The Hohneck Lakes

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hi, great hike, but the map leaves something to be desired; it's very easy to get lost.
If you take all the comments into account, you'll get there easily.
I would add that you shouldn't go up to the Dagobert cave, as it was a dead end... stay on the GR531 unless you want to see the cave 😉
The last climb is quite tough, so save your energy!
Enjoy your hike ✌🏼

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Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in good weather, technically challenging with lots of scree. We hiked using GPS without any preparation (we chose the route on the morning of departure), so there was some hesitation, but nothing major except at point 8 where we couldn't find the path on the right, so we continued straight ahead and found the right trail a little later. The only negative point in my opinion was the section between Schiessroth and Gaschney, a long descent on tarmac. It might be better to take the blue triangle trail shortly after Schiessroth under the Petit Hohneck and then rejoin the trail. I think that would be more pleasant to see, maybe next time. Otherwise, there was a little surprise at the end: the Col de Falimont, which ends this beautiful hike with a final, somewhat challenging climb. In any case, I think it's best to do this hike in dry weather. As for how busy it is, that depends on the time of day and the location. It's busier in the lake area and less so elsewhere, given the departure and arrival times.

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Date of your route : Sep 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. Not very busy (which is normal for this time of year), except at the lakes and Honneck.
Distances underestimated... and signage leaves something to be desired. We walked slowly to enjoy ourselves as we had decided to camp, but I think the hike is just right for a day if you leave late and want to enjoy the different viewpoints.

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Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This is the second time in 15 months that we have done this route. It is always a delight. There is a wide variety of landscapes between the open ridges and the lush vegetation of the valleys. We would like to thank the author for putting it online. But beware, as mentioned by several internet users:
- the distances are clearly underestimated (allow 22-23 km for a minimum of 8½ hours' walking, even if you are fit and take two half-hour breaks).
- The difficulty is real as there are many rocky sections.
- As mentioned by other users, there is no detailed crossing point at Kerbholz. It should be noted that we must not be very good at this, as we always miss the fork at the exit of this clearing (do not follow the white markings on the trees). As a result, we had to wander around for a few hundred metres to find the trail again (but we did discover a magnificent foxglove bush along the way).
- The markings are clearly insufficient or imprecise in several places along the route: at Rainkopf, for example, behind the refuge, it is clearly the path furthest to the left that you need to take, etc.

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Date of your route : Jun 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great route with beautiful views and even chamois along the way.

However, be careful, as the path is poorly marked and we strayed from it twice. There is sometimes a lack of signposting in certain areas.

Good footwear is essential for this hike, for example when walking over rocks.

It took us 8 hours, including a 30-minute lunch break and a 45-minute detour !

Strongly avoid in rainy weather.

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Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent circular, both for its lakes and its panoramic views. Please note that some sections are quite technical, particularly after Lake Altenweiher.

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Date of your route : Aug 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,

I did this hike on Thursday, 29 August. As someone who does a lot of hiking and trail running throughout France, I understand that routes and explanations are not always easy to provide (because understanding is a human endeavour...).
But here... it seems to me that there are several problems:
- The GPS points do not correspond to the route. If you follow the route on Visio and the coordinates provided, you will not follow the map.
- The explanations are too brief or even inaccurate given the complexity of this hike.
- Incorrect duration, distance and elevation gain.

I got lost several times, especially when arriving at the first lake, where I ended up on the other side of the dam... luckily, I always set off with food, water and a head torch... I left at 1.30 p.m. and returned at 9.15 p.m...and after turning off my GPS twice, it showed 24 km and 1,400 m elevation gain... (no passage at Rainkopf, no passage at Frankentahl to avoid getting back too late and because of the difficulty of the climb in the dark)

So, of course, I don't blame the person who posted this hike online. I just want to let those who do it after me know to pay attention to the important things (food, clothing, torch, etc.) when going on a hike.

There are many positive aspects: the views, the wildlife (lots of chamois <3), the flora, the inns, the lakes, the technical rocky sections... It's worth doing, but you need to be prepared :-)
Thank you
Mickaël

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Date of your route : Apr 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant route with a few technical sections. The lakes are interesting points of interest and add variety to the trip. No problems with the accuracy of the route, except for one occasion, but that was due to me misreading the map.

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Hello,

The route is inaccurate in many places compared to the IGN map.
The route description is too brief.
A waypoint would be useful at the fork before the Dagobert cave.

Thank you for your helpful comment. We hope that the author of the hike will take it into account.

See you soon!

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Date of your route : Oct 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Route unclear in many places compared to the IGN map.
Description of the route too brief.
A waypoint would be useful at the fork before the Dagobert cave.
Other than that, a very beautiful hike completed in 8 hours (including a total of one hour of breaks).
There are numerous rocky sections and the section of the route on the GR 531 requires particular attention.

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This duration of 5 hours, as some have said, does not represent the actual duration of the entire itinerary; you should allow at least 7 hours.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike. Among the highlights of this route, I can confirm:
-the great variety of landscapes and paths
-the difficulty: challenging, considering the technical level and length. Allow at least 7 hours without breaks.
I walk at a good pace, took an hour's break at Firstmiss (at the foot of Rainkopf) and swam in all the lakes, plus several stops to take photos, total: 10 hours.

I set off from Gaschney; the advantage is the timing, as you'll arrive in time for lunch in the part of the route full of farm inns. Whether you set off from here or from Hohneck, it won't make any difference in terms of difficulty, as the climb from the top of Falimont is hard but short (20-30 minutes).

Perfect GPS track. Pay attention to the markings! There is an inaccuracy after Kerbholz, towards Lac de Fischboedle: after a few minutes there is a fork with two different markers, the one on the left indicates Lac de Fischboedle, the other on the right also indicates the lake and the town of Mittlach with the blue easel, which suggests the right direction. Take the left fork; the GPS track will confirm this choice. After Schiessrothried Lake, the GPS track will also indicate a path to the left, while the markings indicate that you should go right (red rectangle): this is just a shortcut. Trust it, and enjoy your hike!

Mattia

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Date of your route : Jul 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful hike, but be aware that it is relatively long. Otherwise, it is a hike for experienced hikers, as some sections are very tricky.

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I changed the route because I always prefer to start with the difficult climb.
So we parked in Mittlach, then hiked to Lake Altenweiher, then headed towards Kastelberg, to
take the snowfield path to Hohneck.
Before reaching the summit, we descended to Schiessrothried Lake, where we ate and enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Noir before going for a swim.
Then we headed back towards Fischboedle Lake and the Wormsa Valley before returning to Mittlach.
For me, this is one of the most beautiful walks in the Vosges, taking in forests, moorland, lakes, waterfalls, glacial valleys, chamois, rocks, and much more.
The hike takes 5 hours of actual walking and 1 hour 20 minutes of breaks, with a maximum elevation gain of 1,300 metres.

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Date of your route : Oct 23, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb hike, we even saw around twenty chamois on the slopes of Hohneck. The autumn colours of the forests we passed through brightened up our journey. The lakes are pleasant and ideal for short breaks or a bite to eat. Be careful, though, as the path is sometimes a little rough (scree) and can be slippery in wet weather or when the snow melts (streams cutting across the path). This hike is very varied and is a great starting point for exploring the Hautes-Vosges.

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