Tuesday 27 May 2014
| Distance (km) | 18 kms | |||
| Distance (time) | 4.5 hrs | |||
| Climb / Descent | 468m / 533m | |||
| Hard / Soft surface | 35% / 65% | |||
| Landscape |
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| Weather |
 17° 3 Bft
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After yesterday we don't believe the weather forecast anymore. Today it is supposed to rain all day but when we get up it is overcast, but dry. So we will just go walking again and hope for the best. Though the end point of today is in Spa where we are on the camping site it's not so handy to use the camping as end point simply because it's rather hard to get from the camping to Banneux, our starting poing. Therefore we drive to Pepinster where we park close to the railway station from where we take bus 727 to Banneux. We left a bit in a hurry and stress (are we going to walk today or not?) and so we forgot our walking sticks. Chips...and we have some serious climbing today. Well, we'll just have to see. The bus arrives and apart from some elderly ladies the bus is empty. And we all leave the bus in Banneux so it continues empty.
From the bus stop we walk into the forest and the first we do is find two suitable branches that can serve as walking sticks. There is so much wood on the ground that we find something within minutes and we can move on. And immediately it's so nice and quiet. We do have to cross the busy N62 but after that it just goes on in the forest. Then the forest changes for fields before we slowly descend to a small stream. Here we get to a gravel road that climbs steeply to the first village of today: Becco. Under a large tree in the village we have a break for a bite and then we leave the village. The road descends again, but not very much. We have a good view over the valley and we can already see La Reid in the distance. The last bit to La Reid climbs. The path passes around the church and out of the village, but we wonder whether we could get something to eat here since it's lunch time and a muesli bar is just, well, a muesli bar. Too bad, the only restaurant of the village is closed and so is the pub. Only the local grocery store is open, but he does have a sign outside advertising sandwiches. Not a bad idea, actually. And so we walk armed with a baguette with sausage, tomato, lettuce and who knows what to a picknick bench under a big tree a bit further up the main road. It tastes very good en while we're still enjoying it it suddenly starts bucketing. But the tree keeps us dry....for now. It just keeps bucketing and well, hey, we have rain jackets so we should just go. We climb along the main road and later along a narrow tarmac road out of the village to the highest point. The rain slows down and by the time we're descending to Winamplanche it's just dry. The descend is pretty steep and slippery from the rain but we manage to arrive in Winamplanche in one piece. There is not much going on here either, but with the main street closed for tarsealing the village is now really dead. No reason to stop here and so we climb out of the village again. First over a path but almost at the top over another little road going to Creppe. But before we actually enter the village we have to turn right making a large loop around Creppe. Now we slowy descend along a small stream through the forest. It's an enjoyable walk: soft for the feet and beautiful nature. As usual that nature is slightly disturbed by a couple of groups of schoolies. Finally the GR5 leaves the stream to curve in the direction of Spa, and so we have to climb. Well, a short climb, shouldn't be a problem. That's a bummer: it serioulsy climbs before we slowly descend into Spa. Just before reaching the tarmac road we decide to leave our sticks behind. We put them against the wall of the last house before reaching the main road, who knows some other walker might need them. They were for sure handy for us. We walk along the tarmac road where we have to turn left....and climb. That's a deception! It's quite a climb before we turn right again and descend again. In the meantime we keep an eye on the time. As far as we know the train to Pepinster (where the car is) goes once an hour at :36 and so we have just over 10 minutes to catch it. So we walk in high pace down the road to the railroad crossing from where the station is about 200m to the left. We draw a ticket out of the ticket machine and check the signs from what platform our train leaves. Well, there is only one platform and the train leaves at :55, so 15 minutes later than we thought. There was actually no need to almost run down the hill. But ok, we are on time. And so we pick up the car and return to the camping. In the evening it seriously rains and also it cools down a lot. Unexpected and disturbing, so quick dinner and into the sleeping bag. Let's see what Wednesday brings. |
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