Greatest Roads #7 – Stairway to Heaven
Climbing the Furka Pass
Story and photos by Budd Stanley
About The Route:
Best time to Go: Weekdays during May, June, Sept. and October
Places to Stop: Village of Gletsch at the start point, the Hotel Bélvèdere is a must, with access to the ice tunnels through the Rhône glacier.
Total Distance: 27 km
Altitude: 2,436 metres
Starting Point: Coordinates 46°56′13″N – 8°36′19″E. We begin in the village of Gletsch, Switzerland, head east on highway 19 for a short climb to the peak, then on to Hospental, Switzerland 46°56′13″N – 8°36′19″E.
Road Type: The climb out of Gletsch to the peak is good smooth tarmac and fairly wide for a European pass. Down the eastern slope, the Furka narrows and guardrail is replaced with imposing hinklesteins.
Warnings: Narrow road with deadly drops off the backside of Furka. Road is full of cyclists, bikers, and other cars but more importantly, tons of tour buses; be ready to back out of the way.
Review:
In the last issue, we left off in the village of Gletsch, a small cluster of inns and residences sandwiched beneath two breathtaking valley walls, one containing the Grimsel pass we had just come off, the other with the intimidating sight of the Furka Pass.
In terms of sheer awe-inspiring views and the marvel that mankind was able to build a usable road up the side of what is literally a 2,000-metre cliff, the Furka represents one of the most impressive roads of the series. The cliff side the zig-zagging road clings to seems to lean over your head from the valley floor. The Hotel Bélvèdere is clearly visible at the apex of one of the hairpins, while the magnificent Rhône glacier sits just to the hotel’s left, ejecting clear water down the rock face and into the valley towards Gletsch. The scenery is like something out of a mythic graphical novel. You’re almost left waiting to see if a dragon will appear from behind the peak.
But we’re here for the road. Staying on Highway 19 coming out of the south side of the village, the Furka Pass gets right down to business with a steady and relatively straight climb to the rock face’s base. From here, the road turns into a ladder that folds on top of itself as it slinks up the massive wall. The road itself, while fun to drive, is mostly a mass of hairpin turns, so you’re never really able to stretch the legs of the car, and it lacks flow and technical challenge. It’s the magnitude of this special place that more than makes up for the onslaught of hairpins.
Near the top, we come upon the Hotel Bélvèdere, a unique inn that is situated right n the apex of one of the last hairpins. This is a must stop, as the view down into the valley is absolutely epic. Straight down below is the village, and just across the valley, the final decent of the Grimsel pass we had just tackled. Just adjacent to the hairpin corner is the Rhône glacier, the source for the Rhône river, which works its way into France and down into the Mediterranean. Wine lovers will know that the Rhône valley just across the border produces some of the greatest red wines in the world. A large flow of water exits under the glacier, and plummets down the rock face towards Gletsch, an incredible sight, made all the better with a tour through the blue ice tunnels that reach deep into the ice.
It’s a truly amazing place, but unfortunately, everyone else seems to know about it. Despite being off-season and a week day, the parking lot at the glacier was overflowing with tourists and tour buses. In the tranquility of the Alps, it was a bit much to deal with, but well worth the hassle.
Over the top, the road changes drastically. You get some winding curves connected to meandering straights that finally plunge down the east side of the Alps. Here, the road narrows substantially and the safety of guard rails is replaced by the terror-inducing narrow hinkelsteins. On the east side, the road drops straight off, and while not being as far a drop as the west side, it’s still a straight drop. I really felt like I was hanging off the edge of the world here. Then, when you do come upon a hairpin, they are quite blind, meaning you should be prepared to meet a tour bus head-on mid-corner. Heavy braking and the use of the reverse gear was needed more than a couple of times on the eastern descent. Lower down, the terrain begins to flatten out a bit, if you can call it that, and the air is filled with the sound of Swiss cow bells as the big brown cows roam the mountain side.
While the road was not the most satisfying of any of the Alpine passes, and the over-crowding of tourists, buses, cyclists and motorbikes was quite annoying, the scenery more than made up for the downfalls. And that’s what a great drive is all about. A great driving road just isn’t as special unless it flows through inspiring scenery. For that reason, the Furka is a must if you find yourself in southern Switzerland, with the use of an automobile.
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