Day three starts high and gives the altitude away first. From the Grimsel Pass the road drops to Gletsch, where the routes to the Valais, the Furka and the Grimsel meet. Then the climbing starts again immediately. The western side of the Furka is open, rough and exposed; below the pass, the old Hotel Belvédère sits beside the road, with the Rhône Glacier area behind it. The pass is the highest point of the day. The descent leads to Realp and into the Urseren Valley, then on through Andermatt to Hospental. There the second major climb begins: the Gotthard. At the top, the route crosses into Ticino. The descent to Airolo follows the Tremola, with cobbles, tight bends and views deep into the Leventina valley.
