I had promised a dear friend of mine to take her around my beloved Nandrin trails. We also invited some other acquantances and we were 6 to take the start from the little narrow church at Scry. I changed the starting venue because there a was a car-happening at the normal starting point, the Place Botty at Nandrin. I have to admit I was feeling nervous because- even though I like these trails very much and have been riding them for 10 years now - I was really curious as to if and how they would please my friend. I have guided many groups here and always got good reviews from the participants, but this was a special ride for me as I value her opinion very much. The first few K - which were actually the last few K of the normal ride - provided a nice warmup and brought us gently to the Place Botty where parking space was indeed rather limited. We spent some time checking out the route map displayed there and then got started on the White Loop. At first this climbs together with the Red loop along a trail that changes from tarmac into gravel and then into a forest track that is normally very muddy but now looks great and feels cobbly due to the many tracks of biker, horse and man that remained when the mud dried out . The White Loop has a few very nice sections in it, and thats why I keep including it. The landscapes we were riding through were beautiful, very colorful with the yellow rapeseed contrasting the deep blue sky and the lush green of the forest. One rollercoaster downhill followed by a steep uphill set us in the right frame of mind for this kind of terrain. Its very dry now so there are no extra mudtraps to look out for, but even so it cannot be taken for granted . The trails at times look deceptively easy but can change very quickly, especially in the downhill sections. One time you are coasting over a nice clear forest trail, avoiding some branch when suddenly gullies appear or rocky patches and stones knock your bike around and make things technical . "Keep on your toes" thats the message here. The high Condroz isn't the Ardennes yet, but at times it comes very close at times . The trails already have a rocky aspect and even though the hills are more gentle, the ondulations are plenty and every metre uphill saps at your strength. The sun was shining full force and a dry wind was blowing from the east, clearing out the skies to the nicest blue I've seen in a while. After some 22K, the White trail brought us nicely upon the Red, and here the terrain started to change. Less open landscapes, the valleys were more deeply cut and the trails become even more treacherous but remain very beautiful and changing all the time ; ranging from a narrow singletrack alongside a little river, a wider forest trail leading us next to some rocks and then bumping over a rocky trail with some wet patches in it , a tarmac section taking us further down into the valley ,a sharp right turn onto a forest track again, over a bridge and next to a fence and we start with the longest climb of the day. One kilometer upwards over a steep and rocky track. Each is set into his own pace and even in these dry condtions our wheels are skipping over loose stones and we have to wrestle our bikes over little gullies, some roots and even more stones. I so love this climb. At the top we have our 3rd rest stop to allow everyone to stock up on food and drink. A narrow singletrack leads us back down to the top of the rocks we saw earlier. We are now some 42K into the route and fatigue is beginning to seep into our muscles. But we're not home yet. A couple of nice descents along narrow trails followed by steep ascents on a grassy and gully singletrack between two fenced fields . One down, one more to go. We arrive at Villers le Temple and only one long climb through a little forest is left. A few backroads though Scry and we're back at the church. I got the impression everyone was happy with the ride, and I believe the pace we made was enjoyable for everyone. We had some drinks and a snack at Huy before saying our goodbyes. I had a great time - as I always have on these trails - and I can only hope that my friends enjoyed it too. I am already playing with the idea of returning here soon and do the trails in the reverse direction.
