Hike Franières – Rochers de Spy - Gembloux (24 km)

In this hike we'll be crossing some surprisingly wild landscapes along the way. We'll explore the rocky trails and forests around the Grotte de Spy, continue through Mazy and pass by the impressive Château de Corroy-le-Château. This route is my own creation combined with some trail sections of the GR 126. The route takes us through forests, quiet villages and open countryside before reaching Gembloux.

After the hike we continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/ice cream/snack in a local pub in Gembloux before returning to Brussels.

Please don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)

We will walk at an average speed of 5km/h. We will walk both on paved and unpaved roads. I’ve never walked this road before so it’s possible there are some mistakes in the planning.

●●Meeting point
We meet at 08h10 in front of the Delhaize “Shop & Go” inside the Schuman train station. The train (IC2108 - Luxembourg) leaves from platform 2 at 08h23. We will arrive in Namur at 09h37 on platform 7 where we change train (S614581 – Wavre) who leaves at 09h53 from platfom 5. We arrive at our destination Franière at 10h08 and start our hike.

●● Train tickets
- single ticket Brussels to Franière (8,50 € weekend/5,10 € with train card+)
- single ticket Gembloux to Brussels (5,90 € weekend/3,50 € with train card+)

●● Train to Brussels
There are two direct trains to Brussels every hours at XX:34 and XX:47
More info on: https://www.belgiantrain.be

LAST TRAIN = 22h47

●● Specifics
distance: ~ 24 km
elevation gain: ~ 430 m
net walking time (breaks are not included here): ~ 5h00
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
- comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- water (min 2l) and enough food for the breaks
- a warm and waterproof layer/raincoat in case of rain
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be
- a headlamp or small torch (we may finish after sunset)
- a high-visibility vest for extra safety if it gets dark
- 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. By joining this event you acknowledge and accept that the organisers cannot be held liable for any accident, injury, illness, loss, damage or other claim arising from participation in this activity.