Winter coast: Oostende - Blankenbege (24 km)

The weather will be cold and sunny and without rain this weekend at the Belgium coast, so discover it in wintertime.

Most of us only know the Belgian sea side from being there in summertime when it’s full of tourists, noisy teracces, ice cream vendors,… But have you ever seen it in winter where it looks somewhat different ? Have you ever discovered the peacefull environment, did you feel the winter wind in your face and have you walked the empty beaches ? These will be your companions for this trip and if we are lucky we may even see seals lying on the beach.

For this hike we mostly follow the GR 5A- Streek GR Kust and walk through a landscape where sea, beach, dunes and forests constantly alternate.

After the hike we will continue our good habit of taking a nice drink/ice cream/snack in a local pub in Blankenberge before returning to Brussels.
Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)

We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h. We will walk both on paved and unpaved roads. I’ve never walked this road before, so it’s possible that there are some mistakes in the planning.

●●Meeting point
We meet at 08h40 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central. Our train (IC 530 - Oostende) leaves at 08h56 from platform 2. We arrive at our destination Oostende at 10h15 and start our hike to Blankenberge.

●● Train tickets
The cheapest way to travel is to use a railpass (€ 10.50 for each way)
www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/railpass

●● Train back to Brussels
There is a train from Blankenberge to Brussels every hour at XX:56.

LAST TRAIN = 22h07

●● Specifics:
distance: ~ 24 km
elevation gain: ~ 127 m
net walking time: ~ 5h00
level: easy - open for everyone

In the unlikely case of too bad weather, we may cancel a hike, even few hours before the event. If this must happen, we will of course update the Meetup website and send out an email to those registered. So, it is important to have access to either the Meetup.com website and/or your emails.

●● What to bring:
- warm comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water and food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, a head and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- a (head)flashlight and a yellow security vest for the evening
- some money to pay Maikel a drink ;-)

●● Basic rules:
Please RSVP only if you really intend to come. And if your plans change, update your RSVP latest 1 day before the hike, so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. People who cancel at the last minute or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes. Do not show up for a hike unless you are on the roster (i.e. Yes RSVP, but not Wait Listed).

●● Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability:
By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.