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Departure from the car park at Col d'Oderen.
(S/E) Cross the road, leave theGR®®531(marked with a blue rectangle, the return route) on your left and take the path on the right at the boundary marker between the Haut-Rhin and Vosges departments (Ancien Sentier des Douaniers). This fairly steep path continues for about 1 km, running along the former French-German border (which you will encounter several times during the hike). See Practical Information. It joins theGR®®531and a path marked with a blue triangle.
(1) After passing through a fence (always make sure you close it behind you to prevent animals from escaping), take the path (marked with a blue triangle) that branches off to the right towards the Ferme-Auberge du Felzach (or Felsach). Walk past the Ferme-Auberge buildings.
(2) After the barn, take the path that descends to the right (Blue Triangle). Further on, pass under an old abandoned ski lift, then arrive at the top of an alpine pasture. Begin the descent, with a view of the town of Kruth. On your left, at the edge of the forest, you will see two small buildings, the Frentzbergel. Take the path on the left that leads there.
(3) At Frentzelbergel, the path is crossed by an electric fence. Turn right and stay on the marked trail, which joins a forest path.
(4) Ignore the forest path that descends and take the one on the left (marked with a red ring). After a left turn, at the crossroads, ignore the path marked with a blue ring and continue straight ahead for a few kilometres. After crossing a path marked with a yellow disc, continue to a crossroads with a clearing and a picnic table on the left under the trees (you can't miss it).
(5) At this crossroads, leave the Anneau Rouge markings, take the path that climbs to the left and follow it to the junction with a path marked with a yellow cross.
(6) At this point, leave the path, which becomes a trail, and climb up the trail on the left (Yellow Cross) to Petit Ventron.
(7) At Petit Ventron, take theGR®® 531 on the right (blue rectangle) towards Grand Ventron, cross afirst mountain pasture, and at thesecond mountain pasture, you will arrive at a junction.
(8) Take theGR®® variant on the left, marked by a blue-white-blue rectangle, until you reach a small, quiet tarmac road. Take this road on the right and pass in front of the Auberge de la Chaume du Grand Ventron (unfortunately closed and currently for sale).
(9) At the Auberge de la Chaume du Grand Ventron, take the path and pass in front of the Alpine Club chalet (marked with a blue disc and yellow triangle) until you reach the Grand Ventron orientation table.
(10) After admiring the landscape at the summit of Grand Ventron, continue on theGR®®531, passing the mountain pasture you encountered earlier and then Petit Ventron (7).
(11) At Tête du Chat Sauvage, on a clear day you will have a beautiful view of the Bernese Alps. Continue southwards until you reach the large crossroads at Chaume du Vintergé with its shelter.
(12) The Chaume des Vintergés shelter (here too, you can picnic in the shelter in case of rain). Continue south on theGR®® towards Haut de Felzach.
(13) Leave the forest at Haut de Felzach and descend to the small car park located 300 m from the Felzach farmhouse inn.
(14) At the small car park by the farm, cross the access road to the farm and continue opposite, still on theGR®®531. At the crossroads, ignore the path you took on the way there and continue to the Col d'Oderen (S/E).
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Tourism professional
Moderate 
Visorando member
Easy 
