Furka Pass — 2,429 metres past the Rhône Glacier

The Furka crosses the main divide between the cantons of Valais and Uri at 2,429 metres, with the Rhône Glacier draped across the slope just below the summit. The road is officially open only four months a year; the rest of the time it's buried. When it is open, it is one of the great Swiss drives.

Goldfinger

The famous chase scene in Goldfinger (1964) was shot on the switchbacks of the Furka's east side. The Aston Martin DB5 went over the pass, the Ford Mustang crashed through a phone booth, and the Swiss tourist board quietly understood that this would be worth at least fifty years of advertising.

Riding it

The west side from Gletsch is the classic: 15 km of consistent gradient with the glacier over your left shoulder for the last quarter. The east side from Realp is a touch steeper and runs alongside the old Furka mountain railway, which still operates as a summer heritage line. At the top, the Hotel Belvédère sits abandoned, a Belle Époque ruin with better views than most functioning hotels.

Along the way

• Hotel Belvédère — The pink Belle Époque hotel at the Rhône Glacier hairpin. Closed since 2015, it has become an icon of alpine decay. Worth the stop for the view alone.
• Rhône Glacier viewpoint — A short walk from the summit leads to where the Rhône is born. The glacier has retreated dramatically in recent decades.
• Furka Steam Railway — The restored mountain railway runs between Realp and Gletsch in summer. You can watch it cross the Steffenbach bridge from the road above.
• Gletsch — The tiny hamlet at the western foot of the pass, where the Furka and Grimsel roads split. A good coffee stop before (or between) two big climbs.
• Grimsel, Susten, Gotthard, Nufenen — The four sibling passes of the central-Swiss cluster.
• Central Switzerland four-pass loop — The classic day combining Furka, Grimsel, Susten, and Gotthard.