North side of the Ballon d'Alsace from La Jumenterie to La Petite Chaume

To get to Ballon d'Alsace, take the D465. On the Vosges side, about 1 km from the summit, park your vehicle in the large car park before La Jumenterie.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, turn right along Rue du Ballon d'Alsace for about 100 metres. Turn right up the grassy path that leads to the foot of the ski slope to find the Disque Rouge marked trail. It climbs gently southwards across the ski slopes, offering beautiful views of the Moselle valley and the Ballon de Servance. Ignore the paths on the right and left, then keep right at the fork and you will come to the foot of theequestrian statue of Joan of Arc.

(1) Take the ridge path on the left (marked with a white/brown rectangle GR®59 sign) , which also represents the watershed, with the Moselle on the left flowing into the North Sea and the Savoureuse on the right flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. After about 300 m, turn left again onto the discovery trail that circles the summit with its explanatory stops. (Yellow disc markings). Beautiful panoramic views of the Moselle valley and the Ballons Vosgiens. Reach the eastern end of the pasture after the chicane.

(2) Leave the GR® and turn right along the fence to go to the orientation table, then descend to the Vierge du Ballon.

(3) Turn left to rejoin the GR®5 trail, marked first in red and white, then with a red rectangle. Shortly afterwards, you will reach the next crossroads.

(4) Turn right towards Lac des Perches. The descent is steep between the rocks and extreme caution is required. The descent levels out and the path crosses fields of heather and blueberry bushes. The trail runs alongside the low wall that marked the former border with Germany established after the defeat of 1870, with its traditional boundary stones (D). Here is the first pass, then the Ronde Tête pass.

(5) Continue straight ahead, following the red rectangle markings, now doubled by a blue ring. The path winds its way through a beautiful high-altitude beech forest. After about 500 m, you will come to a crossroads.

(6) Leave the Blue Ring trail descending to the right and climb to the left, following the Red Rectangle markings to the summit of Ronde Tête (Rundkopf). The trail continues and passes Col de Morteville, offering a beautiful view of the valley. Continue for a few hundred metres to reach a crossroads indicating the Abri de la Petite Chaume on the left, marked with a yellow-white-yellow rectangle.

(7) Do not follow this direction but continue straight ahead. Pass the descents to Alfeld and then Alfeld/Isenbach (red and white rectangle) on your right and stay on the GR® red rectangle until the next crossroads.

(8) Finally, leave the GR® trail on your right and take the yellow-white-yellow rectangle trail on your left, which climbs towards the Abri Petite Chaume. Please note that a signpost for the other direction indicates a place to stop for a snack, which can be reached in less than 5 minutes.

(9)Continue along the path that climbs up to the summit, which in summer is home to a small herd of sheep, following the same yellow and white markings. Enter the forest and follow the ridge line, marked once again by the low wall of the old border with its numbered markers, including 3383. A short climb brings you to a crossroads at Tête du Moinechamp

(10). Continue straight on towards Saint-Maurice and Chalet de Morteville, returning to the old border and its low wall. Descend slightly to the right. The path turns into a forest track, which you can simply follow despite the lack of markings. Cross the Goutte du Grand Girpot stream and, after walking along a rock wall, you will see the Large Pierre on your left , followed by a chalet called Baraque de Morteville.

(11) As the footbridge trail is closed, follow the beautiful forest road on the right, marked with blue triangles. Pass La Goutte de Morteville and reach a new crossroads (IGN elevation 811).

(12) Turn left onto a rough track called Sentier des Andines, still following the blue triangle markings towards Saint-Maurice via Chalet Spiler. A small wooden footbridge allows you to cross La Goutte de Morteville a second time. After a steep climb, you will reach a beautiful forest road at the crossroads (IGN elevation 850).

(13) Turn left and follow the yellow and white rectangle markings towards Les Roches de Morteville (the wrong destination since the footbridges were destroyed). The road climbs gently. At the next hairpin bend, you will reach the end of the footbridge trail.

(14) Turn completely right. After about 400 m, don't miss the path that climbs the embankment on the left.

(15) Take the hairpin bend to the left on this path, then immediately after, take the hairpin bend to the right, then another hairpin bend to the left. The climb becomes more challenging on the mountainside with a few rocky sections. The path leads to a grassy area.

(16) Continue to the left to reach a small meadow, which you must cross to reach the main road (D465). Pass in front of the Jumenterie buildings and reach the nearby car park by following the edge of the road (S/E).

This hike should be considered a mountain walk and requires appropriate equipment (good walking shoes and walking sticks). Even in summer, a light sweater and rain gear are strongly recommended due to the risk of sudden storms, especially at the end of the day.

There are two nice shelters for breaks at La Petite Chaume (fountain) and La Baraque de Morteville.

With the exception of the section from (9) to (13), there are no water points for our four-legged friends.

Club Vosgien trail markers

On the Vosges side: Bussang and its people's theatre, a listed historical monument.

On the Sewen side, Lake Alfeld and its dam.

On the Belfort side: Giromagny and the mine route.