Big Bad Log

Today I was set to go to Nandrin. A little village a few klicks south-east of Huy where I know this beautiful loop local bikers conceived more than 10 years ago. No-one ever does these loops anymore because the signage is as good as gone and the trail maps cannot be had anymore. Still, I HAVE the trail maps AND the white and red loops are engraved in my memory. The trails are a mixture of forest and field roads, sometimes very rocky, sometimes rooty and always tricky and treacherous. The combination of the two loops yields around 48K and some 800 heightmeters. During my last visits I had noticed some newer signage, Red and Yellow ADEPS signs which might prove interesting to know where they went to. So when I crossed some Green Adeps arrows today I decided to try and follow them to see where they went.

Tavier Intermezzo:
I was lucky because after only a few kilometers I was at the starting point of this green route. It turned out to be the little village of Tavier. Together with neighbouring Anthisnes they have set up quite a few walking and cycling routes. The Green turned out to be the most interesting ones - getting 3 on a scale of 3 - and with 17K it looked do-able. So I tried to memorize the first couple of crossroads and set out on that route. I took some pictures of the trail map for future reference. Sadly enough the markings were not very good.

At the first crossroads there was already nothing, except an empty pole where the signage used to hang. Damn ! Deciding it wasn't any use continuing I decided to study the route map at home, and come back when this map had been marked on an IGN map. That way I would have more chances of actually making the whole loop. So the Tavier loop is to be continued on another day.

Back to the Nandrin routes:
So I had to backtrack the Green route from Tavier to the point where it left the White Nandrin loop and continue on that one. The trails were remarkably dry - the occasional mudhole notwithstanding - and I was taking it easy enjoying the trails and the sunshine. The wind was blowing quite hard on the open spaces and I was glad to be in the forest from time to time. After the interconnection with the Red Nandrin route, just past Soheit-Tinlot, things get really serious. The route drops into Outrelouxhe and then disappears into some kind of crevasse formed by a little river. Here awaits the longest climb of the day. I have discovered that there are actually two tracks going up to the plateau so I usually do both climbs- yes I am a masochist. They put up a new trail map of this area - see the picture DCS00262 - and based on that I might even have another option to do a long steep climb. Another trail that waits to be explored. I take the first climb all the way to the top - it's very steep and very washed out but I make it. I then turn back and ride all the way down again , turning onto tarmac for the approach to the second climb. When I turn left into the forest and arrive at the bridge I normally take towards the other side of the river and the beginning of the long climb I get a big surprise. The bridge is gone, simply washed away during the heavy rainfall a few weeks ago. I have to take another approach and whilst doing the second climb I have all the trouble in the world to make it. There has been a lot of water here, all the sand has washed away between the stones and the rocks and the climb is very steep and now riddled with loose stones and rubble. You cannot make a mistake or you come to a standstill . I have to admit, I had to walk a short section on my second climb. On top I take a little break at the foot of a high voltage pylon before making the singletrack downhill towards the rocky outcrop overlooking Les Rochettes. I take a few pictures there as well.

After that , an overgrown track - and I mean REALLY overgrown , I had to push the bike before me through the nettles and brambles - drops me back into Les Rochettes. From there on the trail only offers 3 more climbs. But they are nasty ones, 2 uphills between barbed-wired fields with overgrown gullies where scattered rocks want to make your bike tilt over and drop you into one of the wires. A lot of grinta, technique and power , is needed here. I am at Scry now and there is only one difficult climb left. Another washed away track makes me dig in deep into my power reservoir but I manage to make it, partly due to the excellent handling of the Moots and the Nokian NBX tyres. The remaining couple of kilometers I hurry back towards Nandrin where I arrive after 61K and just short of 4 hours of biking.

More pictures from earlier rides in Nandrin : CLICK

Ride Stats : 61k and 1090 heightmeters in 3h57mins

5651/53990