>>2475138I start hiking normally in Mai to avoid the crowds (they start coming around 15th of June) but you'll still have a lot of snow on the hills and the mountain passes are sometimes (usually) completely snowed in. No problem then because enough snow has melted already you can do it without snowshoes but it is a real challenge psychologically if you havn't done it before (think 10km of knee-deep snow to the next warm hut). I would advise you bring trekking-gaiters anyways and good boots or rubber boots because even if there is no snow it will be very wet and soggy due in the early season due to the snowmelt.
pic rel is a mountain pass at 600m at the bottom and 800m at the top (1000m but you cant see it) around Mai 30th. there is a regular trail and a big river under the snow. If you want to go at this time you have to be able to navigate terrain like this.
