Stausee Mattmark

Stausee Mattmark
	Height	Climbing height - length
	2205m (asphalt end 2215m)	1553m - 33.2 km (Visp) 1330m - 24.9 km (Stalden (Illas))
	Difficulty	Beauty
	3-4 (5)	4 (5)
How to get there	This is the climb up the alternative valley from Visp (652m) to Mattertal, which is Saastal. The asphalt reach almost exactly as high up in Täschalp (2216m) just after reaching Mattmarksee. The climb is never very steep apart from the last long ramp up to the dam where it is like 14% according to, but the climb is long! It is quite flat around Saas-Grund (1559m) where a road goes to popular Saas-Fee. After Saas-Almagell (1670m) there are no more shops until the restaurant by the dam building.
Other comments	This is a great and classic climb in the area. Other climbs in the Saastal: from Saas-Balen (1483m) one could climb toward Seewjine (Grubengletscher) on a steep road that is asphalted to Heimischgartu (2076m) and continue to at least Hoferälpji (2264m) on a gravel road. This road then continues up in many wide serpentines to two lakes and the glacier above and ends at 2860m, but it is likely too rough to get up on a road bike. At Talmatten (just before Saas-Grund) (1559m) one could climb up to Tewald (2015m) on asphalt and it should be relatively easy to Triftalp to 2174m, where a gravel road goes to Chrizbode/Kreuzboden (2400m), which might also be possible with a road bike. From Saas-Grund you could climb to Saas-Fee and there might be asphalt up to Honeggu (1901m) above the village. From above Saas-Almagell (1670m) one could climb to Furggstalden (1923m). The hardest of these climbs is likely the one via Saas-Balen toward Seewjine. From Saas-Balen one also has an alternative climb to Unneri Brend (1957m). [BIG 582]
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