Hiking the Alpine Lakes Loop

Four lakes, two passes and one very welcome mountain hut — everything you need to plan the loop in a long weekend.

Leo MartinsOctober 10, 20261 min read

Larch forest and mountains reflected in a still alpine lake

Four lakes, two passes and one very welcome mountain hut. The loop is long enough to feel like an expedition and short enough to fit in a long weekend, especially in September, when the larches turn gold and the crowds go home.

The route

Day	Stage	Distance	Ascent
1	Valley station → upper hut	11 km	+900 m
2	Hut → the four lakes → over the pass	16 km	+650 m
3	Down through the larch forest	9 km	+120 m

Times are walking times without breaks.

A hiker with a red backpack looking out over rocky peaks — The view from the second pass, about an hour after the hut.

What to pack

Essentials

Layers, including a warm hat
A waterproof shell
Map and a charged phone
A hut reservation

Nice to have

Trekking poles
Swimming things (it’s cold!)
A thermos
Earplugs for the dorm

A red canoe on a wooden jetty over a misty mountain lake — Last lake, last light.

The hardest part of the whole hike is leaving the last lake.
Leo Martins

hiking switzerland outdoors

2 responses

Priya Natarajan

October 12, 2026

How cold was the water in the last lake? Tempted to swim.

Reply
1. Leo Martins
  
  October 13, 2026
  
  Bracing! Around 12°C in late August. Five minutes was plenty.
  
  Reply

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