lucky with a “golden october day”. Just make sure to follow the weather closely. If it has been raining continuously for a week, a easy T2 trail can become a T5 because of the slippery mud.

Another issue : most alpine huts are closing down in october to reopen for the winter season in December - so make sure to check opening times.

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