After the Battle of the Somme

I have created a new walking route near Ypres (the ponds). It is very long but can easily be shortened.
And the paths are very good.
If you have any doubts about the feasibility of a route, you can contact me.
It is sometimes easy to improve a route.
Have a good evening.

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk with a pushchair. Beautiful scenery. What a shame that the paths are not always well maintained...

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In short, to please the members of Pasdesouchez, you need to carry the following in your rucksack:
- the dictionary (sorry, the dictionary) of the Académie Française
- the land registry (see my dispute with Berniepasdesouchez about a supposedly private path, but one used by many Sunday hikers)

As for accidents, they can happen anywhere, even in your bathroom.

So isn't it best to just stay in bed?

Finally, if you could use your connections at the Departmental Council to have the Creuse cleaned up between Ablain and the Ferme du Bois de Mont, that would be really helpful. It's still marked and quite dangerous.

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Good evening,

I see that we agree on the essentials, especially on the need to wear good shoes (I prefer the term "high-top") for part of the route between the Berthonval farm in Mt-St-Eloi and the Maison Blanche in Neuville-St-Vaast.
Given my experience of dealing with a foot injury sustained by a walker on a much less difficult path between Villers-au-Bois and Camblain-l'Abbé – a 45-minute wait for the emergency services – I would advise against the route you suggest starting from Carency.
Who reads the safety advice before setting off on a walk?
Isn't it better to avoid this type of risk?
The asphalt sections are not the problem in themselves, as the leaders know how to manage a group and avoid the dangers of traffic. However, when combined with a flat section through fields, which is completely uninteresting, the whole route becomes uninspiring. Of course, it is even more monotonous if you go as far as Neuville-St-Vaast...
What is the point of proposing a "mediocre" route when Carency offers real possibilities for varied routes towards Villers-au-bois, Mont-St-Eloi, Le Maisnil-Bouché, Gouy-Servins, not to mention the Lorette massif, which offers dozens of kilometres of varied hiking... ?
There is only one real point of disagreement, in fact, even though everyone uses the masculine form, "dénivelée" as a noun, it is feminine (according to the Académie Française dictionary).

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First of all, I would like to point out that this is not my favourite route either. But...

"There is tarmac on the road from Maroeuil to Neuville-St-Vaast and on the road from Neuville-St-Vaast to Carency.

After the Berthonval farm, heading towards the Maison Blanche, there is unfortunately a section that is rarely used, and it is best to wear high-top shoes to avoid sprains."

If you have to avoid both the asphalt sections (which I don't like either, but in such a densely populated area, it's difficult to avoid them unless you make the walks longer) and the difficult sections, it becomes complicated to create routes.

The paved section towards Neuville is 200 metres long, which is not excessive.

The other is a little longer (900 m), but on a small road. I will indicate how to avoid it, bearing in mind that this will add 3.5 km to the route.

I also took the "difficult section" on Saturday and it's really no big deal, especially if you're wearing the right footwear, as I always recommend.

As for the flatness of the route, it's difficult to invent bumps where there aren't any. And that may suit some hikers (there's something for everyone!).

If you want a difficult route, you can try the one I created in Fauquembergues, where there is a significant elevation gain but with a few sections that are prone to sprains.

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

In 2015, I identified (and subsequently accompanied a group of walkers) part of the route for a future GR heritage trail, a project initiated by the Departmental Council.
This section connects the Mont-St-Eloi site and the Berthonval farm to the German cemetery at Maison Blanche in Neuville-St-Vaast.
Apart from this local historical interest (World War I), the route is not pleasant.
There is tarmac on the road from Maroeuil to Neuville-St-Vaast and on the road from Neuville-St-Vaast to Carency.
After the Berthonval farm, heading towards the Maison Blanche, there is a section that is unfortunately rarely used, and it is best to wear high-top shoes to avoid sprains.
A few hundred metres along the Bois-l'Abbé near the Berthonval farm are shaded, but the rest of the route is flat and runs through fields.
For walkers, it's a bit of exercise. It's easy to follow the map, even without a description.
For hikers, best avoided (except for history buffs).

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Hello,
I think that in your comment you meant to refer to the First World War and not the Second?
Kind regards.

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Date of your route : Mar 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The hike is enjoyable, even if it isn't particularly interesting in itself. But it's close to some major First World War sites. I recommend doing the hike early in the day so that you can then enjoy a lovely walk and the view from the Ring of Remembrance at Notre Dame de Lorette or the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. So plan two parts to your outing: the hike and a visit to a very beautiful site.

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Date of your route : Mar 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A hilly, rural route with some sections of tarmac road. On the way back, there is a view of the hill of Notre Dame de Lorette.

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Date of your route : Jun 09, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A fairly ordinary route.

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Date of your route : Jun 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hiking only on flat terrain, so be very careful about sun protection.

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Date of your route : Oct 31, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Precise description, impossible to get lost! Views of the ruins of Mt St Eloi, Lorette and Neuville St Vaast are pleasant, but quite a few paths and small straight roads make some parts monotonous.

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