Sunday hike Wespelaar – Leuven (21 km)

On this hike we discover the many beautiful unpaved roads of Flemish Brabant. We pass through the Haachts Broek nature reserve, walk through the quiet village of Wakkerzeel and continue past the historic Rotselaar mill. Along the way we follow field paths framed by the characteristic “Dijle” landscapes.

The route takes us through a diverse and scenic environment with a pleasant mix of small forests and green meadows. We then head towards the elevated Sint-Gertrudisbos. After a steady climb we reach the Kesselberg – known as the roof of Leuven – where we are rewarded with panoramic views of Leuven’s skyline.

After the hike we will continue our good habit of taking a nice beer/ice cream/snack in a local pub in Leuven before we return 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 09h45 in front of Starbucks in Brussels Central. The train (IC3109 – Antwerpen) leaves from platform 3 at 10h04. We arrive at Mechelen at 10h29 on platform 3 where we change to a replacement bus (704110- Leuven) - they're working on the rails - who leaves at 10h40 in front of the station . We arrive at our destination Wespelaar - at 11h16 and start our hike to Leuven.

●● Train tickets
- single ticket Brussels to Wespelaar (5,10 € weekend / 3,10 € with train card+)
- single ticket Leuven to Brussels (4,80 € weekend / 2,90 € with train card+)

●● Trains back to Brussels
There are 4 direct trains every hour from Leuven to Brussels at XX:07, XX:25, XX:32 and XX:54

LAST TRAIN = 23h59

●● Specifics
distance: ~ 21 km
elevation gain: ~ 128 m
net walking time: ~ 4h00
level: easy – open for everyone

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 website and/or your emails.

●● What to bring
- warm comfortable hiking clothes – waterproof hiking shoes
- extra socks to change + compeed for blisters
- enough water and food for lunch/breaks
- sun protection oil, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat
(please consult the weather forecast on www.meteo.be)
- some 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 latest 1 day before the hike 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. Do not show up for a hike unless you are on the roster (i.e. Yes RSVP - but not Wait Listed)

●● 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.