The northern ascent to Kandel is after the climb to Hornisgrinde from Achern the toughest of the Black Forest. The reasons for this are the relatively large number of elevation meters (925) and a considerable slope. On the other hand, it is nowhere very steep, the steepest kilometer having a gradient of 10.7%, which does not belong to the absolute top in the Black Forest. The ride begins near the centre of Waldkirch. The first one and a half kilometers (follow signs "Kandel") form a warming up (2-6%). Once on the L186, the road gets steeper. The remaining ten kilometers can be divided into two sections of approximately the same average steepness. However, in the first half the gradient varies much more (6-12%) than in the second half (7-9%). The road is pleasant, has little traffic and is quite narrow. Unfortunately, sights are rare due to the forest. Only a few hundred meters before the pass the forest becomes less dense. From the pass, there is a beautiful view of the surrounding area and, in clear weather, of the Vosges. The Kandel (1241 m) is the highest elevation of the Middle Black Forest. Its summit lies less than a kilometer southwest of the pass.