Hiking Into History: An Amazing Winter Trek to Europe's Largest Earth Dam
There is a side to the Swiss Alps that exists entirely outside the hum of ski lifts and crowded slopes. It is a world of near silence, where the only sound is the rhythmic crunch of your boots pressing into fresh powder. If you are looking to escape the resort crowds and plunge into a raw, dramatic high-alpine landscape, the winter hike from Saas-Almagell to the Mattmark Stausee (Reservoir) is a superb Valais adventure.
Following the officially managed Switzerland/Mobility Winter Hiking Route 875, this out-and-back trek takes you through frosted larch forests, past historic shrines, and right up the top of Europe's largest earth-fill dam to an almost frozen alpine lake. Along the way, you will walk in the shadow of some of Switzerland's most iconic giant peaks while discovering a deeply moving piece of history…
Route Summary
Start/End: Saas-Almagell village (Dorfplatz) (1,672m)
Destination: Mattmark Dam Wall (2,200m+)
Distance: ~14 kilometers (out-and-back)
Duration: Approximately 4 hours
Elevation: +/-540 meters
Difficulty: Moderate (steady, gradual incline requiring reasonable fitness)
Footwear/Gear: Waterproof winter hiking boots (the path is groomed, but bring snowshoes or spikes if fresh snow has fallen or if you wish to step off-trail)
Skyline of the Giants: Visible Peaks
As you head south down the glacier valley, the horizon is dominated by an amphitheater of jagged, snow-capped massifs and hanging glaciers. Keep your eyes upward to spot:
Allalinhorn (4,027m): A stunning, dome-shaped classic four-thousander whose massive glacier fields drape over the western side of the valley.
Strahlhorn (4,190m) & Rimpfischhorn (4,199m): Towering sentinels of rock and ice that frame the hidden, southernmost head of the valley behind the reservoir.
Mittaghorn (3,143m) & Egginer (3,366m): rugged, tooth-like rock peaks that rise sharply directly above Saas-Almagell, flanking your right side as you begin the trek.
Mattmark Reservoir: Facts & Figures
When you stand at the top of the dam wall, you are gazing out at a colossal triumph of European civil engineering. Here are the remarkable statistics behind the frozen landscape:
Dam Wall: Rises 120 meters from its foundation and stretches a length of 373 meters. It contains 10.5 million cubic meters of earth-fill material.
Storage Volume: At full capacity, the reservoir contains 100M cubic meters of water.
Surface Area: The reservoir spans a vast 1.75 square kilometers, with a maximum water depth of 93 meters.
Catchment Area: The lake collects run-off from a 37 square kilometer basin, which is heavily fed by the melting waters of the Allalin and Schwarzberg glaciers.
Power Output: The underground turbines yield an average of 650 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually - enough to provide clean energy to roughly 150,000 to 200,000 households.
Getting There: PostBus Ride from Visp
Reaching the trailhead from the regional transit hub of Visp is not just highly efficient, it’s an experience in itself. The journey is seamlessly synchronized through Switzerland's legendary postal bus network:
PostBus Departure: Walk directly outside the Visp train station to the busy bus terminal and board PostBus Line 511 heading to Saas-Fee. As the bright yellow bus leaves the valley floor, it climbs dramatically into the narrow, steep gorges of the Saas Valley. You'll pass through sheer rock tunnels and past frozen waterfalls, catching dizzying views of the river far below.
Timed Transfer: Get off at the Saas-Grund Post stop. Here, the transit system works like clockwork; Bus Line 513 will already be waiting across the lane. Step right on, and the bus will deliver you to the Saas-Almagell, Dorfplatz in just 10 minutes.
Total Travel Time: Exactly 52 minutes from Visp to the trailhead. Because the regional traffic is perfectly integrated, your train-to-bus connections are entirely stress-free.
Phase 1: Through Larch Forests to Zermeiggern
Leaving the traditional timber chalets of Saas-Almagell behind, the trail heads south past Waldegg. You'll cross over the icy, slow-moving waters of the Saaser Vispa river. The path winds gently upward through quiet larch forests, where branches hang heavy with snow. This section runs parallel to a cross-country ski track, providing a peaceful, rhythmic warm-up for your legs.
Phase 2: Walk of Remembrance at the Chapel
An hour into the hike, the forest opens into a flat plain, revealing the historic Zermeiggern Chapel. Originally built in 1707, this beautiful chapel was carefully disassembled and moved piece by piece to this spot in 1962 to save it from being swallowed by the rising waters of the future reservoir.
Inside, a sobering memorial plaque honors the 88 construction workers - mostly migrant laborers from Italy - who tragically lost their lives on August 30th, 1965, when a massive, 2-million-cubic-meter block of the Allalin Glacier's tongue collapsed without warning, burying their camp under 50 meters of solid ice. It remains the deadliest alpine construction disaster in Swiss history, a poignant reminder of the human cost required to tame these wild peaks.
Phase 3: Scaling the Earth-Fill Giant
Leaving the chapel, you pass the flat plain of Eyensand. From here, the easy walking transitions into a series of steeper, groomed switchbacks. You are now climbing the face of the massive earth-fill barrier. Built to harness the vast glacial runoff, it stands as Europe's largest earth-fill dam, absorbing soil, rock, and moraine debris scraped directly from the surrounding alpine landscape during its construction.
Phase 4: The Frozen Oasis
As you crest the top of the dam wall (2,200m+), the wind shifts and an incredible high-alpine silence takes over. Before you lies the Mattmark Stausee, transformed in the winter into a completely flat, blindingly white desert of ice and snow. The absolute stillness here, safely tucked away from the rest of the world, is nothing short of magical.
Safety Note: While summer hikers can loop around the entire lake, the shoreline trails are strictly closed in winter due to high avalanche risks from the steep mountain walls above. The top of the dam wall is your turnaround point.
The Return Local Tip: Bring a small, lightweight plastic sledge with you! You can easily stow it on the way up and use it to effortlessly zip down the groomed snowy paths on your way back to the village.
Where to Eat at the End
After 4 hours in the winter alpine air, your appetite will be large. Slide or walk back into Saas-Almagell and head straight to one of these highly rated local spots to warm up:
Restaurant Roestihues: A paradise for lovers of traditional Swiss comfort food, ask to be seated inside one of their cozy, converted vintage ski gondolas parked outside!
Hotel-Restaurant Mattmarkblick: Named after the very destination you just hiked, this exceptionally welcoming alpine restaurant serves classic Valais meals.
Staying Overnight? How to Spend Day 2 in the Valley
If you decide to spend the night among Saas-Almagell's historic timber chalets, Day 2 is your opportunity to trade the serene, deep-valley floor for sun-drenched terraces and high-altitude viewpoints. Depending on your post-hike travel style, pick one of these great itineraries to round out your winter escape:
Option 1: High-Altitude Winter Hiking & Sunny Terraces (Hohsaas)
If you want to keep your hiking boots on but want a completely different vantage point, take PostBus 511 to Saas-Grund and board the cable car up to Hohsaas (3,142m):
The 18 Four-Thousander Panorama: Hohsaas offers arguably the absolute best view in the entire region. The summit looks directly across a massive glacial chasm at the monumental Mischabel massif (including the Dom, Switzerland's highest self-contained peak).
The Trift Winter Trail: Walk the beautifully prepared winter hiking path winding down from the summit toward the mid-station at Kreuzboden. The wide-open, sun-drenched tracks up here offer a beautiful contrast to the quiet, shaded forest paths of Saas-Almagell.
Option 2: Local Village Exploration & The Winter Chapel Trail (Low-Key Culture)
If your legs are tired from the 14-km trek to the dam, enjoy a leisurely, culturally rich day traveling along the valley floor:
Saas Valley Village Trail: Walk the easy, family-friendly winter hiking trail that connects the traditional hamlets along the Vispa river, heading north from Saas-Almagell toward Saas-Grund & Saas-Balen.
The Round Church & Waterfall: When you reach Saas-Balen, visit the famous Rundkirche (Round Church) built in 1812. It is an architectural anomaly unique to Switzerland, situated right next to the roaring, ice-framed Fellbach waterfall.
This route was hiked by the Author on 22nd of January 2023. See my other articles for hikes and VF in this area. Contact me by email for photos or to ask questions.
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