Stausee Mattmark is an absolute must for road lovers
Mattmark See is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 2.197m (7,208ft) above the sea level, located in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland.
Located in the Saas Valley, the road to the reservoir is paved in extremely good conditions. It was built from 1960-1965. The best part of the climb is the last few kilometres as things get steep as the dam comes into sight. There is a glacier above the finish at the end of a very straight steep last half kilometre.
Starting from Saas-Almagell (at an elevation of 1.673m above the sea level), the ascent is 7.3 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 524 meters and the average gradient is 7.2% but the final 2 km are then killing with a slope at 10% average. The climb is never very steep apart from the last long ramp up to the dam where it is like 14%.
Pic: Fritz Hanke