Trail des Hautes Vosges

The Trail des Hautes Vosges is a 42-kilometer trail race with 1,800 meters of elevation gain in the Vosges Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in Europe. This event crosses the iconic landscapes of the High Vosges: high-altitude pastures, spruce and fir forests, glacial lakes, and panoramic ridges, in a natural setting of serene and timeless beauty.

The Vosges Mountains, stretching from north to south along Alsace, present in their southern part a relief shaped by Quaternary glaciations. Glacial cirques, mountain lakes, and U-shaped valleys bear witness to this geological history. The High Vosges, whose highest point is the Grand Ballon at 1,424 meters, offer surprisingly alpine landscapes for a mid-altitude massif.

The Trail des Hautes Vosges course follows ridge trails and forest paths that crisscross the massif. Runners move along the Route des Cretes, a panoramic road created during World War I, before plunging into wooded valleys and climbing back to the chaumes, those high-altitude pastures covered with blueberries and heather where Vosges cattle graze. The lakes of Schiessrothried, Fischboedle, and Lac Blanc are jewels set in glacial cirques that runners skirt or overlook.

The 1,800 meters of elevation gain accumulate through regular and sustained climbs. The terrain is varied: sometimes rocky mountain trails on the ridges, forest paths carpeted with fir needles in the undergrowth, passages across grassy chaumes, and peatland crossings. Weather conditions can change rapidly at altitude, with fog, wind, and cool temperatures even in summer.

The Trail des Hautes Vosges crosses a territory marked by Franco-German history. World War I remnants, trenches, shelters, and memorials, are visible on the ridges that were the scene of fierce fighting. The Hartmannswillerkopf, or Vieil Armand, is one of the most poignant sites of the Great War, and the course passes near this memorial.

The ecological richness of the High Vosges is remarkable. Chamois, successfully reintroduced in the 1950s, roam the rocky slopes. The capercaillie, an iconic and endangered species, finds refuge in the high-altitude forests. Peatlands shelter rare plant species, remnants of the boreal flora of the Ice Age.

Aid stations offer Alsatian and Vosges specialties: Munster cheese, blueberry tart, pretzels, and Alsatian wine. The welcome is warm, reflecting Alsatian hospitality. The Trail des Hautes Vosges is an accessible yet demanding mountain event that offers runners a complete panorama of Vosges landscapes in their diversity and beauty.