Furkajoch - Austria
The Furkajoch sits between Laternser and Große Walsertal valleys, connecting Laterns and Damüls in Voralberg in Austria.
This climb is not to be confused with the more famous Furka Pass in Switzerland but given the closeness of Voralberg to Switzerland, it is not a surprise that the passes have the same names. The Furkajoch is tough and lovely in equal measures and a much less traveled road.
Furkajoch - 1761m
For centuries, the Furkajoch served as a regional route linking the Laternsertal with the Großes Walsertal in what is now the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Before modern roads, it was used mainly by farmers, shepherds, and traders, moving livestock and goods between valleys during the snow-free months. Like many Alpine passes of this scale, it was never a major trade artery, but it was essential to local life.
The ascent usually starts from Rankweil in the Rheintal, where the road begins to rise steeply through forest and open pasture. The gradient is steep but steady, making it easy to settle into a rhythm rather than fight the climb. It feels more like a flowing mountain road once you reach Lanterns where the road flattens.
As you gain height, trees thin and the landscape opens into rolling alpine meadows. The road curves gracefully across the hillside, with wide views over the surrounding valleys and peaks. Traffic is typically light, adding to the calm, almost pastoral atmosphere. Cowbells and birdsong often replace engine noise.
Near the top, the road continues to sweep steeply upward to the summit at 1,761 meters, marked simply and without fuss.
Furkajoch from Rankweil
A remote and romantic climb in a quiet valley
Leaving the Rhine Valley
From Rankweil, this climb is 21.3 km long, gaining 1,288 m of elevation at an average gradient of 6%. However, this figure is somewhat misleading, as the middle 7 km of the climb are gentler and even include a short descent.
The ascent begins at the eastern edge of Rankweil, near the Frutz creek, where there is a convenient car park. The road climbs immediately—there is no easing in, no warm-up—just steep gradients that quickly reach double digits. After leaving the town behind and passing through a couple of tunnels, you reach Laterns after around 6 km and 430 m of climbing, on a quiet, twisting road. As the church comes into view, the valley opens up and the character of the climb changes.
Laternser Tal
This section of the ride through the villages is long, stretching 7.5 km into the valley and gaining 250 m of elevation. Several small villages line the road, and after Gerstenböden it narrows to a single lane. The valley is dominated by farming, and a sense of rural calm is present everywhere.
By this point, the sun is beating down and it has become quite warm. Despite passing through villages, there are no bakeries or other places to stop. However, as you roll through this delightful valley, with meadows and scattered farmhouses, the absence of stops hardly feels like a drawback.
As the valley tightens, the flatter section finally comes to an end.
Final Push
The final 6 km are brutal, gaining 560 m of elevation at an average gradient of around 9%, with ramps reaching 16% in places. The climb begins in dense forest, where the first tight corners and switchbacks are punishing, almost feeling like they turn back on themselves.
After negotiating these sections, the landscape opens and the road continues through open meadows toward the end of the valley. Ahead, a hillside appears with an ominous diagonal line cut across it—the road climbing to the pass in a long, straight ramp of about 1.5 km (including one bend, which makes an excellent photo stop). This stretch holds double-digit gradients all the way to the top.
The pass itself sits on a tight bend, where a biker café offers a welcome place to rest, along with excellent views in both directions.
Some rides stay with you long after they’re over, and this is certainly one of them.
Furkajoch from Rankweil
Length: 21.3km
Altitude gain: 1288 m
Max altitude: 1761 m
Average gradient: 6%
Max gradient: 14.1%
Route Tip: Starting from Rankweil you climb the Furkajoch which is tough climb in its own right and despite it being of modest hight, it has some really tough sections. It starts right out the gate into the lovely Laternser Tal, a sleepy backwater, and then up a steep climb to the Furkajoch. Continue on a high speed descent to Damühls and a short climb up the Faschinajoch before another great descent to Thüringerberg and the last climb back to Rankweil via Dünserberg. This is a lovely loop ride.
