Pizol 5 lakes hike is one of the most beautiful and adventurous hikes in all the Swiss Alps region.
It is situated high in the Alps and you will constantly be above 2 kilometers of altitude which makes it even more stunning.
The hike itself is not very hard, but it is quite long: over 4 hours (of course depending on your pace), but you are going to see not one, not two, but even five beautiful crystal clear Swiss Alps lake. Such hiking trails are rarity even in Switzerland.
So let’s have a look at this hike, how to get there, what are the costs and how to prepare the best for this hike.
Table of Contents
How to get to Pizol 5 lakes hike
Ok, so first of all you need to get to the starting point of this hike.
Your destination number one is Sargans city.
You can reach Sargans by car or by train. Sargans is just 90 kilometers from Zürich and very very close to Liechtenstein. You could walk to the border of Liechtenstein and the capital Vaduz is just 15 kilometers from Sargans.
If you are traveling to Sargans by train, please check all the latest time schedules and prices right there: Swiss trains.
Afterwards, when you are in Sargans, you have to go to Wangs Talstation for cable car services, if you come to Sargans by car, there is parking in this address: 7323 Vilters-Wangs. If you want to avoid cable car, you can drive to Mugghütte, actually it is a starting point of the hike, but the parking over there can be tricky.
If you go by cable car, you will get to Gaffia station, it is right next to Mugghütte.
And here you go, you are on the starting point of Pizol 5 lakes hike.
Facts about Pizol 5 lakes hike
Ok, before you start dreaming about this beautiful hike, I would like to introduce with some facts, so you would think about it if it is for you or not.
Distance: over 13 kilometers. It is not much on a flat path, but in the mountains it is a different story.
Time: around 5 hours. It always depends how fast you walk. If you are fit and fast, you can easily do it in under 4 hours.
Elevation gain: over 900 meters. That’s not much, that’s not little. 900 meters is not that hard if you do not rush.
Path: mostly rocky, but well maintained, easy to orientate.
Difficulty level: the hike is not technical, but it is pretty long. So I would say it is moderately average.
Costs: for cable cars – 44 CHF. Check all the latest prices right here: Pizol 5 lakes hike prices.
Best time to do it: Mid July – September. On other months it can be full of snow, cable cars may be not operational, weather can be extremely harsh: so if you still want to do it, you must be very careful and experienced. One note: lakes will be probably frozen as well.
If you are still hyped, let’s dive into more details of this hike.
Pizol 5 lakes hike map
Let’s have a look at the hiking trail’s map.
As you can see, the hike is a perfect loop. Which makes this hike even better, because if the hike is not a loop, you may need to come back all the way back or go home from the different destination which often complicates the things.
I want to mention that if you want to get into more detail of this hike map, click this link for all information: Pizol 5 lakes hike map.
Once you get to Gaffia cable car station, your first destination has to be Baschalvasee, this is going to be your first lake on this stunning hike. The first lake is just after 2 kilometers from your starting point.
Second point is Gamidaurspitz, a peak of 2309 meters, but the trail doesn’t go straight through the top of it, so if you want, you can skip it, although it would be just a few meters to climb to the top.
After that you will have to climb a bit to Rossstal peak and then go a bit down to your second beautiful lake called Schwarzsee (it is pretty popular to name lakes Schwarzsee in Switzerland (meaning black lake), I have visited at least 3 myself in Switzerland with such name).
There is a nice little path by the lake and the lake sits at 2376 meters altitude.
Right after Scwarzsee you are going to reach the highest point of this hike: 2507 meters. There will be little more climbing up further on the trail, but the biggest climbs are now in the past.
Your third lake is Schottensee at 2340 meters elevation and you are actually now in the middle of the hike, so it is a perfect place to relax, eat your snacks, drink your drinks. For me personally it is the most beautiful lake on all the trail, its location and views are stunning.
After Schottensee you will have your last climb and you will soon see the fourth and biggest lake on this amazing Pizol 5 lakes hike: Wildsee (wild lake).
On your way to the last lake you are going to pass by the Pizol hütte where you can as well get a very decent lunch or dinner, they serve all kind of food there. For me, in the Swiss Alps the best food is Gulaschsuppe. It has meat, it is warm, it is plenty of food and as well it doesn’t make me heavy, so I can easily continue the hike afterwards. You can find all information about this hut/restaurant right here: Pizol hütte.
The last lake is just 500 meters from Pizol hütte: it is called Wangsersee. Now it is time to relax and enjoy this last spectacle on the hike. Sit down, breath in the Alps air into your lungs.
So here you are, you have visited even 5 beautiful lakes in just 10 kilometers. Why 10 kilometers, not 13 kilometers? Because you have to get back to your starting point 🙂 Another 3 easy kilometers as it is just a descent.
I must mention: that in Pizol hütte there’s a cable car as well, so if you feel tired or if it is enough for you, you can take cable car back to Gaffia or back to Sargans if you wish.
You can even start the hike right in Pizol hütte, so you would do the hike in a different direction, but all the beauty of the region would be the same 🙂
How to prepare yourself for Pizol hike
The hike is very beautiful and is a perfect adventure, but to avoid all the problems you should take these things into consideration:
- Good hiking shoes. The hike is mostly very rocky and on stones, so it is very important to have good hiking shoes with a robust sole. Do not embark on such a hike with simple running shoes as the pain in the foot will be unbearable in the end of the hike.
- Water. This is a long hike high in the mountains (it can be even hot on some days), so have at least 2-3 liters for each person. Especially hike is pretty steep in the beginning and you will gain a lot of elevation, so water will disappear pretty fast from the bottles.
- Extra jackets and clothes. Weather can change pretty fast in the mountains. If it is sunny in Sargans, it can get pretty hectic up there, above 2400 meters. Always a good idea to have extra jacket, especially goretex if it starts to rain or wind gets extra strong. The same goes for pants.
- Backpack. You shouldn’t get too much stuff in your backpack as you won’t be sleeping in the mountains and extra stuff always punishes your joints and back. Go light. Water, jackets, snacks.
- Snacks. It is a 5 hours hike, so better have something to keep your sugar levels at happy levels. You don’t want to be cranky up there in these beautiful mountains.
- Phone. Always have phone with full battery for two things: maps (you may need to check some information, maybe you missed a direction or something) and emergency calls. If something happens, always better to have phone with which you can call help.
- Hiking poles. It depends if you hike with them or not, but hiking poles in such a hike will help you to avoid to much stress on joints.
Conclusion
Pizol 5 lakes hike is a really nice little adventure for you, your friends or family.
If you want to enjoy beautiful views to Rhine valley, Glarus and Grisons mountains – this hike is a very good choice.
I would suggest to take this hike slowly and simply enjoy the lakes, make pictures, if you are brave – maybe even dive in (I just must warn you that lakes at such altitude are very cold).
You can start the hike from different points, so choose the one is most suitable for you, do not rush through the hike and you will have a great Swiss Alps day. If you are limited by time, you can do 2 lakes, 3 lakes hikes as well.
If you have any questions about this hike, please let me know, I will do my best to help you.
I would like as well to strongly you recommend other beautiful hikes in Lauterbrunnen: best Lauterbrunnen hikes.
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