The Petit balloon is by name the little brother of the "Grand Ballon". However, the mountains are by no means comparable. The Grand Ballon is more or less even of all the ascents that I've driven, in terms of percentage of elevation, and rarely goes above the 10%. The Petit balloon, however, is a lousy bastard. I drove the driveway for the first time as part of the "L'Alsacienne", where he was on the plan after the Grand Ballon, the Bannstein and the Firstplan. Coming down in Wasserbourg, the mountain rises to a few hundred meters to over 14%, then about 4km to stay above 10%. Especially depressing are the long straights, which make the whole thing a mental challenge. The total journey is 12.43k with 757Hm, which leads to a cut of 6%. But that should not be fooled. To Wasserbourg you have already more than 4km away, but only 150 meters in altitude. The vertical meters are made over and over again on ramps that lead through a forest, the view can rarely wander. Only after you come out after 10km from the forest, you have a wonderful view, as well as on the pass itself. Just below the pass are located on both sides hostels. So my tip: use any shorter flat passage!