Chaudfontaine to Esneux (22km)

Tuesday is a public holiday in Belgium (unless you work for the European institutions), and what better way to spend it than on a hike from Chaudfontaine to Esneux (~22km, 550m elevation), in the province of Liège. We will cross from the valley of the Vesdre to the valley of the Ourthe, passing forests, chateaux, and some great views of the rivers. Chaudfontaine is famous for its water, but Esneux has a street of bars next to the station where we will probably drink something stronger (optional) before taking the train back to Brussels.

The weather forecast is for clouds and a little sun, but bring a rain coat anyway. The path will be muddy in places.

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 route before, so it’s possible there are some mistakes in the planning.

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

Meeting point and train
We will meet at 08h45 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central.
The train IC 507 (Welkenraedt) leaves from platform 3 at 09:01 (you can also join this train at Brussel Zuid 8:56, Brussel Noord 9:07).
It arrives at 09:59 in Liege, where we change on to train S41 5010 (Verviers & Aachen Hbf) at 10:19 from platform 6.
We arrive in Chaudfontaine at 10:30.

Train tickets
- Single Brussels to Chaudfontaine, € 14.10 or € 8.40 with Train+
- Single Esneux to Brussels, € 14.60 or € 8.80 with Train+
You probably want to buy the Train+ card for the introductory price of € 3 (1 month) or € 24 (12 months). It can be bought in the SNCB/NMBS app or at ticket machines.

Train back to Brussels
There are trains from Esneux to Liege at 15:39, 16:27, 17:39, 18:27, etc. These connect with the xx:00 from Liege to Brussels, arriving at Central station at xx:55.

Specifics
Distance: ~22 km
Elevation gain: ~550 m
Net walking time: ~5h
Level: Intermediate (distance, climbing)

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

What to bring
- lunch - we will not stop at a cafe/restaurant for lunch
- 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, 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 choose to take part. As participation in this event 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.