I really love living here in Switzerland but there are simply too many amazing places to visit!
My parents are coming for their 2nd visit in August and my mom has requested that we visit Jungfrau. I'm trying to decide if this is the best trip for her. She is in her 70's and is on oxygen 24/7. She has to pull a tank with her which makes stairs difficult. (It's about the size of a small carry on bag and heavy.)
On their last visit we did a boat ride to Zürich and walked along the river, Schauffhausen town but not the falls, Strausburg France, Lugano, and the Kambly cookie factory. We didn't do any mountain tops last time they were here because the weather was bad and it didn't seem worth the time/effort to get there and see nothing. (We had planned Mt. Rigi and boat trip from Luzerne)
I've read many of the threads here about Jungfrau but I'm still concerned. Normally, a trip like this we would do ahead of time without her to gauge it ourself but it seems quite pricey so I'm hesitant to do that.
Also, one of the things she wants to see is the Ice Palace - is that still there in late August? How much snow is still there that time of year? Are winter coats needed?
Is there something equally impressive that might be easier for her or is this an easy trip? I did see that it's wheelchair accessible so that is a good sign. I couldn't find anything that says people on O2 shouldn't do it - in fact, maybe that'll make it easier for her than me! (I do get altitude sickness quite easily. Maybe she will share her O2?)
What else is there to do there in August, other than hiking?
We will be making the trip completely on public transport so it'll also be a long day. (Leaving from Thalwil area.)
So, my question is do people think it's possible? It's one of those things that everyone says you have to do in Switzerland, but is it really?!
Any thoughts are welcome, I'll simply ignore the grouchy or irrelevant ones.
Look at the worst case scenario. If your mother suddenly takes ill up there, it's going to be an airlift to get her down to the nearest hospital.
Does she have travel insurance that would cover the costs? My experience of arranging travel insurance for ageing visitors tells me that she wouldn't be covered for such a trip.
You must get professional medical advice. The gas exchange pressure in the body will reduce with altitude. This may or may not be a problem depending on various factors
If it's a toss up between jungfrau and titless, I'd go to titless. The mountains might not be as big but they are still worth seeing. Once you've been on the jungfrau, you'll find it's not really that special.
As one who is perfectly healthy but still found myself severely short of breath on the Junfraujoch, I would strongly recommend that you kept anyone who required oxygen on a permanent basis as near to sea level as possible.
Also, while wheel chairs are accepted, there may be safety questions about taking a cylinder of compressed oxygen up in any train or cabin...
Just as added info, my mom lives in Denver so altitude in general is not an issue. She actually does really much better when she comes to visit here because it is so much lower but then obviously Jungfrau is back up.
It's not a compressed oxygen tank. It makes oxygen from the outside air. It's the type that is allowed on airplanes so there is no concern about that.
I will tell her to check with doctor first for sure - she can turn it up higher than she needs so in actuality it might be easier for her than me.
Not that it materially affects the advice but the altitude you gave it for the peak of the Jungfrau. Jungfraujoch is at 11,371 ft. The highest public point is The Sphinx at 11,716ft
I agree. The best bit for me, about the rest of the train journey to the top, was stopping at the window and looking across and down the bleak north face of the Eiger and getting a taste of the immensity of the climb and the horrors that met the early climbers. I found the summit too crowded, and the views, while spectacular didn't make up for the uneasy feeling that the quick ascent to that altitude brought on.
If it's an oxygen concentrator make sure it is not altitude-limited. Some cannot deliver sufficient volume at altitude regardless how high you turn them.
When she first mentioned it my first thought was no and I told her I'd have to look into it so of course I turned here for all of your collective wisdom. I think I'll look into some other peaks that aren't as high but still offer great views for her.