Palenque

ditto to Enzian about late August early Sep - when i have been to Switzerland several times - weather is still summery (but really variable as usual) - crowds start thinning out last weekend in August - and there are loads of wild flowers along the trails too - as well as the ubiquitous planter boxes gracing those chalets - all in full bloom.

June is fantastic time but early September is also IME

Palenque

But one early September - around 10th i think i went to Murren and there were ice on the town sidewalks so at those higher elevation bases i guess at times it may be colder than you'd like - esp for hiking - the earlier in Sep you could go the better

Palenque

xman - another high altitude (to low altitude) hike that i've always wanted to take but never have is to walk down from Gimmelwald to Stechelberg - this walk zigzags along a deep river valley- thru forests, etc. And unlike many of the easier hikes in more touristed areas you rarely see other hikers, etc.

But anyone thinking of walking or hiking in the Jungfrau Region should nab a copy of Jungfrau Magazine, ubiquitously available free of charge at any hotel desk, train station rack, tourist office, etc. In the middle of this info-packed magazine is a great relief map of the whole area - both the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys and the Murren area - Gimmelwald,etc. It clearly shows all the footpaths and color codes them in three degrees of difficulty - the more difficult ones you would want special hiking shoes i think- but the other two i have always just used athletic shoes.

Anyway this magazine also indicates elevations along the walks so you can also see,key for me - the rises and falls in altitude you will see - some like more flat walks or ridge walks over descending and ascending constantly trails - and remember that going down can be strenous as going up - the constant braking required on steep trails where you may hop from boulder to boulder, etc.