The Grand Ballon () or Great Belchen ( ; ) is the highest mountain of the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single geomorphological unit and ...

, located northwest of

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Mìlhüsa'' ; , meaning "Mill (grinding), mill house") is a France, French city of the European Collectivity of Alsace (Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region of France). It is near the Fran ...

, France. It is also the highest point of the

Grand-Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

French region.

Name

''Grand Ballon'' means "great ound-toppedmountain" because a ''ballon'' in French is a geographical term for a mountain with a rounded summit, similar to the German ''

Kuppe A ''Kuppe'' is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a ''Kuppengebirge''. In geology the term also refers t ...

''. Some still call it ''Ballon de Guebwiller'', after the name of the closest town,

Guebwiller Guebwiller (; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Gàwiller'' ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, département in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It was a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the de ...

, located to the east. It is high.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, the top of the Grand Ballon features a

subalpine climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfc'') due to its high altitude comparable to the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

or the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

. Along with the Hohneck the summit of the Grand Ballon is the coldest and windiest point in Alsace. A record low of was recorded on 10 February 1956, a record high of was recorded on 13 August 2003. The temperature difference between the Grand Ballon and the neighboring plain (

area) usually ranges from and is higher in summertime. Winter snow cover is usually more than above of altitude. The highest snow accumulation ever recorded was on 7 March 2006; in 1969 and 1970 the snow cover was above .

Trails

The well known

Route des Crêtes Thé Route des Crêtes (; ) is an road in the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France, which passes through the Ballons des Vosges Nature Park, Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges. It connects Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (north) with Cernay, Hau ...

(

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

for "route of the peaks") circumvents the mountain top around east, crossing a mountain pass at an altitude of , between

Le Markstein Le Markstein () is a winter sports station in the Vosges mountains in France situated at an altitude of between and which is located on the Route des Crêtes. It forms a set of cross-country skiing with the Breitfirst ski-station and the Grand B ...

winter sports station and

Hartmannswillerkopf Hartmannswillerkopf, also known as the Vieil Armand (French) or Hartmannsweiler Kopf (German; English: Hartmansweiler Head) is a pyramidal rocky spur in the Vosges mountains of the Grand Est region, France. The peak stands at overlooking the Rhin ...

, a rocky spur.

Tour de France

The road over the pass to the north of the mountain is occasionally used in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

, the first crossing being in

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

. It is the only ''Hors categorie'' (beyond categorization) climb in northern France.

Belchen system

The mountain is part of the so-called

Belchen system The Belchen system comprises five mountains with the name ''Belchen'' around the tripoint of Germany, France, and Switzerland that may have been used by the Celts as a solar calendar. The term is an extension of the Belchen triangle. The mountai ...

, a group of mountains with the name "Belchen" (in German) that may have been part of a

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

sun calendar A solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicates the season or almost equivalently the apparent position of the Sun relative to the stars. The Gregorian calendar, widely accepted as a standard in the world, is an example of a solar calendar. ...

World War I monument

Near the

radar station Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), direction (azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track aircraft ...

air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

centre, there are two First World War (1914–1918) memorials called, Memorial Diables Bleus Grand Ballon, commemorating the French troops, in particular the Chasseurs Alpins, whose nickname is Les Diables Bleus (Eng: The Blue Devils), who fought there in World War I. The original single monument was erected in 1927 but was dynamited, by German troops, in July 1940 during World War II and rebuilt in 1960. Le radar au sommet du grand ballon. 2014-10-28.jpg, An

is located on the summit. Vue de Grand Ballon vers les Alps.jpg, View from the Grand Ballon to the Swiss Alps. In the forground the Memorial Diables Bleus GrandBallon360-07-01-06.jpg, 360° panorama from the summit - 7 January 2006

References

External links

Profile of climb
from Willer-sur-Thur.
Le Grand Ballon dans le Tour de France

Cycling up to Le Grand Ballon: data, profile, map, photos and description
{{Authority control Mountains of the Vosges One-thousanders of France Mountains of Haut-Rhin