What to Wear Snowshoeing near Interlaken

What to wear snowshoeing near Interlaken is mostly what you would wear to ski: ski pants, a jacket, gloves and waterproof shoes. The one thing I see go wrong most often on our snowshoe loop above Isenfluh is jeans. And the surprise for most guests is the opposite of what they feared: on a snowshoe morning, you get warm long before you get cold.

What should you wear snowshoeing near Interlaken?

Wear ski pants or waterproof snow pants, a winter jacket you can open, a thin warm layer underneath, gloves, a beanie, sunglasses and waterproof shoes with a good sole. Skip jeans and cotton. You walk, you climb and you stop, so your clothes must handle sweat on the way up and cold at the break.

When I guide the loop at Sulwald, I wear exactly that:

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide, says: "Ski jacket and ski pants."

The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, the BFU, lists the same basics for a marked snowshoe route: snowshoes, sturdy warm shoes, weatherproof warm clothing, poles, food, a small first-aid kit with a rescue blanket and a charged phone. On our Snowshoe Tour, the snowshoes and poles are included, so the rest of this list is what you bring or rent.

How cold is it on a snowshoe morning above Interlaken?

Colder than town, but rarely as cold as people pack for. Between 10:00 and 14:00 last winter, the MeteoSwiss station at Adelboden, at 1,321 metres, averaged 0.9 °C in January, 4.5 °C in February and 5.5 °C in March 2026. Only 18 middays out of 90 stayed below zero there.

I pulled those numbers from the hourly open data of MeteoSwiss for the hours our tour is out on the snow, from 1 January to 31 March 2026. There is no MeteoSwiss temperature station at Sulwald, so Adelboden is the closest station in altitude. Sulwald sits at about 1,520 metres, roughly 200 metres higher, so count on it being a little colder up there.

The table in words. Between 10:00 and 14:00, Interlaken (578 m) averaged 1.2 °C in January, 6.2 °C in February and 8.5 °C in March 2026; Adelboden (1,321 m) averaged 0.9 °C, 4.5 °C and 5.5 °C. The coldest midday was -5.4 °C in Interlaken on 7 January 2026 and -9.3 °C in Adelboden on 5 January 2026. Middays below 0 °C: 7 out of 90 in Interlaken, 18 out of 90 in Adelboden.

The cold that matters is not the number on the forecast. It is the wind and the moment you stop. Before I take a group up, Peter, who runs the small cable car between Isenfluh and Sulwald, tells me everything: the temperature at the top, the state of the snow and the wind.

Jeans or ski pants: what should you wear on your legs?

Ski pants, every time. Jeans soak up snow at the knees and the hem within minutes, then stay wet and cold for the rest of the walk. Waterproof snow pants or ski pants keep you dry when you kneel for a photo, sit at the break or sink in deep snow beside the trail. Hiking trousers work only on a dry, cold day.

Asked which clothing mistake I see most often on snowshoes, my answer is one word:

Pierre says: "Jeans."

My verdict: jeans are the one item worth changing before you go up, even if the rest of your outfit is perfect. The snowshoe kicks a little snow onto your shins at every step, and denim has no answer to that. If you do not own ski pants, rent them: on our tour, snow pants cost CHF 5 per item. Leggings under waterproof pants beat jeans on their own.

What shoes should you wear with snowshoes?

Waterproof hiking boots or winter boots with a stiff sole and some ankle height. The snowshoe binding fits almost any shoe, so the binding is not the problem. Water is. Low hiking shoes work in our snowshoes, but snow gets in over the top, and soft trainers soak through within the first half hour.

Are low, waterproof hiking shoes enough in our snowshoes? My answer, word for word:

Pierre says: "Yes, but they can get wet, especially if the shoes aren't waterproof."

And when guests get cold on the loop, it is almost always in the same place:

Pierre says: "Your feet can get cold if you don't have the right shoes."

So the shoes come first. Wool socks rather than cotton, one pair, not two pairs that squeeze your toes. If your boots are low, gaiters or snow pants worn over the top of the boot keep the snow out. Boots are not part of our rental, so this is the one thing you must bring yourself.

Insider tip: put your boots on at the hotel and walk ten minutes in the snow around Interlaken before the tour day. If your socks are damp after ten minutes in town, they will be wet after an hour at Sulwald.

How many layers do you need for snowshoeing?

Three: a thin base layer, a warm middle layer such as fleece, and a jacket that blocks wind and snow. Start a little cold. The climb warms you within minutes, so you want layers you can open or take off, then put back on as soon as you stop.

On our loop, guests take a layer off after the first climb. That is the pattern the MeteoSwiss numbers explain: at 4.5 °C on an average February midday, walking uphill in a full ski outfit makes you sweat, and sweat is what turns cold at the next stop.

What to expect versus what surprises you:

• You expect to be cold. You end up opening your jacket on the first climb.

• You expect the cold on the way up. It comes when you stop, after you sweated on the climb.

• You expect your feet to be fine in trainers. They are the first part of you to get cold.

Do you need sunglasses for snowshoeing?

Yes. Snow reflects the sun back at you, and on a clear morning the glare is strong, even in January. Wear sunglasses or ski goggles, and put sun cream on your face and lips. Clouds do not save you: the light still bounces off the snow.

I have seen guests on the loop dazzled by the snow because they came without sunglasses. The BFU list ends at the phone and the first-aid kit; add sunglasses, sun cream, gloves and a beanie to it.

Fun fact: the mildest midday of last winter at Adelboden averaged 12.4 °C, on 27 February 2026, according to MeteoSwiss hourly data. On a day like that, the sunglasses matter more than the jacket.

Can you rent snowshoe clothing near Interlaken?

Yes, on our tour: jackets and snow pants at CHF 5 per item, and gloves are free. Ask for them when you book, because rental depends on what is available that day. Snowshoes and poles are included in the tour price. Boots are not part of the rental, so bring waterproof shoes.

If you go without a guide, you can rent snowshoes in town before you leave; our guide to snowshoeing in Interlaken lists where, and compares the marked trails. For clothing, a ski shop rents full outfits by the day, but you then carry them to the trail and back.

The small cabin from Isenfluh lands you at the Sulwald top station, at about 1,520 metres. Step out onto the platform and you feel the real temperature of the day for the first time, which is why the gloves and the beanie go on before the cabin, not after.

Your Questions About What to Wear Snowshoeing

Can you wear hiking boots for snowshoeing?

Yes, waterproof hiking boots are the best everyday choice for snowshoeing on a marked trail. They fit the binding, they give your ankle some support, and their stiff sole helps the crampon under the snowshoe bite into the slope on the climb. Check two things before you leave: that the boots are really waterproof, not only water-resistant, and that they are high enough to keep snow out when you sink beside the trail. If they are low, wear your snow pants over the top of the boot, or add gaiters. Heavy mountaineering boots are not needed on an easy loop like Sulwald. Soft trainers, even waterproof ones, let the binding straps press on your foot and soak through faster.

Do you need gaiters for snowshoeing?

Not on a packed trail with ski pants worn over your boots. Gaiters earn their place when you walk in deep fresh snow or wear hiking trousers that stop at the top of the boot, because they close the gap where snow gets in. On our guided loop we stay mostly on the trail, and ski pants with an elastic inner cuff do the same job as a gaiter. If you plan to walk alone after a big snowfall, or to leave the trail for a few metres of powder, gaiters are worth packing. They also keep the hem of your pants dry at the cabin and in the restaurant afterwards, which matters if you sit down for a fondue.

What should you not wear snowshoeing?

Jeans, cotton, and anything you cannot take off. Jeans get wet and stay wet, as I see on guests more often than any other mistake. A cotton T-shirt holds your sweat after the first climb, then chills you at the first stop. A single heavy down jacket with nothing under it leaves you two choices, too hot or too cold. Also skip fashion boots with smooth soles, thin running gloves and a big scarf that falls into the snow. A good test before you leave Interlaken: if an item would be wrong for a day of skiing, it is wrong for snowshoeing too, except that you can dress one layer lighter.

What do you wear snowshoeing in spring?

In March and April, the same kit with one layer less, and more sun protection. MeteoSwiss data for March 2026 show an average of 5.5 °C at Adelboden between 10:00 and 14:00, and up to 12.4 °C on the mildest day of the winter. The snow gets wetter in the afternoon, so waterproof shoes and pants matter even more than in January. Bring a thin jacket you can tie around your waist, keep the beanie in your pocket, and wear sunglasses from the first minute. Our Snowshoe Tour runs until April depending on the snow, and spring mornings above Isenfluh are often the brightest of the season.

Snowshoe with the right kit and a local guide

The doubt most guests have is simple: will I be cold? On the loop above Isenfluh, you are far more likely to be too warm on the first climb than cold, as long as your feet stay dry. Wear ski pants, waterproof shoes and layers, rent what you are missing, and the rest is a walk.

Our Snowshoe Tour with Swiss cheese fondue runs from Thursday to Sunday at 10:00, from mid-December to April depending on the snow, with 8 guests at most. It costs CHF 129 per person, or CHF 119 from 6 people, with snowshoes and poles included, and jackets and snow pants at CHF 5 per item. If it is your first time, read how to snowshoe for beginners and is snowshoeing hard for beginners first. Going sledding too? The kit is different when you sit on a sled at night: see what to wear sledding in Switzerland.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interview of 9 October 2026, facts and prices checked at the official sources on 9 October 2026, written with AI assistance.

Source: BFU, snowshoe hiking advice, MeteoSwiss open data, and guided snowshoe walks at Sulwald with Swiss Local Adventures, 2025-2026.

*Written by Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures