Home Destinations France Grand EstBallon d'Alsace

Moderate

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: FR-GES-10

Ballon d'Alsace

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Ballon d'Alsace (1,178 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle: 9.0 km at an average 6.9%, gaining 619 m. The Tour's first official mountain climb, with a monument to René Pottier at the top. First Tour appearance: 1905 (about 24 times). René Pottier led over on 11 July 1905.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: Ski station; road normally open. Carry a windproof layer for the descent, enough water and food for the climb, and check road status before you go. Descend with care: these are open roads shared with cars and motorbikes.

Mission Logs23 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	2%
0.5 km	SW Continue on track	7%
1.0 km	NE Continue on track	8%
1.3 km	SW Steep Ascent	15%
1.8 km	SE Terrain Change	8%

Note: Gear suggestions are based on terrain gradient and are for reference only.

Weather check

At Start

562m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

47.8588, 6.8244

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 47.8588, 6.8244 @ 562m

Quick Stats

Distance

9.09 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

562m - 1169m

Max Elevation

1169 m

Max Gradient

18.6%

Highlights

Ride the Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 1,178 m
René Pottier led over on 11 July 1905
The Tour's first official mountain climb, with a monument to René Pottier at the top
Ride a climb from the 2026 Tour de France

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Signal Verified

Emergency Simplex

146.520MHz

Team Coordination

446.006MHz

Scout Primary

146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+606 m

Total Descent

-0 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)

66.7

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)

2.1

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)2%

Moderate (3-8%)16%

Steep (>8%)81%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved99%

Unpaved1%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

99%

Dirt Track

Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 35

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryModerate

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 47.820377

MAX LAT: 47.858785

MIN LON: 6.824086

MAX LON: 6.840723

Point Spacing: 21 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Ballon d'Alsace

Best time to go

Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct

June to September is best for Alpine and Pyrenean routes; spring and autumn suit Provence, Occitania and the Loire, while Réunion is driest from May to November and prone to cyclones from January to March.