Hike Kalkense Meersen – Schellebelle to Wetteren (18 km) - max 20 pers

For this hike we start in Schellebelle and walk trough the natural reservoir “Kalkse Meersen” to Wetteren. In Schellebelle we need to take a ferry to cross the Schelde River.

The Kalkense Meersen is a beautiful natural area located in the province of East Flanders. It is famous for it’s extensive meadows, small ponds and various bird species. These wetlands are a great place for hiking and nature watching and offering a peaceful escape from the city.

After our hike we can continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/pancake/snack in a local pub in Wetteren before returning to Brussels.

Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)

We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h 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. Be prepared for this.

●●Meeting point
We meet at 09h30 in front of Starbucks in Brussels Central. The train (IC3632 – Diksmuide) leaves at 09h45 from platform 4. We arrive at 10h31 at our destination Schellebelle and start our hike to Wetteren.

●● Train tickets
Since October 15th there is a new train ticketing system for Belgium trains. As I don’t know very well how it works yet I’ll give you the info I could find online:
- for the way up we need a single ticket to Schellebelle (8,80 € weekend / 5,5 € with train card+)
- for the way back we need a single ticket from Wetteren to Brussels (8,8 wekend / 5,5€ with train card +)

●● Train back to Brussels
There are two direct trains every hour from Wetteren to Brussels at XX:25 and XX:56.

For more info check www.nmbs.be

LAST TRAIN = 23h21

●● Specifics
distance: ~ 18 km
elevation gain: ~ 46 m
net walking time (breaks are not included here): ~4h00
level: easy – open to 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
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water and enough food for the breaks
- sun protection oil, a head and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please watch the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- 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 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.