Mysterious glacial lakes in the canton of Uri

From Lake Arnisee via the Sunniggrätli to the magical mountain lakes near the Leutschachhütte and Wichelpass.

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The Nidersee lake below the Leutschachhütte hut.
The starting point for the two-day hike is the Arnisee lake.
A small lake in the high moor and the Sunniggrat ridge with its summit cross.
Sunrise at the Leutschachhütte hut, where we are spending the night.
Scree slopes on the ascent to the Wichel Pass...
... and up a ladder to the pass.
At the top of the Wichel Pass in alpine terrain.
The first lake below the pass lies in a glacial hollow...
... and is not only crystal clear, but also ice cold.
Depending on the light, the glacial lake shimmers emerald green or deep blue.
Further down lies the Hinterseeli in a scree field.
Lunch break at the Schindlachtal Hut with a view of the Urner Alps.
The final part of this impressive lake hike leads through wide blueberry fields.

Mysterious glacial lakes in the canton of Uri

Tour description

High above the Reuss Valley in Uri, enchanting mountain lakes lie nestled in the Alps, among scree slopes and glacial hollows. This two-day hike takes you to six picturesque mountain lakes, which shine in shades of deep black, emerald green or azure blue – depending on the underlying rock, their history or the water inflow.

We reach the black-blue Arnisee by cable car. We climb through a steep spruce forest up to the brownish moor lakes around the Sunniggrathütte. From the Sunniggrat, we have a panoramic view of the Uri mountains and a deep view of the Gotthard Pass. In the afternoon, we reach the Leutschachhütte with Obersee and the mysterious Untersee, which still glows greenish in the evening atmosphere.

On the second day, we climb up the wild Leutschach Valley and over the Wichel Pass to a deep black mountain lake: the closer we get, the clearer the water becomes, and the deeper we can see into the greenish underwater world of this mystical mountain lake. Further down in the Schindlachtal Valley, the Hinterseeli lake lies in a gentle scree hollow with its blue-black play of colours. At the private Schindlachtal hut, the hut warden usually treats guests to Kafi Schnapps from his own distillery. The trail leads back to Lake Arnisee through blueberry fields – in the distance, the Hüfigletscher glacier glistens and in the valley below, the motorway hums its way south.

 

20.06.2026 – 21.06.2026

Length & duration
Day 1: 8 km | ↗︎ 1'160  | 4.5 h
Day 2: 11 km | ↗︎ 550 ↘︎ 1'400 m | 5 h

Difficulty
Good physical condition and sure-footedness on scree slopes, Wichel Pass T3+

Services
Overnight stay with half board at the Leutschach Hut, cable car Intschi retour, professional guidance, information about glacial lakes and geology.

Payment & registration deadline
CHF 329.- / CHF 311.- for SAC members via QR code after registration | by Sunday, 14 June 2026 at the latest.

Not included
Travel to and from the destination, food from your rucksack, drinks & snacks at huts.

Equipment
Sturdy hiking boots and swimwear. Detailed programme and equipment list will be provided in good time before the tour.

Travel & meeting point
Best reached by public transport |
09:45 Intschi cable car valley station |
departure Zurich main station at 07:35

Return journey
Intschi cable car valley station 16:08 |
back Zurich main station at 17:55

Hiking guide

Markus Unterfinger
Phone: 076 419 21 10
markus@wanderidee.ch

Register online

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