Zermatt 5 seenweg (5 lake hike) in early May?
A traveler is planning a visit to Switzerland for the first week of May and is interested in hiking the 5 Lakes Trail in Zermatt. They are unsure if the hike is feasible during that time and are seeking routing advice since the cable car isn't operational in May. The traveler is also curious about the total duration of the hike from Zermatt.
- The 5 Lakes Trail may not be accessible in early May due to snow levels; it's typically open from June onwards.
- Consider lower altitude hikes in Zermatt if the 5 Lakes Trail is not an option, as there are other trails available.
- Explore snowshoeing as an alternative winter activity while in Zermatt.
AI-generated summary-
I will be visiting Switzerland in the first week of May and I was keen on doing the 5 lake hike in Zermatt. I have a few questions:-
1. Is it feasible to do the hike in the first week of May?
2. What is the routing I would need to take (
since, I read that the cable car isn’t open in May)?3. How long would the entire trip, starting from Zermatt, take?
Thanks!
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Hi Rohitr-
Welcome to My Swiss Alps.
I don’t know the hike personally, so I looked around the web a bit.
This looks like a good site:
http://www.zermatt.ch/en/Medi a/Planning-hikes-tours/5-Seenweg
It shows a calendar which suggests the hike should be possible only in June through September. A rule of thumb for the high Alps is that mountain trails above about 2000 meters do not open up until about June 15th +/- a couple of weeks based on snow pack and temperatures. I never make plans for before June 15yth, although there are some years when I am overly cautious.
The 5 lakes trail ranges in elevation from 2578 to 2124 meters. I am quite sure that in March the trail will not be passable. The fact that the cableway is not running is a good clue.
Slowpoke
Thanks a lot for your prompt response. I’ll take cognizance of what you’ve mentioned and play it by the ear when I get to Zermatt
Hi Rohit,
There may be other hikes you can do at lower altitudes in Zermatt, have a look at:
On the last link you can search hikes by location and altitude, and use Slowpoke’s suggestion to determine which hikes are feasible at that time of the year.
I’ve stayed in Zermatt and hiked from the village to stops lower on the way to Gornergrat around Nov/Dec, and to Furi (cable car stop on the way to Klein Matterhorn). You could alternatively consider snowshoeing as an option as well.
Maria.
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