Pizol 5-Lakes Hike: St. Gallen, Eastern Switzerland
When we were researching trails, one person called Pizol Five Lakes (aka 5 Seen Wanderung) “alpine hiking at its finest.” And man, did it deliver. I still can’t get the color of those tiny alpine lakes out of my mind. I didn’t realize that shade of cyan could exist in nature. We started at the Pizolhütte and made our way Gaffia, the total route about 11km. The trail wound up past the treeline, through different mountain passes (a few still covered in snow in July), and even though it’s officially rated as medium, it’s tough if you are not in “Swiss Shape” (and we were not!).
This hike was also our first introduction to how quickly mountain weather can change, from blue skies to a squall in a matter of minutes. We were unprepared this time, and had to backtrack after the first hour due to a torrential downpour, and then restart the hike again once it had passed. The Swiss have a saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.” Now, anytime we plan on hiking in the Alps, we are overly prepared.
*Note: This hike has exploded in popularity since we first did it in 2018. Not to dissuade you from doing it yourself, but just be prepared for lots of crowds.*
Start: Train to Sargans, Bahnhof, then a bus to Wangs, Pizolbahn.
End: Trail ends at Gaffia. Take Gaffia and Furt chairlifts to Pizolbahn, bus to Sargans Bahnhof.
Basic Route: Pizolhütte - Wildsee - Schottensee - Schwarzesee - Baschalvasee - Gaffia
Length and Rating: Moderately difficult. Not technical, but lots of steep ascents and descents. Check conditions if hiking in early July. 11km, 4.5 hours.
