From Thuin to Binche (ca 23 km)

Yes, I' still alive, it just was a busy summer 😂!
For the rentré, let's do a gentle hike in one of the lesser-hiked areas in the south-west of the country. We start in the picturesque hilltop village of Thuin, which, on this occasion, will only admire from below. We will follow the Sambre for a bit, before turning north towards Binche. We cross forest and fields until we reach the Abbaye de Bonne Espérance, which might side-track us for a bit with the temptation of it's terrace and local products (including beer, cheese and spirits, no mention office cream, but who knows?). In Binche we may want to do a little walk through town to look at the impressive city walls, and to find a nice place for (another?) refreshing drink.

The number of participants is limited to 20, so please 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 somewhere close to an average speed of 4.5 to 5 km/h. We will walk both on paved and 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 ;-).

●●You can find the gpx track here:
komoot:
https://www.komoot.de/tour/2605123876?ref=aso&share_token=aeQvywje7QYSJjQG7UyC42Yi9vERla4EYx7EexvYg2SPIOc58m&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share

●●Meeting point:
We meet at 8.45 in Bruxelles Central train station. Our train (IC 3129 to Charleroi) leaves from platform 6 at 8.59. We change in Charleroi and arrive in Thuin at 10.42.

●● Train ticket:
Bxl-Thuin 9.60€ (5.80€ with train+), Binche-Bxl 8.50€ (5.10€ with train+)

●● Trains back to Brussels:
One per hour direct, XX.11.

●● Specifics:
Distance: \ ~23 km
Elevation gain: around 200m
Net walking time: ~ 5.5h
Weather forecast: Quite cool, but dry.

In the unlikely case of too bad weather, I may cancel a hike, even few hours before the event. If this must happen, I 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:

*Comfortable hiking clothes

• Waterproof, comfortable hiking shoes
  *sufficient water + food for the breaks
• Compeed for blisters
  *Small change for the drink (cafes in the countryside do not necessarily take cards!)

●● 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.