Dutch border hike (Knokke-Sluis, 24km)

The weather forecast for Saturday looks dry. Since Maikel is not available in the coming weeks, I will start to organize some hikes again.

On Saturday I suggest a Dutch border hike on the Belgian coast. We start in Knokke and we will walk along the coast for a while. On the way we will pass by the Zwin reserve, where we might spot large flocks of birds. However, we won't enter the reserve itself, because a ticket costs 12 euro. Halfway the hike we cross the Dutch border. We will then follow a couple of typical Dutch canals till we arrive in the lovely Dutch town Sluis, which features many bars and restaurants. In Sluis we take the bus back to Bruges, for a connecting train.

As the number of participants is limited, it is important that you manage your registration responsibly: only sign up if you really intend to come and cancel as soon as you know you can’t (this also goes for people on the waiting list!). We will try to keep close to an average speed of about 4 km/h. We will walk mainly on unpaved roads. I’ve not tested this track beforehand, so it’s possible that there are some mistakes in the planning (i.e. it may become longer ;-).

Important: from Sluis we take a "De Lijn" bus back to Bruges. Please make sure that you know how to buy a ticket. You cannot pay cash in the bus.

●●You can find the track here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1B7o-K8ssWTUr0ho9w23hFPuAaP4Yioo&usp=sharing

●●Meeting point:
We meet at 10h15 in Knokke (in front of the railway station). If you start from Brussels-South, you should take train IC 2830 towards Knokke at 08h51. I am starting from Ghent, so I will jump on the train in Ghent. You can find me in the first car of the train.
●● Train tickets:
Two separate tickets or a return tickets Brussels-Knokke. We return from Bruges.
●● Back to Brussels:
In Sluis there is a bus every hour to Bruges. In Bruges we have a connecting train to Brussels.
●● Specifics:
Distance: ca 24km
Elevation gain: Nada
Net walking time: ca 6h
Weather forecast: Dry for the moment, but this is Belgium.
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](http://meetup.com/)](http://meetup.com/)](http://meetup.com/)](http://meetup.com/) website and/or your emails.

●● What to bring:

• Comfortable hiking clothes &shoes
• rain gear (just in case)
• water + food for the breaks
• sun cream
• Compeed for blisters
• some small money for drinks

●● Basic rules:
Please RSVP only if you really intend to come. And if your plans change, update your RSVP asap, even hours before the walk. This is basic courtesy towards others. Repeated late cancellations are not well considered (at all). No-shows are even worse.
Do not show up for a hike unless you are on the “going” list.
●● 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!