Mattmark Glacier trail

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18.9 km
1,353 m
03h47
Extreme

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Route information

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Last verified: 12 June 2025

Description by the author

This route takes you along three glaciers of the Saas-Almagell valley in Switzerland. Starting from the Mattmark Stausee Dam you'll visit the first glacier "Schwarzberggletscher" which you can almost touch, the second glacier on the route is the Allalingletscher which you'll cross followed by the third and last glacier "Hohlaubgletscher".

!!!WARNING!!! T4 - Alpine Hike !!!WARNING!!!
This hike contains glacier crossing. You must be surefooted, have good mountain experience. Not to perform in bad weather or when snow covers the crevasses. Due to the melting of the glaciers new crevasses can open up or make the paths different. Inform you at the Britanniahütte or tourism bureau to know if the conditions of the glacier is good to cross.

The route starts at the Mattmark Stausee, parking there is easy but it isn't a free parking. There is also a bus station at the dam to make it easy accessible.
You follow the right side of the lake until a junction in the direction of Schwarzbergchopf en Schwarzberggletscher. At the next junction we take the path to the glacier. You'll follow this path until you can't see a path anymore. It is still possible to go further and go just on the glacier but that requires more experience. From this point you'll have a superb view over the Schwarzberggletscher. The return is along the same route to the junction we have passed in the start, you now go in the direction of the Schwarzbergchopf/Britanniahütte. From there it's a small and sometimes steep path to the summit of the Schwarsbergchopf. This neat little peak offers a great view over the Allalin glacier which you'll cross. On the summit you head in the direction of the glacier, once on the glacier, the path is marked with blue poles. As with every glacier trail, you can't go straight from pole to pole, always look out for weaker spots in the glacier, crevasses, rocks, snow and find a path between. Once you crossed the Allalin glacier the path is very rocky, marked white/blue/white. Look out for loose rocks! Next up is the Hohlaub glacier and it's the most dangerous one with more crevasses. The Britanniahütte is now good in sight and is the next destination. It's a great mountain cabin with great view over the glaciers that you've crossed. After a good drink and something to eat it's time to head back to Saas-Almagell, descent along the almost completely vanished Chessjen glacier in northern direction, once reached a normal white/red/white marked path you follow this in the direction of Zermeiggern. A bus stop is there to take you back to the starting point.

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Route origin

Route description

Region

Statistics

Difficulty level: Extreme (93/100)

Length: 18.9 km

Duration: 03h47


Total ascent: 1,353 m

Maximal slope: 18.5 %

Average slope: 10.7 %

Net ascent: -460 m

Total descent: 1,813 m

Difficulty level according to the author: 9/10

Roads and subsoil

Paved roads: 173 m (1 %)

Cobblestones: 0 m (0 %)

Scenery

Car free roads: 18.8 km (99 %)

Noise pollution

Amount of traffic


Natural area

Urban area

Water rich area

Characteristics

    Themes

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        Start and end of the route

        Closest address to start and end: 212.1, Saas-Almagell, Switzerland

        Navigate to starting point

        Places of interest

        1. Mattmarksee

          0 · Water
          The Mattmarksee is an artificial lake formed by the dam of Mattmark, it is located in the Saastall …
          Sander Vancanneyt
        2. Stausee Mattmark

          0 · Weir
          The Mattmark is Europe's biggest natural dam build in 1960-1965 and consists mostly of the debris …
          Sander Vancanneyt
        3. Schwarzberg Glacier

          0 · Glacier
          The Schwarzberg Glacier is a 3 km long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps in the canton of …
          Wikipedia
        4. Schwarzbergchopf

          0 · Mountain
          The Schwarzbergchopf is a mountain located near the Mattmark Stausee dam above the village of …
          Sander Vancanneyt
        5. Allalin Glacier

          0 · Glacier
          The Allalin Glacier is a 6 km long glacier situated in the Pennine Alps near the Allalinhorn in …
          Wikipedia
        6. Hohlaubgletscher

          0 · Mountain
          De Hohlaubgletscher is a glacier in the Cartoon of Valais/Wallis, situated above the valley of …
          Sander Vancanneyt
        7. Britannia Hut

          0 · POI
          The Britannia Hut is a mountain hut of the Swiss Alpine Club, located south of Saas-Almagell in …
          Wikipedia

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        Routes nearby

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        Mattmarksee
        Stausee Mattmark
        Schwarzberg Glacier
        Schwarzbergchopf
        Allalin Glacier
        Hohlaubgletscher
        Britannia Hut
        0 km1 km2 km3 km4 km5 km6 km7 km8 km9 km10 km11 km12 km13 km14 km15 km16 km17 km18 km19 km1,731 m3,007 m
        PLUS
        200 m

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