The last stage through the Vosges Mountains. In 5 km the route climbs on small paths quite steeply to Ballon d’Alsace at 1247 meters. From there, the route descends to Lepuix. Then the route leaves the Vosges between the hills, ending at Giromagny.
We wake up at ease this morning and while packing our things, we enjoy a cup of coffee in front of the cottage. We review today’s route. It’s not that long, so we make an extra cup. It’s really enjoyable here in the peace and quiet in the middle of the woods so early in the morning.
Finally, by 8:30am we put on our backpacks and begin our final trek through the Vosges Mountains. It’s not that many kilometers, a good 18, but it’s a lot of descending. However, not before we climb to the last peak of the Vosges, the Ballon d’Alsace. And oh my, how steep it is! But after 4.5km we already reach the top and enjoy the cooling breeze and the view around us for a while. It is quite crowded on top here, it is a ski area frequented by cyclists and hikers in the summer. One advantage; we can refill our bottles with clean tap water for the rest of the hike.
We start the descent that brings us 700 meters down, in just over 7 kilometers. Here too there are quite a few steep sections and we are happy with the poles we have, they make descending a lot easier.
The route goes mostly through forests, we pass a beautiful lake and follow a small river into the valley. We walk along a few beautiful waterfalls (the name of path, ‘sentier de cascades’, is really striking) and as soon as we walk out of the woods, the steep path is suddenly completely flat. From up in the mountains, you suddenly reach the plain. Around us are still some hills, but we’ve completely left the mountains.
We continue the route past some villages and meadows until we reach Giromagny, where we will spend the night in a hotel. We arrive at 3 pm, but there is no one at the reception desk and the door remains closed when we ring the bell. The sign says “arrival from 4 p.m.” and apparently there’s nobody present before that time. Next to the hotel is a small park, where we spend another hour in the shade. And at the stroke of 4 p.m., the lady from the reception desk arrives and we can (finally!) get into our room.
Especially after a night of wild camping in the woods, it’s great to be in a hotel, but it takes some getting used to being inside so much. So, after recovering for a while and a good shower, we put our shoes back on to explore the village and do some shopping. With new provisions and pizza, we return to the hotel room and watch a Netflix movie. At least the rest of the evening our feet get plenty of rest.
We are curious to see what it will be like to walk the next stages through the flat country, up to the Jura and what this second mountain range will be like.
In any case, the lovely character of the mountains and the charming villages at the edge of the Vosges Mountains stole our hearts. It was quite an uphill and a downhill ride at times, but the beautiful views, the miles through the varied forests and the beautiful nature made it more than worth it.
