[Jonut]

6 April 2023 at 15:33:23 #829504

I have a trip planned in July, where I’m staying in St Gallen for a few nights then taking the train to Chur for a few more nights. I’m looking for something to do on the way to make a day of the journey.

It looks like I will likely have to travel through Sargans, and a quick look at Google Maps makes it look like a trip from here to Schlottensee and Wildsee might be possible. Photos of the lakes online look beautiful.

It looks like I would need to take a cable car from Sargans to Furt, then on to Gaffia, then on to Pizolhutte, then hike to the lakes from there. I would then take the same route back down to Sargans.

I would have about 3-4 hours to do this (i.e., Sargans to Sargans).

I’m reasonably fit and have done some short hikes in Switzerland (Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee, Gornergrat down to Riffelberg, Mannlichen Royal Walk, etc), but I don’t have any special skills or equipment. Has anyone done this hike, and can anyone advise me if it’s a good idea, or am I being too ambitious? I don’t want to get myself into a difficult or risky situation, or have too much hassle with transport etc. If anyone could advise me on the length / steepness / difficulty of this hike and the convenience of the mountain transports, I’d be really grateful. Thanks!

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[Yolanda]

6 April 2023 at 17:28:27 #953020

Hi Jonut,

Thank you for sharing your plans. Schottensee and Wildsee are two of the lakes that form the 5 Lake hike. It is considered moderate to challenging, requiring time and endurance as there are quite a few ascents and descents.

You would actually need to take a bus from Sargans rail station to Wangs and then take the cable car rides as you describe above. Do use the timetable link to plan accordingly. https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable

It’s been over 5 years ago, since I visited this area. Certainly the views are stunning and well worth the hike(s). During one visit, I was caught out unfortunately and was stranded for over an hour due to adverse weather. Do bear this in mind if you are working with a 3-4 hour turnaround. https://www.myswissalps.com/weather/forecast

Also, another thing to bear in mind, is the bus frequency from Wangs back to Sargans rail station.

That said, all doable, just ensure you time things appropriately. As a rough guide to include reaching the top from Sargans rail station, visiting both Wildsee and Schottensee, maybe 2 hours. Of course, you then need to make your way back down.

Some useful links:

• https://www.myswissalps.com/hiking
• 5 Lake hike

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[Jonut]

6 April 2023 at 18:16:03 #953021

Thanks so much Yolanda. I’ll have a look at the links you’ve posted. I still find it quite hard to understand what is meant by moderate / challenging, etc, as of course it’s subjective and I may overestimate my own ability! A few years back I walked from the gondola station on Brambruesch in Chur to the summit, and found that challenging and about the limit of what I could manage. I wonder if it’s possible to compare these hikes to say if one is harder / easier / comparable? In any case, I don’t want to over-reach myself. Of course it would be very dependent on the weather on the day.

[Anna]

7 April 2023 at 9:42:20 #953022

Hi Jonut,

If you are fit and an experienced hiker, the trail to Wildsee and Schottensee should reasonably easy for you. The Pizol 5 Lake Hike is a a popular hike for families but it requires endurance (it’s about 10km and takes about 4-5 hours to complete the full trail). The trail goes up and down but the views are well worth it in my opinion. Wildsee and Schottensee are the first 2 lakes you’ll see on the trail. From Pizolhutte to Wildsee, the trail is mostly uphill and from Wildsee to Schottensee it’s mainly downhill.

Hope this gives you some ideas about this hike.

Regards,

Anna

[Jonut]

7 April 2023 at 18:06:33 #953023

Thank you for this Anna. I felt that the whole 5 lakes hike would be too much, and hoped that just seeing the first 2 would be the next best thing. I did a 12k walk along the coastal path in my home county of Norfolk, UK, today, to test myself, but as Norfolk is famously flat I’m not sure there’s much comparison! I think I’ll do a bit of planning in advance, but only attempt the hike on the day if the weather forecast is very good. If families can do the whole route, hopefully that means it wouldn’t be too demanding for me.

Thank you again for the info!