Mattmarksee

Another fantastic and huge climb to an alpine dam / lake.

The route starts in Visp in the main valley. The first nine kilometres is the same road that leads to Zermatt and the Matterhorn, so there is some traffic. But once the route turns towards Saas Fee things get quieter.

It’s not the hardest climb but 1580 metres of ascent is, for example, more than any climb in this year’s Tour.

The best part of the climb is the last few kilometres as things get steep as the dam comes into sight. There is a glacier above the finish at the end of a very straight steep last half kilometre:

You can walk on the dam. And while the paved road ends here, with a mountain bike it looks possible to ride around the large lake (a future project)?

The Valais region of Switzerland is full of fantastic climbs to glacier dams/lakes. See here for some of my favourites. As well as my last blog entry to the nearby sensational Lac de Moiry.