Hike Vielsalm – Stavelot – Trois Ponts (29 km)

This hike takes us through the heart of the Ardennes from Vielsalm to Trois-Ponts. We start in Vielsalm, a town known for its deep forests and Ardennes traditions and follow mostly woodland paths along the GR 5 and the Promenade du Sanglier. In Stavelot, home to the impressive Abbey of Stavelot we join the GR 14 for the final stretch leading us through rolling valleys to our destination in Trois-Ponts.

After our hike we continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/pancake/snack in a local pub in Trois Ponts 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. This means it could become longer.

●●Meeting point
We meet at 08h45 in front of the Starbucks in Brussels Central. The train ( IC507-Eupen) leaves from platform 3 at 09h00. It arrives at 09h59 in Liège-Guillemins where we change to train ( IC5310 - Troisvierges) leaving from platform 4 at 10h07. We arrive at our destination Vielsalm at 11h12 and start our hike to Trois-Ponts.

●● Train tickets
- single ticket Brussels to Vielsalm (14,90 € weekend / 09,00 € with train card+)
- single ticket Trois-Ponts to Brussels (14,90 € weekend / 9,00 € with train card+)

●● Trains back to Brussels
There is a train from Trois-Ponts to Brussels at 17h02, 19h02 and 21h02.
LAST TRAIN = 21h02

●● Specifics
distance: ~ 29 km
elevation gain: ~ 548 m
net walking time (breaks are not included here): ~ 6h00
level: intermediate – hiking expercience is an advantage

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 website and/or your emails.

●● What to bring
- warm comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- enough water (min 2 l) and food for lunch/breaks
- sun protection oil, tick repellent, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- some cash 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 so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. People who cancel at the last day (24h) or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes.

When you are on the waitinglist it means you should not come to the hike. When there is no +1 function it means you can't bring any guests. Everyone should register for him/her self.

●● 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.