Nufenenpass — 2,478 metres, the highest pass entirely in Switzerland

Nufenenpass, Passo della Novena on the Italian-speaking side, is the highest paved pass that lies entirely within Switzerland. It links the upper Goms in the Valais with the Bedretto valley in Ticino and crosses the country's main linguistic frontier at the saddle itself.

History

The saddle has been used by smugglers and shepherds for centuries — the Val Bedretto and the Goms have traded livestock and contraband across this ridge long before anyone thought to draw a border across it. The modern road was built relatively late, opening in 1969, which is why the Nufenen still feels less domesticated than the Furka or the Gotthard despite sitting higher than both. German becomes Italian at the summit: the signs change mid-saddle.

Riding it

Both sides are 13 km. From Ulrichen in the north the climb ramps hard from the start, with several kilometres above 9% and a 10% section in the final approach. From Airolo in the south the climb is more broken, with a flatter middle section through the Val Bedretto and a steeper top.

The summit holds a small restaurant and a parking area with views west to the Gries glacier. The descent south into Ticino is one of the best in Switzerland: wide curves, good surface, and an unfolding view down the Val Bedretto.

Along the way

• Lago del Narèt — A reservoir on a side road off the Ticino descent, worth the detour for the unnatural colour of the water.
• Gries glacier viewpoint — The pullout near the summit looking west to the retreating ice, one of the clearer-to-read glacier recessions in the Alps.
• Language border — German gives way to Italian at the summit, with signs changing mid-saddle and cuisine following suit.
• Furka Pass and Gotthard Tremola — Nufenen is the third corner of the classic Gotthard-Furka-Nufenen triangle.
• Central Switzerland four-pass loop — A longer option that strings Nufenen together with Susten and Grimsel.