Trooz - Verviers (24km)

Before the days get too short, I propose to stretch our legs with 24km and some cheeky climbs (~650m) from Trooz to Verviers along the Vesdre valley in the Ardennes. We will start with a loop on the north side of the valley around the village of Forêt, descend to Nessonvaux, then follow the south side through Pepinster and finally to Verviers, where we will finish with a drink (optional) and a direct train back to Brussels.

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

The weather forecast is for a few showers, so bring a rain coat. The path may be muddy in places.

You can find the GPX track here: https://mapy.com/s/casujudoza

Meeting point
We meet at 08h45 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central. The train IC 507 (Eupen) leaves from platform 3 at 09:01. It arrives at 09:59 in Liege on platform 1 where we change to train S41 5010 (Verviers-Central/Aachen Hbf) leaving from platform 2 at 10:19. We arrive at our destination Trooz at 10:34 and start our hike.

Train tickets
The cheapest way to travel is to use two lines of a RailPass (€10.50 per journey), otherwise a weekend return Brussels - Verviers-Central is €23.80.

Train back to Brussels
There are direct trains from Verviers-Central to Brussels at xx:38, taking 1h17. LAST TRAIN 22:41

Specifics
Distance: ~ 24 km
Elevation gain: ~ 650 m
Net walking time: ~ 6h
Level: intermediate/hard (lots of climbing)

In the unlikely case of too bad weather, we may cancel a hike, even a 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
- comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water (min 2l) and enough food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, a head and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- mosquito/tick repellent
- some money for drinks/snacks/etc

Basic rules
The number of participants is limited because I like to walk in smaller groups, so make sure that you RSVP only if you really intend to come. If your plans change, update your RSVP asap. This is basic courtesy towards others. Last day cancellations, no-shows and Internet warriors are not appreciated.
Only people whose name appears on the main list may come to the hike.

Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability
You are responsible for yourself and should be fit enough if you want to take part. As the participation in the events 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. By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organisers from any responsibility and liability. Moreover, the organisers aren't tour operators, so they don't feel obliged to answer to every text message or email!