Trooz - Pepinster (22km)

It may be winter but we still need to keep our legs in shape, so let's do some climbing with a hike from Trooz to Pepinster (~22km, 550m elevation). We will climb out of the valley of the Vesdre, follow a pilgrimage route through the forest and finish the walk along the valley of the Hoëgne to Pepinster. With luck, there will be a bar open for our traditional drink (optional) before taking the train back to Brussels.
The weather forecast is partly sunny but quite cold, so bring warm clothes and rain jacket just in case. The path will be muddy and slippery in places so wear good shoes, preferably walking boots.
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/natenomugu

Meeting point and train
We will meet at 8:45 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central.
The train IC 507 (Eupen) leaves from platform 3 at 9:01 (you can also join this train at Brussel Zuid 8:56, Brussel Noord 9:07).
It arrives at 10:01 in Liege where we change on to train S41 5010 (Verviers-Central & Aachen Hbf) at 10:19 from platform 5.
We arrive in Trooz at 10:34.

Train tickets
- Single Brussels to Trooz, € 14.40 or € 8.60 with Train+
- Single Pepinster to Brussels, € 14.90 or € 9 with Train+
You probably want to buy the Train+ card for the price of € 6 (1 month) or € 48 (12 months). It can be bought in the SNCB/NMBS app or at ticket machines.

Train back to Brussels
There are trains every hour at xx:13 from Pepinster to Liege, changing on to the Brussels train arriving 1h42 minutes later.

Specifics
Distance: ~22 km
Elevation gain: ~550 m
Net walking time: ~5.5h
Level: Intermediate (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 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.