Walking in the Ardennes. Jeff Williams
French or Dutch and, as with all internet searches, finding the right information can be challenging. All the towns in the Ardennes have tourist offices, variously called ‘Office/Bureau du Tourisme’, ‘Maison du Tourisme’ or ‘Syndicat d’Initiative’. All of these have websites and are a good alternative to DIY.
When staying in gîtes it is usually necessary to take your own bed linen and towels, and a travel kettle may be useful. See Appendix B for a list of websites that might help in finding accommodation.
Money
Belgian currency is the euro. Most gîtes, B&Bs and many small hotels do not accept credit cards, so to avoid the risks of carrying vast amounts of currency an alternative strategy is required. One option is to use a debit or credit card at an ATM, although withdrawal charges can make this expensive. A cheaper way is to organise a debit-type card (usually known as a ‘cash passport’) that can be pre-loaded with euros at a more advantageous rate than high street banks offer. This can be limited to euros, carries no transaction cost and is used through an ATM in the same way. A number of foreign exchange and travel companies offer this product and the card purchase in the first instance is free. In some places they can also be used as conventional debit cards, again without a transaction charge. The list of websites in Appendix B includes two companies offering cash passports, but it is an ever-increasing market and a general online search will yield plentiful results.
Health and safety
If you’re a European citizen, don’t forget your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). It is necessary to pay a doctor for treatment, but up to 75 per cent of the fee may be reclaimable on return to the UK, provided you have an official receipt (attestation de soins donnés). You can seek a consultation with a specialist hospital doctor by appointment without referral from a family doctor, but direct consultation at higher costs may be more difficult in terms of reimbursement. Accident and Emergency departments are run on the same lines as in the UK. Ambulance charges are non-refundable in Belgium but you may be able to claim reimbursement in the UK.
Remember to take your prescription with you if it’s possible that you may require a resupply of regular prescribed medication; most pharmacies will accept these but you will have to pay the whole cost, which may be considerable, and seek reimbursement back in the UK.
Citizens from other countries should check they are covered by their medical insurance before travelling.
Ixodes ricinus, the region’s most commonly encountered tick
Ticks are very small, eight-legged arachnids in the same class as spiders and scorpions. They can’t fly or jump but they ‘quest’. This tactic involves holding the first pair of legs outstretched, ready to cling on to a passing host (maybe a walker). Although responsible for a veritable raft of diseases, in Belgium the risk they pose is the same as in parts of the UK and the most frequently diagnosed transmitted problem is Lyme disease. In order to reduce this risk there are three recommendations: firstly, after walking in wooded areas you should examine all parts of the body (get a close friend to help if you can) to search for ticks. Secondly, take tick tweezers with you (easy to get in the UK and in pharmacies in the Ardennes) and finally, very importantly, if you have unexplained fevers, rashes, joint pains or any other unexplained symptoms in the weeks following an Ardennes walking holiday, consult your family doctor. The risks are very low – no higher than in the Scottish Highlands, the New Forest or Norfolk, for example – but the potential problem is important and well worth bearing in mind.
Unfortunately it is true that theft from cars (including ‘sac-jacking’, where a window is smashed and bags stolen from the car when stopped in traffic) and pickpocketing are not unknown in the larger Belgian towns and cities, so the standard precautions are required.
Hunting hides are common in forests around the region
Hunting is a very popular pastime in Belgium. It is highly regulated and tough tests in theory, weapon safety and marksmanship are strictly enforced. The species that can be hunted include deer and wild boar – typically forest animals – so there is a potential for walker-hunter conflict in terms of safety during the hunting season. In the Ardennes, for most species, the season is from 1 October to the end of December. At these times it is advisable check locally as to which walking areas should be avoided, although there are normally warning signs in place.
What to take
The same equipment for walking is required in the Ardennes as in the UK and should include a rucksack, waterproof top, appropriate footwear to cope with mud and water, adequate fluids and some food. A map is essential, ideally in a map case or waterproof bag, and a base-plate compass plus a first aid kit and a survival bag (for injuries rather than for an overnight stay) are strongly recommended. The use of a satellite navigation system en route is fun and informative but it is not vital to have such a device.
You won’t forget to take your passport, but remember that you must carry it with you at all times as your official ID. When driving you must also always be in possession of a current and valid licence as well as appropriate evidence of insurance.
Maps
The whole of Belgium is covered by the 1:50,000 Institut Géographique National (IGN) series which are, in principle, the same as the UK Ordnance Survey maps but of nothing like the same high-quality graphic representation and readability. Notably, footpaths are very difficult to distinguish and follow. The same organisation produces maps at 1:25,000 and 1:20,000 scale, of similar quality.
For basic holiday planning or for multi-day walks these maps are adequate, but for detailed walking routes the best – indeed the only satisfactory – answer is to purchase local maps at local tourist offices or shops. Given the often limited opening hours of the former, this can throw up interesting situations. For example, in 2012 it was possible to purchase a map of the Ourthe Superieure in Nadrin tourist office, open only from 10.00am at the weekend. However, according to a local lady it was worth trying ‘chez le pâtissier’ (at the baker’s) where, sure enough, a copy was produced with a flourish from under the counter. It is usually impossible to source these local maps in the UK prior to departure.
Generally these local maps are at 1:25,000 scale, although there are variations (1:20,000 being quite common). They vary in size and format from place to place. But even these maps are not without problems for walkers: local walking routes are numbered, and in many instances these numbers obliterate the map’s detail. Also, these routes are overprinted on existing paths, tracks and roads, and it is often impossible to determine beforehand which surface you will be walking on. Those who abhor surfaced roads may find this particularly trying. It is also worth bearing in mind that some of the maps do not have a legend, and finally it should be remembered that many of the local maps are 15 years or more out of date. However, it needs to be said that the maps of the Grand Duchy at 1:20,000 scale are good.
On the plus side, details of these walking routes, including length, a severity grading and suggested timings, are sometimes included on the reverse of the map.
The maps contained in this guide are derived from open-source materials and adjusted to reflect the author’s experience on the ground. They are not designed as a substitute for a decent map or the ability to interpret it; they are adjunctive particularly to give a speedy visual cue to area and terrain. A compass is a useful tool to add to navigational equipment, being particularly helpful to confirm the direction in which a path or track is running when there is some uncertainty about your precise position.
Finally, active forestry management, necessary though it may be, is the bane of guidebook writers and wayfarers alike. Readers should bear in mind that yesterday’s walk through a spruce forest rich with the insistent high-pitched song of goldcrests may be tomorrow’s amble through open scrubland or new plantation, filled with the scratchy utterances of common whitethroat.
Waymarking