The word Schlucht means gorge in German, and the pass takes its name from the deep valley on the Alsace side, a steep, craggy defile that drops away from the col in the direction of Munster. At eleven hundred and thirty-nine metres, it is among the best-known crossings of the Vosges, and it is also the point where the Route des Crêtes, the ridge road that runs along the main crest, meets the road between Gérardmer in the west and Munster in the east. It is a junction, a viewpoint, and a place where nearly every rider on this route pauses.
You arrive by the D417 from either side. From the Alsace side the climb is dramatic: a ribbon of tarmac climbing the side of the valley in broad hairpins, with the rock wall above and the drop below. From Gérardmer, the approach is gentler, passing lakes and forest. The surface is good, the bends are open and flowing, and the whole thing makes for superb riding when the weather is clear. In summer weekends the road is crowded with motorcyclists, cyclists and families, and in autumn the fog can roll in and chill everything. The Route des Crêtes is often closed in winter because of snow, so check before you go in the cold months.
The col stands near the summit of the Hohneck, at over thirteen hundred metres the second-highest peak in the Vosges, and the area has a special flora. Close by, the Jardin d'altitude du Haut-Chitelet, a botanical garden at about twelve hundred metres, shows mountain plants from many parts of the world. Chamois, which were introduced to the Vosges in the twentieth century, live on the rocky slopes. The frontier between France and Germany once ran along this ridge, and the pass saw heavy fighting in the First World War.
At the col itself you will find a few cafés, restaurants and shops, which makes it a handy place for coffee or a hot meal, though prices are tourist ones. Fuel is not available at the pass. The nearest source is Munster, nine kilometres down the valley, which has stations, supermarkets and the cheese that bears its name. A slice of munster with a few cumin seeds, bread and a glass of Alsace wine is a fine lunch.