Petit Ballon from Soultzbach-les-Bains 40 km
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 24.52 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,163 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 3,163 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,818 ft
- TrailRank
- 55
- Min elevation
- 1,014 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 17 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1669
- Uploaded
- September 25, 2021
- Recorded
- September 2021
near Metzeral, Grand Est (France)
Viewed 488 times, downloaded 6 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The tour starts in Metzeral near where our holiday house was. You first cycle along the signposted cycling route through the Munster valley slightly downhill. You pass Munster on the south side and continue the cycling route to Soultzbach-les-Bains on some of the better parts of the cycling route, with nice views. In Soultzbach you leave the cycling route and follow the road through the valley. The climb starts here and is first easy all the way to Wasserbourg. In this quiet village the climb really starts with a stretch of 14% in the village, and then about 2 km more at around 10%, then an easier part in the woods, before a final steeper stretch until a col near Le Ried. You then descend a few hundred meters to Le Ried and continue your trip to the top. On this stretch, which is also part of the main climb of Petit Ballon, you find signs every kilometers indicating the remaining kilometers to the top and the grade of the next kilometer. You leave the woods to get a good view towards the summit. At Buchwald shortly after leaving the woods, there is a nice view across the mountains towards the Rhine valley. You finish the climb to le Col du Petit Ballon at 1163 to get great views of mountain scenery and the Munster valley. The climb to Le Ried is on good asphalt, then the pavement is less good, but good to climb. The descent is nice, and the asphalt reasonable, although you should watch for holes. You end up at Sondernach, and make a short detour from the main road to the Église Saint-Blaise before returning to the starting point in Metzeral.
Waypoints
Waypoint
3,317 ft
Buchwald
Viewpoint across mountain scenery and Rhine valley. Best in the afternoon as the sun is in your back then.
Waypoint
2,935 ft
Climb from Le Ried to Petit Ballon
From Le Ried it is about 3.4 kilometers to the top. You first ride through woods and then through mountain meadows.
Waypoint
1,998 ft
Climb from Wasserbourg to Le Ried
From the outskirts of Wasserbourg to Le Ried is mostly in the woods, and quite steep (average 10%) the first 2 kilometers, then 5 % for 600 meters, and then 800 meters again at 10% until you get to a col near Le Ried from where you descend to Le Ried.
Mountain pass
2,996 ft
Col near Le Ried
An intermediate col near Le Ried offers temporary relief. You descend to Le Ried with nice views.
Waypoint
1,581 ft
Cycling route Munster Valley
From here you follow the signposted cycling route through the Munster valley on minor roads and cycling paths.
Waypoint
3,813 ft
Descent to Sondernach
The descent is nice, the asphalt not great, but good enough to descend. Watch out for holes, though.
Waypoint
1,021 ft
Start climb Petit Ballon
Here the climb starts through the valley. See https://climbfinder.com/nl/beklimmingen/petit-ballon-whir-au-val. The first stretch to Wasserbourg is easy, well-paved and quiet with good views.
Waypoint
1,750 ft
Wasserbourg
When you enter the village the climbing starts, and soon after this waypoint you have steepest part (14%), and the road keeps climbing quite steep with a short break to the edge of town (average 10% from this point).
Religious site
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