Mattmark Bike
Overview
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Distance 22 km
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Ascent 680 m
Intro
From Saas-Almagell, this circular bike tour leads to the Mattmark dam. You bike all around the lake surrounded by an alpine scenery. A rapid descent takes you back to the starting point.
Description
Saas-Almagell is the southernmost village in the sunny Saas valley. With its Valais-style granaries and picturesque corners, the village has retained its typical character. One of the highlights is an excursion to the nearby Mattmark reservoir - which is exactly where this mountain bike tour takes you. You start at the village square in Saas-Almagell. Turning left at the weaving mill, the tour follows the Vispa river which rises at the Tälliboden glacier and fills the reservoir on its way through the valley.
From Zer Meiggeru, shortly before the equalisation basin, you take the paved road towards Eijusand. From there, the route ascends alongside the road and partly on it, and you reach the restaurant Mattmark situated at the dam. First through a pedestrian tunnel, the route then follows the lakeshore to Dischtelalp at the end of the reservoir, where the Monte Rosa tour continues over the Monte Moro pass towards Macugnaga (I). The Mattmark reservoir has the largest earth dam in Europe. A disaster occurred during its construction in 1965: falling ice masses buried 88 people, most of them workers from Italy. The tragedy led to great sympathy and made headlines all over the world.
Once you reach the far end of the lake, you take the narrower path along the right bank back to the dam wall. The final section is a rapid descent back towards Saas-Almagell. At first, the trail continues straight ahead for a bit. Then a path zigzags through stony terrain and leads to the plateau at the foot of the dam. The return to the starting point follows the same route as the ascent.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Saas-Almagell
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Saas-Almagell
|
| Ascent |
680 m
|
| Descent |
680 m
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| Distance |
22 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
7 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
13 km
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| Singletrail (part of natural surface) |
2 km
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Easy
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| Signalization |
Signalisation in both directions
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/mountainbiking-in-switz... |
Quick Facts
Route number
