Grand Ballon The Grand Ballon () or Great Belchen is the highest mountain of the Vosges, located northwest of Mulhouse, France. It is also the highest point of the Grand-Est French region. Name Grand Ballon means "great [round-topped] mountain" because a ballon in French is a geographical term for a mountain with a rounded summit. Some still call it Ballon de Guebwiller, after the name of the closest town, Guebwiller, located to the east. It is high. Climate According Köppen climate classification, the top of the Grand Ballon features a subarctic climate (Dfc), due to its altitude, 1424m above sea level. Winters are long, snowy and very cold. Summers are cool, with some mild days, especially in July. From 1400 to 900m the climate is subarctic. From 900 to 400, the climate is continental (with warm summers) (Dfb), and then, from 400m to 250m (plain), the climate is continental (with hot summers) (Dfa). 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 difference between the Grand Ballon and the neighboring plain (Mulhouse 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 7 March 2006; in 1969 and 1970 the snow cover was above .. Trails The well known Route des Crêtes (French for "route of the peaks") circumvents the mountain top around east, crossing a mountain pass at an altitude of , between Le Markstein winter sports station and Hartmannswillerkopf, 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 first crossing being in 1969. It is the only Hors categorie (beyond categorization) climb in northern France. Belchen System The mountain is part of the so-called Belchen System, a group of mountains with the name "Belchen" (in German) that may have been part of a Celtic sun calendar. Gallery See also Ballon d'Alsace 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 Category:Mountains of the Vosges Category:One-thousanders of France Category:Mountains of Haut-Rhin