Schirmeck - Fesches-le-Châtel
Crête des Vosges

We have started The Vosges Mountains section in 2016. Unfortunately we didn't get very far because of a painful medical condition that prevented me to walk. Sometimes one wonders how you get those conditions, and even more how one gets rid off it. One way or the other I managed to get a bowel mucous membrane damage, a condition that according to doctors is "medically innocent" but unfortunately very painful. In spite of trying we didn't get any further than from Schirmeck to Châtenois just to realize that 2016 was going to be our year.

Almost fully recovered we continued in the Ascencion Day week in 2017 and it actually went really well. We progressed another 120 km until Thann, only 4 days short of finishing the Vosges. On the last day of July we started again in Thann and 4 days later we passed Fesches thus finishing the Vosges!

Do we have an opinion on the Vosges? Well...actually we mostly enjoyed the part until Ribeauvillé with the wineries and the views. After that it was different but until Col de la Schlucht still beautiful. We did develop an allergy for climbing over rocky paths though. And honestly speaking, that part from Col de la Schlucht to Grand Ballon was a bit disappointing: continuous noise of the road, too much people and for sure too many mountainbikers on the path. And after that .... lots of forest.