Home Destinations France Grand EstGrand Ballon

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

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

ID: FR-GES-11

Grand Ballon

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Grand Ballon (1,343 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Willer-sur-Thur: 16.0 km at an average 6.1%, gaining 974 m. The road pass below the 1,424 m summit, the highest point of the Vosges. First Tour appearance: 1969 (9 crossings).

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: The Route des Crêtes closes in winter. 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 Logs35 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	3%
0.5 km	NE Continue on track	6%
1.0 km	E Continue on track	4%
1.5 km	N Continue on track	6%
2.0 km	NE Continue on track	10%

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

Weather check

At Start

368m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

47.8437, 7.0706

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 47.8437, 7.0706 @ 368m

Quick Stats

Distance

15.88 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

368m - 1332m

Max Elevation

1332 m

Max Gradient

19.4%

Highlights

Ride the Willer-sur-Thur side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 1,343 m
The road pass below the 1,424 m summit, the highest point of the Vosges
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

+960 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)

60.5

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)

2.2

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)3%

Moderate (3-8%)29%

Steep (>8%)68%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved94%

Unpaved6%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

94%

Gravel

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: 53

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

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 47.843417

MAX LAT: 47.904743

MIN LON: 7.070551

MAX LON: 7.129218

Point Spacing: 22.1 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Grand Ballon

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.