The first frost: Why October is the most underrated month in the Alps
The first frost: Why October is the most underrated month in the Alps. October in the Alps is a transitional spell – golden, crisp, and almost cinematic. The tourists are gone. The snow hasn’t yet arrived (ok, last week the first snow fell in some Alpine regions). And the mountains finally exhale.
Welcome to the secret season!
In October, the light drops lower and softer. It filters through golden larches and dusts every trail with a warm glow that feels unreal. Sunrise hikes become meditative rituals. Afternoons stretch long and amber. And sunsets? Fire. Pure and simple. If summer in the Alps is about conquering peaks, October is about letting the landscape come to you.
October: the Alps’ best-kept secret. Photo by Maxim Berg on Unsplash
It’s hiking season, without the hashtags
No crowds. No queues. No sweaty switchbacks in 30°C heat. Just silence, pine needles underfoot, and views that feel earned. Many high-altitude trails are still accessible, but with an added chill and quiet that makes every step feel sacred. Many mountain huts are still open in early October, often with their last rounds of warm Kaiserschmarrn and mountain cheese before hibernation.
Nature’s reset button
October is a time for recalibration. It invites slowness. Maybe you don’t summit anything. Maybe you just walk, nap, read, and drink something hot while wrapped in wool. That counts too. In a culture obsessed with extremes (first powder, biggest hike, best season), October offers something rare: enoughness.
It’s not quite autumn, not yet winter, just the in-between magic that only the Alps in October can offer. Photo by Daniel Seßler on Unsplash
Where to go when you want the mood
Tauplitzalm, Austria – Postcard villages, mirrored lakes, and just the right amount of mist.
Vals, Switzerland – Combine light hikes with thermal baths and architecture that calms the nervous system.
Seiser Alm, Italy – For slow mornings, Dolomite silhouettes, and golden grass underfoot.
October is the Alps in slow motion. A final golden breath before winter locks in. If you’ve only experienced the mountains under summer sun or deep powder, you’re missing the moodiest, most magical chapter.
So go. Walk slower. Pack a flask. Watch your breath rise in the morning cold. This season won’t shout, but it’ll stay with you.
NICE TO SKI YOU
Cheers,
Peter
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The air sharpens. October whispers: winter is coming. Photo by Daniel Seßler on Unsplash