It’s a day tour that is not for everyone, because you need a good level of training and uncommon determination to tackle over 3,000 meters of elevation gain.
But if you don’t lack courage, challenge yourself and ride over the legendary Swiss Alpine passes. Gottardo, Furka and Nufenen, one after the other, in a 100-kilometer loop.
We leave early in the morning from Como in our VAN to approach the starting point in upper Ticino Canton. Just a few kilometers of warming up and in Airolo we start to climb the Gotthard, on the old “Tremola” road, paved with cobblestones in its second half, which gives us breathtaking landscapes and views.
An easy downhill to the north and we are in Realp, in the Canton Uri, where after a few kilometers of flat road at the bottom of the valley, the Furka Pass joins us and takes us to of 2250 metres above sea level.
A stop to regain strength and a photo, then quickly down the long and technical downhill that takes us to the beginning of the last climb, the most difficult of today: the Novena Pass, 14 endless kilometers up to an altitude of 2450 metres. The last 6 with slopes always in two digits.
Another well-deserved stop at the summit from where we can enjoy an excellent panorama, before descending to Airolo with the last 20 very fast kilometers downhill.
