Around the Mattmark reservoir in Saastal valley
Saas-Almagell
-3/2°
Gentle walk from Europe’s largest earth dam around a peaceful reservoir framed by dramatic mountains. Western leg is pushchair-accessible.
Difficulty
EasyLength
8.04 kmDuration
2:15 h
Description
The road up the Saastal valley comes to an end at Europe’s largest earth dam: the Mattmark dam (2,200 m). This is the starting point for a charming walk around the Mattmark reservoir. The trail roughly follows the shores of the lake; on the western side, it is even suitable for pushchairs.
The reservoir may be man-made, but the surrounding scenery has retained all its natural grandeur. The slopes to the west lead up to two of the valley’s mightiest glaciers, the Allalin and the Schwarzberg, which adorn the slopes of the Allalinhorn and neighbouring 4,000-metre peaks. At the southern tip of the lake, a trail leads up to the Monte Moro Pass on the border with Italy, marked by a golden statue of the Madonna.
At the crest of the dam, the friendly restaurant provides a handy stop for refreshments before or after the walk. The visitor centre offers an interesting insight into this innovative green energy scheme. The reservoir can hold 100 million cubic metres of water. Hydroelectric power stations further down the valley can generate nearly enough electricity for all the households in Valais. Thanks to the Mattmark and about 40 other dams in Valais, about 30 per cent of all hydropower in Switzerland is generated in this one canton alone.
However, construction of the dam took a heavy human toll. On 30 August 1965, part of the Allalin Glacier high above the construction site detached. About 2 million cubic metres of rock and ice came crashing down, burying the canteen and staff accommodation under up to 50 metres of debris. In all, 88 workers lost their lives.
Today, the valley is once again a place of tranquillity. Walkers have a good chance of spotting local wildlife along the trails around the reservoir: bring binoculars as well as a hand lens to admire local wild flowers.
Highlights:
- Leisurely walk with few climbs around a scenic reservoir
- Restaurant by the dam, interesting visitor centre
- High-altitude (2,200 m) mountain terrain, good chances of spotting wildlife
Turn-by-turn directions
The bus stop, car park and restaurant are all located at the western end of the crest of the dam, and this is where the trail begins. Our hike loops the reservoir anti-clockwise. The first section leads southwards along the lake’s western shore via a broad alpine track, surfaced in parts. Our route leads through the left-hand tunnel; openings in the rock at regular distances reveal views of the lake. Beyond, the trail climbs gently to reach a junction by a waterfall. We take the left turning to reach a second tunnel. This is not illuminated, but walkers can bypass it by following the trail to the left, which involves a few steps. Beyond, the trail continues in the open air all the way to the end of the reservoir at Distelalp (2,224m). Here, the trail crosses the river via a bridge before following the eastern shore all the way back to the dam. A short stroll along the crest leads back to the restaurant and the starting point of the hike.
Start
Mattmark dam (2205m)
Destination
Mattmark dam (2201m)
Author's recommendation
Holders of the “Citizen’s Pass” enjoy free travel on all postal buses in the Saastal valley (including to the Mattmark dam) and on all summer lifts in Saas-Fee (excluding Metro Alpin), plus many discounts in resort.
Technical information
Altitude
2248m
2199m
Ascent
+46m
Descent
-63m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Approach
Parking
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
