In the Betche aux Roches woods in search of the Man of Spy

A short walk through the woods surrounding Spy Cave to the Orneau Valley.

Details

3399826
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.12 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 49 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 49 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 151 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 99 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Spy Cave car park.

(S/E) Take the path that heads straight into the woods. The path is dotted with fitness equipment. Continue straight along the path until you reach a series of beams for a balancing exercise.

(1) Turn right and head slightly uphill. A little further up, turn left onto the path leading down towards the Orneau valley. The area is criss-crossed with small paths offering circular loops and shortcuts. You can take these to vary the route without fear of getting lost.

(2) After a fairly steep descent in the final few metres, turn left as you catch sight of the railway line at the tree line. A little further on, avoid a passage under the tracks that leads out of the woods by following the Orneau, but you can take a moment to get closer to the stream (see map).

Head north-east to rejoin the path and turn right. Continue straight on along the path which runs alongside the Orneau and some wetlands. The area is very damp but well-graveled. The path is slightly muddy and requires crossing a stream. In wet weather, it is best to wear waterproof shoes or boots.

(3) As you emerge from the woods, near the Goyet farm, continue straight on, taking the path that climbs gently alongside the fields. This path curves to the left and enters the Bètche aux Roches woods. Ignore the paths branching off to the right and proceed to a junction.

(4) Take the narrower path branching off to the left. Turn left, then right to rejoin the original path. Turn right to reach the car park a short distance away (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 148 m - Car park at the Spy Cave Wood
  2. 1 : km 0.67 - alt. 144 m - Bois de la Veuve
  3. 2 : km 1.05 - alt. 114 m - Orneau Valley - Orneau (rivière) - Belgique
  4. 3 : km 2 - alt. 100 m - Goyet Farm
  5. 4 : km 2.47 - alt. 139 m - Bois de Bètche aux Roches, fork to the left
  6. S/E : km 3.12 - alt. 148 m - Car park at the Spy Cave Wood

Notes

The Orneau Valley can be muddy in wet weather. The path is stony, so the mud isn’t too much of a problem, but it’s best to wear waterproof shoes or boots if you plan to do this walk after heavy rain.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
augustine25
augustine25

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, fairly accessible, just a bit steep towards the end. Be careful, the GPS track isn't up to date, so if you do what I did and don't read the description, you'll have to retrace your steps just after the viewpoint over the river to get back on the trail.

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Bruno Tal
Bruno Tal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk – the only snag was that when we chose the option to return to the starting point, the GPS took us, even using the app’s GPS coordinates, 1.5 km away from the right spot, so we just had to rely on the route description.
Apart from that, a very pleasant walk with no difficulty.

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pphilippe
pphilippe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A walk mainly through the woods. As this was exactly what we were looking for (wind), this short hike suited us perfectly. No trouble finding our way along the route. Not really any troublesome mud (though, given the time of year, good shoes are still a must). It left us wanting a bit more, though, so we extended the walk by 2.5 to 3 km: between points 3 and 4, just as the path ‘turns left’, we turned right. We followed this path until we returned to the plateau on Rue des Golettes, turning left (GR markings) for 100m then taking the path on the left (same markings) to reach Rue du Grand Faux, turning left for a few metres to take the path (still the GR) that enters the woods... and rejoins the route (on the right) just before point 4. Additional section shown on the route map.

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Lebrun Eric
Lebrun Eric

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At this time of year, in March, the woods are covered with thousands of daffodils. It’s a shame, though, that some inconsiderate people pick them by the hundreds – grrrr, selfishness personified! When nature is so beautiful, why on earth would anyone want to take some home, where they’ll last only a fraction of the time compared to the beauty that would last for weeks in their natural habitat! It’s also a shame to find surgical masks, baby wipes, cans, plastic bottles and so on lying about – what a sad state of affairs. And when you dare to say something, their response is: ‘They should just put out some bins!!!!’ Mad.
Otherwise, the walk is well worth the detour. Be aware, however, that the car park at the start can only hold about ten cars.

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