
Lac de Mauvoisin
Switzerland, europe
N/A
1,961 m
hard
Year-round
Lac de Mauvoisin is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 1.961m (6,433ft) above the sea level, located in the Valais region of Switzerland.
The road to the summit is asphalted in very good conditions. It was built between 1954-1958. The climb includes some steep sections and a couple of tunnels. The Mauvoisin arch dam is an impressive structure, with a height of 250 m. At the lake, a gravel road climbs up to the
a high mountain hut at an elevation of 2.471m (8,106ft) above the sea level. This road is only accessible in summer for people with special communal authorization.
A wild 4x4 road to Passo di San Giacomo
Mittelbergpass, an awe-inspiring lonely road
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Road Details
- Country
- Switzerland
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 1,961 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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