Le Markstein (West)
Le Markstein is a winter sports station in the Vosges mountains in France situated at an altitude of between 1,020 m (3,346 ft) and 1,268 m (4,160 ft) which is located on the Route des Crêtes. It forms a set of cross-country skiing with the Breitfirst ski-station and the Grand Ballon. The highest point is the summit of the Jungfraukopf. The station staged World Cup skiing in 1983 and 1987 and World Cup Paragliding in 1999. The roads through the station are also used from time to time by the Tour de France cycle race, including twice in 2014. This ride starts with a gentle gradient through the valley. At the amazing Lac de Kruth-Wildenstein we turn right and the climb starts. The first part is the hardest, but it never gets really difficult. At the top there is always lots to do, even during summer. There is a summer toboggan run and many possibilities for paragliding. At Le Markstein four roads cross. You can ride along over the beautiful Route des Crêtes, which ends at the Le Grand Ballon.
Region: Grand Est
City: Oderen
Distance: 20.43 km
Elevation Gain: 732 m
Elevation Loss: 65 m
Difficulty: 451 (Moderate)
FIETS Index: 2.94 FIETS
Avg Grade: 4.01 %
Max cat climb: 1
Min elevation: 467 m
Max elevation: 1199 m
Ride Category: Climb