It took me exactly 45 minutes and 16K to reach the edge of the Sonian Forest. The weather was clouded but no rain was forecast and things were looking good. Normally I do this ride in the winter but due to the fact that the Ardennes were being flooded with rain I chose to do a long ride closer to home. So the Sonian Forest springs to mind. Whenever I reach its edges and disappear beneath its foliage my mind wanders off toward Moster Blond. She taught me the way in this massive forest. Thanks to her and the scouting for ride-able loops she did for BigM, I learned my way around. Pity she is prioritizing other things at the moment, I would have loved us to hook up for a part of this ride. But I understand her choice and I respect it. We'll meet again in due time.
When I'm here in the Sonian Forest I usually combine two of her loops with the Nero BLOSO route. First I ride in the Rouge Cloitre area for a short but rather hilly couple of K's. When I reach Trois Fontaines  I switch to the BigM Beginners' loop , which meanders up and down the slopes before reaching the Nero BLOSO route near the railroad. There I could enjoy the famous railroad singletrack again. It had been closed for a couple of years due to expansion workings on the railroad track it follows.

The singletrack has been restored and re-inserted on the NERO loop. It offers a couple of nice steep climbs and a technical descent with a couple of steps and tight switchbacks. You then have to cross a wooden bridge and get ready for a very steep climb. With the tracks being dry this did not break a lot of sweat - provided you are in the right gear - but I can imagine this track being very difficult when it is wet. The Nero route then offers its usual succession of easy trails and a couple of singletracks. These were dry and bumpy. Especially the singletrack next to the Avenue Dubois was a blast. The Avenue seemed to be closed for all traffic because I didn't see a single car when I followed the trail running parallel to it. Nice.
Back on the Beginners' Loop to close it at the Trois Fontaines. Then another tough section of the Rouge Cloitre Loop - where I managed to miss a turn only to arrive down at the ponds again and having to do a tough climb all over - and then back home over Duisburg and Korbeek Dyle. Along the way I was charmed by a trail that looked very inviting. Unfortunately it was in a bad shape and some thorn bushes next to it made me fear for my tyres. And indeed, a bit further I could feel my front wheel become wobbly - flat.

After having fixed the flat I continued my way home. A very satisfying ride, the sun was out on the way back and I had to stop in Duisburg centre to fill up my drinking bottle again. Nice cold Coca Cola got me home in a flash. The heightmeters difference between my Polar - which was set at 5 second intervals - and the Garmin Edge 705 was rather big. I'm beginning to think that I should accept the Garmin figures as my reference, after all they should be the more correct ones.

Ride Stats : 99,5 and 860/1092 (Polar/Garmin) in 4h44mins

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