I am spending next week in the F/VO area.
Do you have summit recommendations in that region (8/10 points)? There’s pleeenty of them and I probably won’t do more than 5 to 10 activations. Maybe there are summits that you have activated and appealed to you one way or another (views, interesting approach trail, no crowds etc.)?
Romain SP6SUD
Hi Éric,
Of course I do, that’s my main source for planning activations!
But I am looking for people feedback and experiences 
Romain
Hallo Romain
The most productive route for SOTA activities is the Route des Cretes (D 470). Here you will find many summits like pearls on a necklace.
On this route there is this combination a bit off to the east. It is not a big hike, but it is a nice path - and it is not so crowded. FL/VO-081 is a meadowtop and FL/VO-079 is a rocky area.
If you go for it, you can easily do 20 summits in 4 days.
Have a good time and… good weather!
73 Armin
Thanks Armin, that’s the type of recommendation I am looking for!
I’ll be with the family and I think they can handle 1 to 2 activations a day, so I won’t get too crazy with ham radio
All the FL/VO summits I did were good. It’s a great place to visit, nice towns/villages, nice food and nice beer. I was meant to be there this summer before the Friedrichshafen rally.
Romain
you have this 2 not so far ! FL/VO-170 & FL/VO-080
HAllo Romain
I did this combination 2 times and the last time with my wife Simone and our dog Magnus. Both liked it.
I recommend to go to FL/VO-081 first. On the way to FL/VO-079 you will come to a barrier with a bar and a notice board. After that the path climbs steeply. Hiking boots are an advantage here.
My wife enjoyed relaxing and reading in the sun while I did my qso’s.
It has been a relaxed afternoon.
73 - Armin
And a splendid view over the river Rhein to the Black Forrest… 
Many Vosges summits are in the middle of the forest or on ski slopes… not so beautiful.
A scenic area is the edge at FL/VO-003: Great nature and great views. You can park near a restaurant and have a coffee after your walk.
If you’d like to take a little hike… two or three hours.
Parking at Lachtelweiher and follow the path to Ferme Auberge Lochberg.
… up to Bärenkopf FL/VO-086 and down through a forest direction east and afterwards left back to the car.
In the forest the trees are very much covered with moss and it almost looks as hobbits lives here… A little bit of Middle-earth.
Another 2 not so far and the highest FL/VO-001 & FL/VO-078
73 Éric
That’s another nice combination of a 3 h hiking and doing SOTA at FL/VO-025 It’s in the wood and maybe good for hot days.
There are very impressive rocks.
This ist a hard one… at high temparatures 
73 Armin
Malheuresment, beaucoup de mouches! 
Well there were many when I did La Goutte Logelot FL/VO-031. Take some insect repellent.
Les mouches et autres insectes 
viennent du fait de la présence de nombreuses vaches 
Hi there,
Flies…big problem !
Scientists who study flies have managed to unlock all their secrets. But two questions remain unanswered:
73’s
Laurent de F8CZI
You are spoilt for choice Roman - I was there last year for a holiday with XYL and did a Light Touch SOTA holiday and to watch the Tour de France Cycle Race for two days when it climbed the Ballons and the start day from St Die des Vosges.
I would suggest that you study the (unnamed) high scoring officiando activators logs in the database - the experts - and mimic what they did on their big summit days and you won’t go far wrong. There are many GPX tracks in the SMP to help you work out some superb days in the beautiful Vosges!
We didn’t stay in Gerardmer but that seems a popular base for some. With P100 rules SOTA is much easier in the Vosges for us old guys to stroll up 8 and 10 point summits!
73 Phil
PS You could try the attached JPGs. The actual tracks we walked are in the SMP Tracks section.
Hi Roman,
For my 2 cents, check my blog
Use the list on the right side, to see which FL/VO summits I have described.
Lots of pictures!
I hope you find some nice summits and enjoy your trip.
73,
Luc ON7DQ
Roman, it’s good you are not there around the Friedrichshafen rally… you have to play “dodge the SOTA activator” at that time.
Gerardmer is nice. I stayed in an excellent hotel that was well priced, great room and great breakfast. Fantastic coffee. Plenty of places to eat and drink as well. The waiters/waitresses also were pleased that some daft Brit was trying to speak French… they suffered listening to me destroy their language but my reward of not using any English got me a free drink in one place!
Hallo Romain…
…have you already booked?
Where do you stay?
73 Armin
