Today I rode over to Ottignies and its Bois des Reves to try and follow the marked Adeps route that passes there. I rode over there with my bike, the weather was promised to be dry and warm. Took me some 31K getting there and when I reached the Bois des Reves entry I immediately set out on the Adeps route. The markings are new, big red Adeps/Bloso arrows with sometimes a number on them. Unfortunately, as I was about to find out, some vandals already removed some of the plaques from their poles. First you get a nice long climb around the Bois des Reves, followed by a great downhill. The trail then turns towards Louvain-la-Neuves urban jungle but the markings are all there and there are some nice little passages, among them a steep climb on cobbles that will set many afoot. Lots of tarmac here and it really takes quite a while before I get some dirt under my tyres. I pass the LLN Golf Course on some hardpack that lets me up the speed. A descent into the Bois de Lauzelle but again there seems to be no other option than a tarmac descent. On the left and right of the descent I spot some singletrails - pity they don't use those. When I emerge out of the forest into Limelette, I go straight down instead of turning to the left into the Rue Charles Dubois. About 500 metres further I realise my mistake and have to climb back up again. At this point the arrows are missing. I take a picture of the crossroads so that others may learn from my mistake and plunge into Limelette via the rue Charles Dubois. Its a 10 percent slope and I'm down there fast. Another bit of urban jungle, taking good care to spot the arrows and I leave the city to emerge into a series of field roads. The tracks are nice and dry and I can make good speed here, even though there is always a slope. From time to time a bit of cobbles are thrown in to make things interesting and at one point the arrows point me straight into a field. The trail turn counterclockwise around Ceroux-Mousty before crossing this little village - with a nice grassy Place Communale that gives a lot of shade due to the trees planted around it. After Ceroux another great track awaits me as I plunge into a hollow road. Some gullies here and they are wet.. after a while the hollow road deepens and yes, I've reached the circuits mudhole. Staying on the edge of the deep muddy gullies I try to bike it, but I am forced to walk a few times. Near the end of the trail a dog tries to outrun me. I'm faster. I'm back in Ottignies now and some more tarmac brings me to the Bois de Reves entrance again. When I check my Polar I see that the red route was 29K long .Minus 1 K because of the extra downhill/uphill when I went straight in Limelette leaves 28K . There are some 320 heightmeters in it. Lots of tarmac, some nice passages as well but few and far apart. Still, some nice views from the plateau and except for the urban passages very quiet roads and tracks. Obviously I do the little Bois des Reves loop which adds some 3k and 90 heightmeters to the total. It would be a shame to miss it when you want to do this loop. Riding back home I loop over Chaumont Gistoux to check out the starting place for tomorrows' Rando des Coquelicots" which I plan to ride. I insert some offroad passages going from Longueville towards Pietrebais and just as I am 500 metres from home I hear something rattling against my back wheel and upon arriving home I have a flat tyre. Talk about being lucky..
