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Alsace, France, Vosges Mountains –
Maxi-METHS and AGM
38th Annual
Reunion - Monday 15th to Friday 19th September 2025
Venue: Grand Hotel, 1 Rue de la Gare, 68140 Munster, France
Participants:
Rupert
(leader) & Sally Roschnik, Neil & Carol Lawford, Kay Black, Judy &
Mick Ireson, Mike Macklin, Janet Woods, Stephen & Catherine Temple, Esther
Ratsma,
Monday 15th September, 2025
We arrived at Munster on a
wet Monday afternoon. Those who had driven through northern France and then
through the Vosges mountains had had heavy rain and low cloud. Good views of
the Munster valley from above were absent. The arrivals by train via Colmar had
the attraction of the single-track railway line up the Munster valley after the
express services to Colmar.
We stayed in the (pompously) named Grand Hotel, part
of a chain of "Brit Grand Hotels" all over France. It was well situated, 2-3 minutes' walk from
the railway station and little more than 5 minutes from the town centre. The prices were reasonable and it was
clearly a very popular choice for accommodation in Munster. It was large, with just over 50 double rooms
(and some family rooms) in a historic building and a more modern wing. We were very satisfied with the large rooms,
adequate car park, bar and dining room for the evening. A buffet breakfast was served in a large
separate room, with mainly long tables to be shared with other guests, coach
parties and a large group of French cyclists.
The quality and quantity were good, but there was always a big crowd
from 7.30 to around 8.15am since most guests wanted to get off early. We took half board the first and last nights
and went to two different restaurants in the town centre: Restaurant La Cigogne on Tuesday and La Table des Malker
on Wednesday.
Neil
Tuesday 16th
September 2025
Le Honeck -1364m
After
a wet drive into Munster on the Monday afternoon Tuesday dawned bright and dry,
boding well for Rupert’s first route which was to take in the third highest
point of the Vosges. However, as a sweetener he told us that there was a
restaurant on the summit.
Nine
of us set off: Rupert, Kay Mick & Judy, Michael, Esther, Stephen, Janet and
Neil, having driven up through the forest to the car park at Gaschney. This is a small ski centre below the Le Petit
Hohneck.
The
first section was a steep and stoney path going diagonally up the side of the
hill before curving round and levelling off through some beech trees. Every so
often we had gaps in the trees giving us glimpses over the valley below to the hills opposite. After the pleasant level section, the path
steepened and we nearly took a wrong turn, having missed the nearly vertical
section with water running down it, but we soon found out that there were steps
and a metal handrail. In two flights we gained quite a lot of height and then
were on a very pleasant level path which took us out of the forest with
beautiful views of the Vosges to the north. This led to the col between Le
Hohneck and Le Petit Hohneck.
A
pause to regroup, look at the view and work out which path we wanted next gave
us the chance to gather our strength for the final ascent to the top. With the
wind gusting strongly from the south west we opted to take the path rising
along the north side of the ridge. As we reached the top of this path, we heard
many cow bells ringing and soon saw a couple of men leading a herd of cows down
the ridge followed by two more people keeping them moving. A typical alpine
sound of cow bells even if we were not in the alps. A short pull up from there
brought us to the summit where after the obligatory summit photos we went
inside out of the wind for hot chocolate or vin chaud.
The
original plan had been to drop down into the valley with lake below the south
side of the summit but the first section appeared to be very steep and some of
the group would have found it testing. We were now in sunshine and the views
all around were magnificent. We followed the path along the summit ridge and
then from the col where we had been earlier we took a
path down, around the other side of the Petit Hohneck to reach a narrow,
surfaced track that would bring us back to the cars. It did not rain at all (a
change from recent AGM meets) and all agreed it had been a good walk – thanks
Rupert.
Neil
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Catherine’s
adventure
Catherine,
out of practice and overawed by a 450m climb found a bus timetable in the
hotel atrium and proposed to set off by bus to a point where a 100m climb would
enable her to join the group for lunch at Hohneck refuge. But she stood on the
wrong side of road as the bus sailed by......distraught, she addressed a
teenager in "franglais" about the later bus. The
teenager stomped off seemingly unmoved by the mangled words, yet returned
with her grandfather who said, “Get in the car I’m going that way.” Emboldened
by presence of the teenage chaperone she accepted. There followed a guided tour
of Munster to see all buildings of note, whilst searching for a stork’s
nest with a stork still on it.... then a scenic climb to Col de Sclutz with several stops to be ushered to
viewpoints…. before the new friends parted at a bus stop for a connecting
bus parallel to GR5. Where Catherine learned that the connection only ran
at weekends in September.... reading various information boards and her map
Catherine found that she was on GR5 and could reach Hohneck refuge by climbing
200m in 1.5 hours. She sent texts to husband and sister to explain her
whereabouts and intent then lengthened her walking poles and set off
through the beech forest, soon finding herself in pinewoods
then Alpine meadows. At one point she was mobbed by goats who
expected all hikers to be dispensing sandwiches. Emboldened by the clearing
weather and feeling safe on a well signed path with other hikers usually within
sight she plodded on, enchanted by the Vosgienne cows
with their black sides and white back stripes and tails. She missed meeting the
group but celebrated her achievement of the summit with steaming carrot
soup. Then she had to get down. She could see hikers striding across the
plateau, the weather had cleared, and the descent was achieved in time for the
last bus… but Stephen LIKES hairpin
bends so he drove to the col to collect her and amused himself with the
electric regen capacity of the car on the descent. Thank you to "Club
Vosgienne" for the reassuring way-marking and
route interpretation boards.
Catherine
Wednesday 17th
September 2025
Le
Petit Ballon
The plan for this walk was to
reach the summits of Petit Ballon at 1272m and Steinberg 1177m. Rupert Roshnik
(walk leader), Janet Woods, Esther Ratsma, Mike Macklin, Kay Black, Stephen and
Catherine Temple, Mick and Judy Ireson drove to Obersolberg
where we parked by a pile of long logs just below the village and started
walking up a rocky trail marked by yellow triangles. This climbed up quite
steeply through woodland, then out on to more open country until we reached a
car park. From there we followed a mix of trails, tracks and tarmac road. On
one section we came across some Haflinger horses with their young in a field –
they are an attractive, small chestnut coloured
breed. We also saw Vosgiennne cattle, identified by
our experts.
Shortly after, the first of
the walkers reached another car park at the Col du Petit Ballon, by excellent
timing, Neil arrived on his bike. Mike and Kay decided in favour
of walking along the col to find hot chocolate while Rupert, Janet, Esther,
Mick, Judy, Stephen and Catherine climbed up to the summit and, after enjoying
the views, returned to the col. Back down at the col, six of us then went to
the next summit at Steinberg and continued further along the ridge to look at
some Megaliths, which were natural formations.
All then went down by various
paths and reassembled, before following a route to the west of the one we
walked up on, crossing it to follow a track to the East which took us down to Erschlitt and back to the cars. A very pleasant walk, the only complaint
heard was about the road going all the way to the col. Congratulations to
Rupert for navigating and shepherding the group.
Judy
Following
Catherine’s tale above
So
emboldened from yesterday Catherine followed the group (at a distance... 450m
up and 200m down on day 2) and was totally exhilarated by the achievement.
Thank you to Neil and Carol who passed me in their car and offered a
lift. Thank you to Rupert and Sally for all of their
arrangements for our comfort, exercise and entertainment
Catherine
Neil’s Bike Hike
While
the main group went off by car to a car park half way to the summit of Le Petit
Ballon I got the mountain bike ready to ride from the hotel in Munster to the
Col du Petit Ballon. I had downloaded a recommended mountain bike ride and it
said it was a four-hour excursion for the sporty. I do not really fit that
description but decided to give it a go. Having left Munster behind the first
section was in the valley but then started zig zagging up on dirt forest roads
gaining about 600m before looping around the head of the valley and going past
the car park used by the main group (1 hour 25 mins). It continued to climb but
not as continuously or as steeply before crossing the road and starting the
loop of Le Steinberg and Kegelritz ridge. Very,
scenic over alpine meadows with cow bells all around. The far side of this
ridge was on a grassy path that climbed steadily up to just below the col. Not
the easiest riding as the surface was soft and needed more effort. This
eventually reached the road and I cycled up the last few hundred metres to the
col, reaching it just as the advance party of walkers got there as well. They
were going onwards to the summit of the Petit Ballon, for me the col was the
highest point of my ride.
The
first part of my descent was down a steep stony track, much faster than my
progress upwards and much more difficult to keep track of where I was on the
map. I missed one turn and had to back track almost 1km. A bit later and after
more descent and a most unwelcome long climb I reached a tarmac road and
following my route set off down it gratefully. What I had not noticed was after
½km I was due to turn off to my left. I realised my mistake 5 or 6 minutes too
late by which time I was already at least 100m too low. I could not face the
climb back up to the turn and was not sure where I was on the map but decided
that if I followed the road it had to take me down into the Munster valley,
which it did. I went through Wassenbourg, very
pretty, and down though meadows on easy downhill tarmac. Unfortunately, I came
out on the valley road 8km below Munster, leaving me with a long slightly
uphill finish.
Ride
stats – 5 hours, 49.6 km, 1126m ascent
Neil
Thursday 18th
September 2025
Wine
Villages
A
beautiful, cloudless day! After Le
Hohneck and Petit Ballon, it was decided not to do another peak; the
subsidiary summits of Kegelritz and Steinberg
(with the megaliths), done after Petit Ballon, could be counted as a
third peak for the purists. Instead, we
visited two well-known and popular villages in the wine-growing region at the
foot of the Vosges, and hiked some 4 km through the vineyards in between. As
you will see, the day turned out not quite as planned, involving quite some
improvisation!
Four
cars with 8 members arrived at a car park close to the first village of Riquewihr. The visit
was most rewarding, taking us up the traffic-free main street and into some
side alleys. These were lined almost
exclusively with beautiful timber-framed buildings with steep roofs and gable
windows. Many shops with local
specialities, restaurants, taverns for wine-tasting (but not for us!),
interesting street signs, names and posters in French or the local German
dialect.
After
about an hour, it was time to move on:
Neil suggests taking his car to Kientzheim, a
kilometre closer to Riquewihr but not on the direct
route to our second village of Kaysersberg (and still
some 2 km short of this village) and coming to meet us in the vineyards, so as
to be able to take the car drivers back to Riquewihr
to collect their cars. A good idea, he
already suspects we might not have time to walk all the way back ourselves!
Leaving
Riquewihr gave Rupert a problem, starting too far
east, seeing no notices or markers for the road to be followed, some 20 minutes
were wasted getting on the right track.
At last, a tarred road with a signpost, with several cyclists going
along it in both directions. Catherine
followed at her own pace with her own map while Esther forged on ahead. Just over half way we duly met up with Neil,
who then ferried Judy, Stephen and Rupert back to the Riquewihr
car park, from Kientzheim where he had left his
car… So only Mick and Janet were left on
their own to follow the marked trail to complete the hike, with Catherine on
her own a short way behind.
About
40 minutes later, all 4 cars were parked close to Kaysersberg
and the group gradually assembled on the main pedestrian road through the
middle of the town. Just Janet and Mick
missing – they had seen a sign to a castle and decided to visit it on the way
to the main village. And no sign of
Esther!
Kaysersberg
is possibly more famous than Riquewihr, a long street
in a valley with a small river, with similar old houses on either side, very
pretty, with similar shops and restaurants as in Riquewihr. Later, Janet and Mick were able to join the
others, including Catherine, for a beer or coffee. They then all returned to Munster, stopping
at the Albert Schweizer house and museum on the way. Except Rupert, who thanks to emails found
that Esther had followed the tarred road to its end in Kientzheim,
where she met nobody, so retraced her steps to the Riquewihr
car park on her own, another 45 minute hike. Rupert drove back to
pick her up and they returned to the hotel in Munster.
Nice
evening meal in the La Cigogne restaurant in the
centre of Munster, a 6-7minute walk from the hotel. (Many readers will know that "cigogne" means "stork", and yes, many
buildings in the region around Colmar do indeed harbour stork nests on their
roofs, usually with nesting birds clearly visible in summer.)
Rupert
Colmar
Kay
and Sally
I
was only able to join the group on Wednesday evening, by train through Basle
and Colmar. On the Thursday I went to
Colmar with Kay. We enjoyed pottering
around this lovely town which survived World War II with its glorious
architecture intact. Cobbled streets,
canals, magnificent old buildings, sunshine, and really beautiful flower
arrangements with mixtures of colours and textures in boxes, gardens and on
roundabouts everywhere. We shared a
delicious "tarte flambée" with goat cheese,
honey and walnuts, and later got back to Munster in time for supper. A glorious day!
Sally
Neil,
it seems as well as cycling and encouraging others to cycle, and flourishing
supplies of the correct map for the days walk, has a secret shed hobby working
with wood at his lathe. He presented all ladies present with
a beautifully crafted spurtle for stirring nsima
or porridge, a natty tool reaching corners un-stirred by a British wooden
spoon. Thank you, Neil.
Munster
– Easy Days
Munster
was lovely – and weren’t we lucky with the weather.
Because
my aged body is falling apart, I chose not to go on any of the walking
expeditions. Instead, I spent my days visiting points of interest in Munster
and enjoying the pavement cafes.
There
is a very ‘village’ feel to the town. Lots of open space where local people
walk, often with their dogs. They nod or say ‘bonjour’ to whoever they pass.
Because
of the lovely weather I was able to fully utilise the pavement cafés which was
where I heard the local Alsatian patois, which one French visitor described to
me as “incomprehensible”.
I
visited the church and walked around the parks and gardens. I couldn’t avoid
going to the war cemetery which is adjacent to the local cemetery. Most of the
graves were from the first world war – French on one side, German on the other
– with a few French ones from the second war. There was another park on the
other side of town next to our hotel with a memorial commemorating the fallen.
I was particularly moved by a separate plaque dedicated to the locals who fell
in the second war who ‘were forced to fight in uniform they detested for a
cause which was not their own’.
The
same park offered a cheerier moment when a class from the local primary school
arrived for some exercise – running on the spot, jumping, clapping their hands
above their heads, then running round and round the park.
So a
delightful, rather old-fashioned town. I hope to go again.
Carol
A big thankyou to Rupert and
Sally for organising the meet, a great time was had by all.
Contributions:
Reports from Neil, Judy, Catherine, Rupert and Carol
Pictures from Neil, Kay, Rupert and Janet
: still to be uploaded
© METHS, 2025