Cycling the Furka Pass in Switzerland is an unforgettable experience that is not for the faint-hearted. Not an easy climb by any stretch, the long pass stretches up to lofty heights where the air is thin, with seemingly endless hairpins winding their way up the mountain.

But in an area renowned for its natural beauty, the view at every one of these hairpins could be a computer desktop background: sparkling rivers winding through valleys carpeted with vibrant green and huge snow-capped mountains and unique glaciers towering above them.