Furka-Höhenweg, Stage 1/2

Follow the infant river Rhone to Gletsch and then continue towards the Furka Pass, with the historic Furka railway line alongside you. If you're lucky, you'll see a traditional steam train passing by. Striking views of the Rhone Glacier and the entire Goms valley.

From the Oberwald stop, the route initially leads through the village, past the Heilig Kreuz church. Beyond the last houses, it becomes a mountain hiking trail and climbs steeply through the forest. By the St. Niklaus chapel, the valley floor is already far below.

Higher up, the forest thins out, giving way to meadows and open terrain. The long ascent continues to Gletsch without any significant descent. Just over halfway through the eleven-kilometre route, an intermediate stop is reached there; the mountain trail then continues into the increasingly barren pass landscape.

The final five kilometres account for considerable further elevation gain. The route climbs steadily and ends after around four and a half hours on the Furkapass, which, at about 2,430 m, is also its highest point. The pass connects the Goms with the Urserental; the European watershed between the Mediterranean and the North Sea runs through here. The Furka Passhöhe stop lies just a few steps from the finish.