Belchen 3 is a 300 km event in the southern Black Forest of Germany. Having completed several gran fondos and longer sportives in recent years, the idea of breaking the 300 km barrier started to take shape. It's not exactly a bucket list item, but still a challenge I’m eager to tackle.

After exploring the event calendar on this site, I decided on the Belchen 3. Starting from Münstertal in the Black Forest, the route passes through Switzerland and France, in addition to Germany. Each country features a climb: the Belchen, the Bölchen, and the Grand Ballon.

The day before the event, I pick up my start documents from the local sports hall in Münstertal in the evening. Along with my race number, I also receive a GPS tracker, allowing my supporters to follow

Sunday morning at 3:45 AM, the alarm rings. With the start scheduled for 4:30, there's no time to waste. I quickly gear up, have a light breakfast with strong coffee, and by 4:10, I’m on my bike with my rain jacket on. As predicted, it's raining, though not too heavily at this early hour. I cycle for 10 minutes to the starting point at the local sports hall in Münstertal. By the time I arrive, most participants are already there. I drop off my bag with extra gear in one of the two support cars, and five minutes later, we set off as a group. The route immediately begins with a gentle uphill towards the first climb, so I warm up quickly. It continues to drizzle, but with temperatures around 12°C and a mild wind, it's manageable.

Climbing through three countries

After about 15 minutes, the climb to the Belchen, the second highest mountain in the Black Forest, begins. The gradient isn’t too steep, ranging between 5% and 8%. Hands firmly on the handlebars, I settle into a steady pace. Everyone climbs at their own rhythm. I find myself somewhere in the middle of the group and can see a long line of lights ahead of me.

After about an hour, I reach the summit, where the first supply station offers hot coffee, tea, cookies, water, and sports drinks. At over 1,400 meters in altitude, the wind is fierce, so I decide not to linger too long. I spot a group of Swiss riders preparing to leave and join them for the descent. Unfortunately, the rain has intensified, making the descent chilly. Halfway down, I notice my hands and feet are getting cold. Just as we approach the bottom, the rain really starts to pour. To stay warm, we decide to pick up the pace on the flat section leading to the Swiss border.

Photo: It clears up.

After about half an hour, the rain eases, and we slow down, mindful that we still have over 250 km to go. Daylight breaks, and under a cloudy yet almost dry sky, we cross the border at Rheinfelden, heading towards the second climb of the day: the Bölchen. At the 90 km mark, we begin the ascent, which is about 8 km long. The first half is manageable, but the challenge comes in the final 3 km, where the gradient often exceeds 10%. At the top, I take a short break.

Finish in sight

During the climb, the group disperses, so after a few minutes, I decide to descend and rejoin at the next supply station. Following a swift descent, I continue through rolling terrain. My Garmin soon indicates that I’ve covered over 110 km, and I start to suspect I might have missed the supply station. Since my water bottles are still fairly full and I have enough bars and gels, I decide to keep going.

Photo: Fine feed stations.

After about an hour, I catch up to a couple and decide to join them. They, too, seem to have missed the feed station, but with the next one only 20 km away, it's no big deal. The sky is clearing, and the sun even makes an appearance from time to time. Perfect. The three of us ride on toward Basel.

Photo: Crossing the Rhine in Basel.

According to the route, the feed station should be at the 148 km mark. It turns out to be slightly off the main path, but we don’t miss it. By now, the weather has completely turned, and under a glorious morning sun, we refuel. After about 20 minutes, we continue on towards Basel. The route leads directly through the city, but thanks to its largely car-free center, it’s a smooth ride. We pause in the center to take a picture by the Rhine, then press on toward the French border.

Grand Ballon for dessert

After crossing the border, we head towards the Grand Ballon. It’s a scenic 70 km ride through rolling countryside on quiet roads—simply beautiful. Upon arriving in Moosh, we stop at the fourth and penultimate feed station. From there, we begin the climb to the summit of the Grand Ballon via the village of Geishouse. The road was resurfaced and made car-free this spring, which makes the ride more peaceful but no less challenging. On the steeper sections, I find myself grinding up the incline. After more than an hour of climbing, I turn onto the main road and catch sight of the summit. A kilometer later, I reach the top and the final feed station of the day. This stop is also well-stocked with melon, cakes, water, sports drinks, and more. By now, we’ve covered 240 km, so we take a well-deserved half-hour rest before tackling the last 60 km back to Münstertal. With temperatures around 20°C and little wind at the summit, the break is a welcome relief.

A little before 5:00 PM, we get back on our bikes and start the descent towards Soultz. The first part follows the main road, but soon we turn onto a smaller, quieter road through the forest, which is very beautiful. After that, it's a flat ride towards the German border. Passing through Meyenheim, we cross the Rhine again at the Fessenheim hydroelectric power station, with another 20 km to the finish. The final stretch isn't easy; the wind is coming at us diagonally, so we have to work hard. We take turns leading, and just before 7:00 PM, we cross the finish line—tired but satisfied. What a great day!

If you're planning to participate in a 300 km event, there are plenty of options to choose from. As for the Belchen 3: despite its smaller scale, this event is excellent. The route is beautiful, the feed stations are well-organized, and the crew is enthusiastic. I found the option to provide an extra bag for gear very convenient. The shorter travel distance—Münstertal is about 700 km from Utrecht—is also a plus. One point of improvement for the organizers would be the placement of some supply stations. They aren't always in the most intuitive locations, so you might miss them. Despite that, I can absolutely recommend this event.