Furka Pass

The Furka Pass connects the departure point Andermatt (1440 m.ü.M.) in the German-speaking canton of Uri with the Rhone Valley in the bilingual canton of Valais. The current pass was constructed between 1864 and 1867, although the Furka Pass already existed in Roman times. Most of the 20½ km long road up the mountain is narrow. Between Hospental and Realp the road goes slightly uphill. In Realp (1538 M.ü.M.) the climb starts with 8 hairpin bends that you can see beautifully against the mountain. The ascent is winding and steep. The gradient here is around 9% and a total of 996 altitude meters are overcome. 2½ km after the pass height at 2436 m.ü.M. lies the Rhône Glacier, the origin of the Rhône. With 11 hairpin bends, the distance from the pass height to Oberwald, the first village in the Rhône Valley, is 17 km and there is a descent of 1064 meters in altitude. With the exception of the hairpin bends (10%) at the Rhône Glacier, the descent is on average almost 7% easier than the ascent. In Gletsch (1759 M.ü.M), at the old hotel and station, the Furka Pass and the Grimsel Pass meet. The Furka Pass is open between May and October. Between Oberwald and Ulrichen it is worth drinking, eating and recovering for the next challenge.

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