Passo della Nufenen - Ulrichen

Boy did I enjoy this.Hit it early and had the climb to myself.Some wonderful switchbacks and scenery.Road is good, stiffens in places but you can get a good groove going and when you hit the higher slopes and the road becomes more exposed it''s pure cycling joy

My personal climb rating:

From Andermatt, I climbed the Susten, Grimsel, Nufenen and Gotthard passes in June 2010 – in that order. It is one of the most spectacular and varied loops that I have ever done in the Alps. This is a very hard loop for one day as the vertical climb is 5,150 meters over 160km. A real challenge. The direction of the loop is unquestionably the best as road to the north from Andermatt (which descents) is very busy and would not be pleasant to climb. Also, the Gotthard is best done south to north. Two options for shorter rides from Andermatt would be to half the above mentioned loop with the first day being Susten, Grimsel and Furka. The next day would be Furka (the other direction), Nufenen and the Gotthard. Nufenen from the west (bottom of the Furka). This col is relatively unknown to cyclists; however, it has a greater vertical gain than Alps d’Huez over the same distance and at 2500m, is much higher. The climb is quite hard when you consider the vertical gain, grade, altitude and, most likely, location of this climb in a loop from Andermatt. However, it is relatively car-free and is spectacular both up and down. It is great from either direction and is well worth any trip to climb.

My personal climb rating: