Intro:
That first snow, always a special moment ... Our newsmedia love the chaotic traffic situations, but they won't get much inspiration from us because we're taking the train to Ham-sur-Heure to enjoy the white silent landscapes on the GR 12 trail.
The hike showed us a region in which it was hard to spot other colours besides grey, black and white. Quietness and silence prevailed, even our footsteps were muffled, except for the occasional alarming crackling sound when we stepped on a hidden puddle.
Under a heavy snow-pregnant skydome we walked through forests and hazy views, from village to village, in the region between the rivers Sambre and Meuse. Somewhere along the hike Walcourt emerged as a grey pearl..
That's all we needed to make this a wonderful day.
Back and forth:
In Antwerp we took the train to Charleroi-Sud. There a local train took us to Couvin, and 2 hours 15 minutes later we arrived at the little station of Ham-sur-Heure (in the hamlet of Hameau), right on the GR 12 trail.
In Daussois busstop Pont is situated also right on the GR 12 trail. During the week only 3 busses a day stop here. During weekends or in holiday periods you'll have to find an other solution: either you continue the hike up to Yves-Gomezée, or you stop earlier at Walcourt. The bus was right on time and took us to the train station of Walcourt in 10 minutes. From there on it went to Charleroi-Sud, and then further on to Antwerpen. The chaotic traffic situations hadn't bothered us at all ...
Ham-sur-Heure, Walcourt, Yves-Gomezée, ... they're all train stations on the same railway track Charleroi - Couvin. Ideal to reach start and finish of the hike by train.
The hike:
We started from the trainstation at Ham-sur-Heure and immediately got warmed up by climbing into the Bois Jacques. A thin layer of snow, enough to create a white impression, masked all irregularities in the forest paths. On the wider paths it was obvious that cars had already passed. Why should cars come here? Anyway, the traces left by their tires were really dangerous: very slippery !
(Click the picture for more images on Picasa)
As was also the case during our previous hike, the trail kept following the valley of the river Eau d'Heure and the railway track Charleroi - Couvin. At times we were walking on the plateau above the valley, a bit later we were at the bottom of the valley crossing the river. It's clear that this was not a flat hike, although the slopes of the valley were not really steep. All in all this was a rather pleasant walk.
The landscape never got boring. Forests alternated with open plains and panoramic views. Small dormant villages with impressive castles and fortified farms (Trazegnies, Thy-le-Château) completed the scenery.
The little town of Walcourt was a nice surprise. It's situated on a long narrow hill with steep slopes carved out by the confluence of the rivers Eau d'Heure and Eau d'Yves. The GR 12 trail ascends towards and descends back from the town along small old alleys of steps. Walcourt really deserves a little visit. Stroll around the Grand Place and the basilica, enjoy a drink and some local food, and don't forget to visit the Saint-Materne basilica. As a hiker you'll certainly notice the collection of crutches attached to the wall opposite the statue of Our Lady, dating from the 10th century.
Walcourt also happens to be the place where another trail, GR 125, starts and finishes. It's a 274 km. long circular trail covering the region between the rivers Sambre and Meuse.
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