This is the last of three stages from Heerlen to Spa. From there we will follow the GR5 to the Mediterranean Sea.
From the start the trail quickly enters the forests of the Ardennes. After about 5 km it crosses the dam of the lake of la Gilleppe to continue on forest paths over the hills until Spa.
What a wonderful place to wake up. The birds are singing and fortunately, we wake up a lot smoother and more energetic than we expected last night. During breakfast we already pack some of our things, which makes breaking down the tent and packing our stuff a lot quicker. With the sun shining, we start our stage feeling fit.
The route follows through a few villages quickly into the woods; it really starts to look like the Ardennes here! After 6 km we arrive at Lac de la Gileppe, so special that we reached this place on foot! Fortunately, the little restaurant at the dam is open, as we could use a first break of the trip.
And what a break it is… It turns out to be enough calories for the rest of the hike: at 10.30am we’re enjoying coffee with a fresh Brussels waffle with cherries, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream 😋! In the sun and with a strong wind we look out over the lake and the statue of a lion and we realise what a luxury it is that we are here now…
After a break of almost an hour, we continue our journey through woods and hills. The kilometres go by very fast, it’s great to be out in nature like this.
Towards the end of the hike, the backpacks begin to get heavier again and the energy runs out. The last paths are steep, muddy and sometimes difficult to find. We loose track of the GR5, which results in a few extra kilometres… One reassurance: from the next stage on, this won’t happen soon, because we will follow the GR5 and only have to follow white/red markings until Nice 😉 .
So we are glad when we see the campsite. It’s almost 5pm and the reception appears to be closed. After looking around for a while, an inhabitant of the campsite walks up to us, together with the guard dog of the campsite: a faithful Golden Retriever called Tanja. In poor French and English, we arrange a spot on the edge of this quiet campsite. Again, we have no time to do anything other than take a shower and cook the last food we brought from home, but it feels like a reward. Tomorrow, we can refuel, because we’ll be staying in Spa for a day.
