17.9
PDI
7 mi
DISTANCE
2,763 ft
GAINED
7.2 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
The Col du Haag climbs 11.3 km (7.0 mi) from Saint-Amarin to the Route des Crêtes, gaining 842 m (2763 ft) at a 7.2% average to finish at 1227 m (4027 ft) - a stone's throw from the Grand Ballon, the highest summit in the Vosges. That average flatters it: a short descent before Geishouse pulls the number down, and the climbing itself runs mostly at 8-11%, which is why many riders call it the hardest climb in the Vosges.
The second half is what makes it special. From Geishouse a gated, car-free road climbs about 5.5 km through tall pines to the col. It began as a forest track paved in 1960 that slowly fell apart; rather than spend an estimated €400,000 just patching it, the mayor of Geishouse pulled together about €600,000 from the state, the region, the département and neighboring towns to rebuild it as a green road, fully resurfaced in 2023. It is about 4 m (13 ft) wide, with separate lanes for climbing cyclists, descending cyclists and walkers.
On 18 July 2026 the Haag made its Tour de France debut as the final climb of Stage 14 from Mulhouse to Le Markstein. Tadej Pogačar attacked on the steepening last 1.7 km, crested 25 seconds clear of Jonas Vingegaard and Paul Seixas, and soloed on to win at Le Markstein.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The Col du Haag from Saint-Amarin is 11.3 km (7.0 mi) long with 842 m (2763 ft) of climbing at a 7.2% average, from 418 m (1373 ft) to 1227 m (4027 ft).
It starts hard: the first kilometer climbs at 8.6% straight out of Saint-Amarin, and kilometers 3 and 4 average 9.2% and 10.1% as the road works up through the woods. Then comes a short, bumpy descent of under a kilometer before Geishouse - the only real relief on the climb, and the reason the average looks modest.
Above Geishouse, on the car-free section, the grade is steep but smooth, with kilometer 7 at 9.6%. Kilometers 8 and 10 both ease below 6%, enough for a few minutes in the big ring, but the finish is the hardest part of the climb: the last 1.2 km average about 10.4%, including a tight bend that riders put at 12% just before the col.
Steepest sections: 10.8% for the steepest kilometer, 9.6% for the steepest 2 km and 8.0% for the steepest 5 km. The steepest mile (1.6 km) averages 10.5%. The climb is currently ranked #1244 in the world in our database.
Roadway: The road is paved the entire way. The lower half from Saint-Amarin to Geishouse is a narrow village and forest road, with a bumpy surface on the short descent before Geishouse. Above Geishouse, the car-free Haag road was fully resurfaced in 2023 and is smooth with no abrupt changes in gradient, though the bitumen has started to fade and shows early frost damage. It is narrow with tight hairpins, so many riders climb the Haag and descend by one of the wider Grand Ballon roads instead.
Traffic: You ride the busy N66 valley road only to reach Saint-Amarin. The road up to Geishouse is quiet, and above the village gates keep out everything except a handful of residents with passes - if you see a car, it is almost certainly authorized. Expect walkers and other riders instead, especially on summer weekends. At the top you join the Route des Crêtes, which carries sightseeing cars and motorcycles.
Parking: Saint-Amarin is a small town in the middle of the valley with a TER station on the Mulhouse-Kruth line, so leaving the car at home is easy. If you drive, the Vallée de Saint-Amarin tourist office at 81 rue Charles de Gaulle is a good first stop for parking advice and maps of the area.
Provisions: Fill your bottles in Saint-Amarin. There is a fountain on the right just after the short descent before Geishouse, and then nothing until the col, where the Ferme-Auberge du Haag serves farm meals - listings show it closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so check before relying on it. The Grand Ballon summit restaurant is about 1 km further along the ridge.
Gear: With long stretches at 9-12% and a 12% bend just before the top, bring your lowest gears: a 34-tooth chainring with a 30- to 34-tooth cog suits most riders. The upper road is shaded by pine forest, but a few sections are exposed and the summit ridge can be hot in summer or cold and windy out of season, so carry sunscreen and a wind layer.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Saint-Amarin grew up around a 7th-century monastery founded by a monk named Amarin, and for centuries the valley belonged to the prince-abbots of Murbach, who even minted coins here - the old Maison des Monnaies and the 13th-century Tour Diffor, a remnant of the town walls, still stand. The Musée Serret, housed in a 1912 courthouse that served as a military hospital in the First World War, covers the Hartmannswillerkopf fighting, the Alsatian Resistance and the valley's textile and glassmaking past - a good rest-day visit.
The name Haag comes from an old German word for an enclosed, fenced area, and there has been a farm at the col for centuries. Today the Ferme-Auberge du Haag serves classic Vosges farm-inn food - fleischschnacka, Munster cheese and blueberry tart. From the col, turn right for the extra kilometer and roughly 100 m (328 ft) of climbing to the Grand Ballon, or left along the Route des Crêtes toward Le Markstein, where the 2026 Tour stage finished.
The best season runs from mid-May to October, and the Route des Crêtes closes in winter. Conditions at the col can be very different from the valley, so check our Weather tool before you go.
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