The Hiking World

Vier-Quellen-Weg

Reported OSM relation: SchweizMobil regional hiking route 49, Vier-Quellen-Weg, Oberalppass to Rhonegletscher, 81.8 km OSM 2-D. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30.

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Distance 81.8 km Reported · Ascent provisional (DEM sample) · High point provisional (DEM sample) · 5d · SAC T2 · Challenging (Gotthard alpine stages)

Last checked 2026-10-07

Cite this record

The Hiking World, Vier-Quellen-Weg, read 2026-10-07, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/vier-quellen-weg

How we verify · last checked 2026-10-07

Byline

  • The Hiking World editorial team · author
Rhône Glacier and the Gotthard massif on the Four Springs Trail

Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.

Forecast at page generation, 2026-10-26T12:19:22.932Z

Representative point on Vier-Quellen-Weg: 46.507°, 8.493°, about 2745 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.

At generation: 1°C, Overcast.

  • 2026-10-26 Overcast, -6–2°C
  • 2026-10-27 Partly cloudy, 1–7°C
  • 2026-10-28 Overcast, -2–2°C

Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.

Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.

Altitude weather delta

High 2,745 m minus low 1,348 m is 1,397 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 9.1 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.

That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.

derived:lapse-rate · read 2026-09-10 · provisional

ISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10

Stored line for Vier-Quellen-Weg, from 46.660°, 8.671° to 46.577°, 8.388°. The drawing is the simplified record, not a surveyed GPS track.

Map loads when this section is on screen.

GeoJSON

Line download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON

Facts46.660, 8.671
Distance81.8 km
osm:relation:3094421 · read 2026-09-09
Ascentnot published

Cumulative ascent not published — stored line geometry is too coarse for a reliable DEM figure.

Descentnot published
High point2,745 m
copernicus-dem:glo-30 · read 2026-09-24 · provisional
Low point1,348 m
copernicus-dem:glo-30 · read 2026-09-24 · provisional
Routepoint-to-point
Days5
Seasonunverified
GradeWanderland: technical mittel, physical schwer · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1

Catalog entry

DifficultyWanderland: technical mittel, physical schwer

Challenging (Gotthard alpine stages)

SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful. through Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
YDS Class 1
Class 1. Walking on an established path; low fall risk.
schweizmobil.ch · verified 2026-09-09
Wikidata Q104034622
Elevation
13482047274572.33 km profile length (DEM sample)

Stored distance is 81.8 km. The chart axis follows the DEM sample (72.33 km), not the published line length.

Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 3094421 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.

OSM 2D length is 81.8 km (relation 3094421; network=rwn, operator=Wanderland Schweiz, ref=49). lengthKm is verified: 81.8 km is 0.25% over the official 81.6 km (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-49; ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). Official km is the ±3% cross-check, not this DataPoint.

DEM high 2,745 m. GLO-30 cumulative ascent 3,973 m is the same order as the official 4,671 m figure (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). High point left as Copernicus.

Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Villages and inns exist; they were not positioned from an official named list this pass.

Water

No water sources recorded.

Permits & fees

Permits, closures, and hazards on this page are a citation, not a substitute for the issuer’s current notice.

No permit required.

Getting there

Sourced legs to the Oberalppass (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.

  1. Rail · Zurich (ZRH) → Oberalppass

    Zurich Airport is the usual air gateway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurich_Airport, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA). Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn toward the Oberalp Pass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberalp_Pass, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA). SchweizMobil route 49 (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-49, checked 2026-09-09).

    en.wikipedia.org · read 2026-09-09 · wikidata · provisional

No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). SAC and private hut booking is logistics.

Plan from your location

Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.

Getting there car-free

  • Oberalppass (OSM line start): car-free flag yes.
  • Rhonegletscher (OSM line end): car-free flag yes.

Trailheads

  • Oberalppass (OSM line start) car-free: yes

    Official start at Oberalppass (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-49, checked 2026-09-09). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberalp_Pass, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA.

  • Rhonegletscher (OSM line end) car-free: yes

    Official finish at Rhonegletscher (same SchweizMobil page, checked 2026-09-09). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne_Glacier, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA.

Hazards

  • Alpine/mountain weather on this line: official 4,671 m of walking ascent over 5 stages (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). DEM high 2,745 m is a Copernicus sample, not a glacier grade.
  • No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network; SAC and private hut booking is logistics, not a trail permit (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). There is no walking fee on that page.

Questions

Do I need a permit for Vier-Quellen-Weg?

No trail permit is listed as required on this record for Vier-Quellen-Weg.

How difficult is Vier-Quellen-Weg?

Vier-Quellen-Weg is graded Wanderland: technical mittel, physical schwer · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1. A sourced hazard on this record: Alpine/mountain weather on this line: official 4,671 m of walking ascent over 5 stages (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). DEM high 2,745 m is a Copernicus sample, not a glacier grade.

How long is Vier-Quellen-Weg?

The OSM 2-D length on this record is 81.8 km (reported). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail

How do I get to Vier-Quellen-Weg?

The record’s base start is Oberalppass (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is Zurich Airport (ZRH). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.

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