Lake Alfeld from the Tête des Redoutes

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A hike for those who enjoy a good trudge. The hike can be done in winter, if necessary with snowshoes, bearing in mind the steep gradients encountered throughout the route and particularly over the final few hundred metres.
A beautiful hike with Lac d'Alfed as the focal point and the climb up to the ridge.

Details

n°47783
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.73 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,815 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,799 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,593 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,014 ft
Downloads
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Photos

Boedelen refuge
Ruins of Neuberg
Rundkopf Pass
Lake Alfeld

Description of the walk

Park in the Tête des Redoutes car park.

(S/E) Follow the road northwards for about a hundred metres. Take the hairpin bend to the right, leaving the Tête des Redoutes chalet on your right, and follow the ski run on your left for a few dozen metres. Turn left and follow the Red Rectangle markings.

Cross the piste and the ski lift. A little further on, cross another piste and another ski lift. Stay on the same route until you reach the road leading down to Lac d’Alfeld (D466).

(2) Cross the road and continue straight ahead, following the Red Triangle until you reach the same road at a bridge.

(3) The Hinteralfeld Farm Inn is on your left. Go past the bridge, then turn immediately right, following the Red Circle. Walk along the left bank of Lake Alfeld, following the Blue Circle.

(4) When you reach the footbridge, follow theGR®531straight ahead, also marked with a blue rectangle. When you reach a track, turn left to follow the red-white-red Rectangle.

(5) Further on, leave the track and follow a path on the left that runs more or less parallel to it.

(6) At the junction, turn left and continue to the ruins of Neuberg.

(7) At this point, follow the Red Rectangle markings which lead to the Col de Morteville and then the Col du Rundkopf. Continue to follow the same markings for a few metres until you reach a crossroads.

(8) Take the path furthest to the left, marked with a Red Cross.

(9) Walk past the Boedelen refuge.

(10) At the junction with the Red Circle, follow this signposting along the path on the right, leaving a ski lift on your left. The slope is very steep here. A little further up, you’ll pass the same ski lift, which you’ll also leave on your left. When you reach the base of this ski lift, turn right following the red-white-red Red Rectangle markings. As you emerge from the forest, you’ll see the Lodge de la Tête des Redoutes directly ahead.

The path takes you back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,543 ft - D59
  2. 1 : mi 0.4 - alt. 3,435 ft - Junction of the circular loop
  3. 2 : mi 1.24 - alt. 2,858 ft - D466
  4. 3 : mi 1.84 - alt. 2,267 ft - D466, turn left then right after the bridge
  5. 4 : mi 2.63 - alt. 2,047 ft - Footbridge - Lac d'Alfeld
  6. 5 : mi 3.06 - alt. 2,201 ft - Leave the track, take the path on the left
  7. 6 : mi 3.58 - alt. 2,595 ft - Crossroads, turn left
  8. 7 : mi 4.22 - alt. 3,261 ft - Ruins of Neuberg
  9. 8 : mi 5.81 - alt. 3,412 ft - Crossroads, turn left
  10. 9 : mi 6.45 - alt. 2,759 ft - Boedelen refuge
  11. 10 : mi 6.82 - alt. 2,664 ft - Turn right
  12. S/E : mi 7.73 - alt. 3,543 ft - D59

Notes

Area: Southern Vosges.
Access to the start via the Route du Ballon via Giromagny or via Sewen.
Starting car park: the one at the Tête des Redoutes chalet.
Passed the Boedelen refuge (Club Vosgien).
Passes close to the Hinteralfeld Farm Inn and the Baerenbach.

Worth a visit

View of the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace from the Rundkopf.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Downloads
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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Gwen R.
Gwen R.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A really lovely route and certainly very doable when there’s no snow.
But on the old, hard and slippery snow we had last week, it was dangerous and difficult on snowshoes.
Furthermore, and no doubt obvious to all seasoned winter hikers, the signposting isn’t adequate for winter because you can’t make out the path amidst the stubble and woods.
But with the GPX track, it works a treat.

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PierreSunn
PierreSunn

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A brilliant day out! I’d recommend taking a detour to the waterfalls on the way to Lake Sewen, before heading back towards the Ballon d’Alsace. If you’re feeling fit, a detour via the Ballon d’Alsace is well worth it.

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lascap70
lascap70

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely hike with a viewpoint and a lake
We tweaked the end of the route to include a short detour to the Ballon d'Alsace

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17decembre
17decembre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk with stunning views and a magnificent lake that has remained unspoilt thanks to the lack of vehicle access. Be careful towards the end, near the Boedelen refuge – which we never actually saw – as the directions are a bit confusing. It would have been better to break the route down into sections and number them so that there were clear markers at the changes of direction. But it’s easy to be critical…

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.