I'll be in Switzerland in late July and I'm looking for single day (or slightly longer) mountains that don't require ropes. We'll have snow gear (crampons, ice axe) but no ropes, so we want to avoid glaciers with crevasse danger and highly technical rock routes. We're comfortable doing low 5th class unroped and are fast hikers and scramblers. I've climbed around Chamonix but never in Switzerland.

Any suggestions?

We're coming from Paris via train, so the closer to Paris, the better. (In particular, I'm pretty sure we'll stick to the Pennine or Oberland Alps; within these areas, places with quick access are preferred)

As a bonus, we'd prefer the mountains to be close to good locations for hiking with kids. I'll be with my 11 month-old child, so would like easy hikes that last no more than 3 or 4 hours.

Thanks in advance!

For trails that would work with kids I would check out www.wanderland.ch. It has an english option. You can look for trails on the map or by region, and they have all the details, km, height meters, time, number of rest sites, how to get to each end. I think it will help.

Though, with that said, I am not sure if you are going to find a snow, ice, not technical, which can be done without a rope and an 11 month old child... though, the other interpretation to how you worded it could be that you're going to set the little dude off on their own adventure and meet them at the end of the trail



Just kidding. But wanderland is great!

to clarify, I'm looking for something quite hard (but without rope) for outings without the kid, and to be in an area where there will also be pleasant little hikes to take the kid. My little one loves to climb, but so far it's limited to the couch

Thanks for the wanderland.ch suggestion

Hello

Possibilities are many! However, in my biased opinion the following are great options:

Bernese Oberland
So many beautiful places, but it doesn't get better than Grindlewald - and here are a couple of scramble/via ferrata options (without child)

http://www.summitpost.org/eiger-rotstock/739476

http://www.summitpost.org/schwarzhorn-grindelwald/152886

Both the Monch and Eiger West Flank can be climbed in a day - Monch via Jungfraujoch rail-way, but easiest route is PD+ - need to be very confident and fit to climb unroped, but what glacier is involved is safe. The Eiger West Flank can be climbed in one very long hard day, with a very early start - but this is an even more serious route than the Monch and graded AD, with route finding issues. Don't even think of either unless you are an experienced climber and very fit. Here is a link to Eiger West Flank page:

http://www.summitpost.org/eiger-west-flank/743270

Both Monch & Eiger are big mountains - altitude is an issue - and if attempted in a day, spending a few days acclimatising - perhaps on following objectives... Faulhorn, a good one to do with a little one:

http://www.summitpost.org/faulhorn/202532

Close by is the Schwarzhorn - slightly more ambitious, but could be done with an 11 month child - unless you go via the via ferrata route:

http://www.summitpost.org/schwarzhorn-grindelwald/152886

The scenary at Oeschinensee Lake, at Kandersteg is to die for (loads of child friendly walks) - and similarly Lauterbrunnen Valley - where there is also a great little via ferrata, in a fantastically exposed position - see link:

http://www.summitpost.org/murren-gimmelwald-via-ferrata/737721

If you fancy a tough via ferrata, then there is one at Allmenalp, near to Kandersteg:

http://www.summitpost.org/allmenalp-klettersteig-via-ferrata/574057

Zermatt area - Pennine Alps
Possibilities are endless - but there is arguably the Alps easiest 4000m peak there; the Breithorn - which can be climbed in a day from Zermatt, via Kleine Matterhorn - I have climbed several times unroped, including one time got my son up when aged 11 - years that is! (don't even think of taking your 11 month child up there!). There are some terrific scenic walks from the Gornergrat 3000m - you can scramble couple of hours along the ridge to the Stockhorn, which is 3500m - no rope needed. It can be a fine thing to walk up to the Matterhorn Hut...

Enjoy!

Best wishes, Mark

Mark,

That is one of the best and most helpful postings I've read in a long time. Thank you.

~Swifty