Long circular loop of the Lesse ladders

The starting point can be reached by road, train from Gendron-Celles station on line 166, Dinant-Bertrix, and even by boat, kayak or similar near the road bridge over the Lesse. Access by bus is also possible, but not far from the crossroads in the centre of Furfooz. Furfooz stop, Rue du Camp Romain, on line 67/1, which only runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

(S/E) From the station platform, head towards the Auberge de la Lesse car park, where you can park if arriving by car. A path starts near the information board in the centre of the car park and takes you up towards the woods, away from the main road. The entrance to the path is clearly marked and easily identifiable. You will cross the road three times before reaching it again on the plateau, after leaving the woods and passing under a high-voltage power line.

(1) Where the path meets the road, turn left towards the village. At the first crossroads, turn right, downhill, then left at the Saint-André cross. Continue straight ahead past the church, ignoring the road on the right. Shortly after this, at a large car park, signposts show you the various walks available from this point. Continue past the car park, ignoring the dead-end road on the right, and continue uphill.

(2) At the foot of the calvary, turn right into the dead-end road, which quickly turns into a beautiful path. Stay on the right-hand path, ignoring the paths on the left, to reach the woods and descend towards the Ywoigne.

(3) You will find yourself facing the bridge over the Ywoigne, which will take you to the^GR®17. Do not cross this bridge; instead, head right towards the confluence with the Lesse. Just after the confluence, climb the ladder. Follow the^GR® and ignore the paths on your right. Follow the Lesse as closely as possible along a path that may be flooded in heavy rain. Various staircases and quite a few ascents and descents punctuate your route, which at first glance might appear to follow the course of the river. In fact, some of the meanders consist of rock formations that must be "climbed", sometimes on very steep wooden staircases. After about 7 km between the Lesse and the railway line, and shortly after passing a campsite on the other bank and making a final descent down some steps, you will finally come to a road bridge over the Lesse and continue to the middle of the car park.

(4) Here you are at a fork in the road: you can go up to the bridge and reach Gendron-Celles station on the right, or go under the bridge on the left. This is where you can split the hike.
- To shorten the distance and return quickly to your starting point, turn right to reach the road. Turn right onto the road to pass under the railway bridge, staying on the narrow pavement as the traffic is very fast here. The car park where you started is in front of you.

- If you wish to continue the walk, turn left under the bridge onto the public footpath in the middle of the tavern terrace. Continue along the public footpath, passing the kayak launch facilities, and follow the^GR®17, 126 and Sentier des Abbayes Trappistes (SAT) trails, ignoring the paths on the right.

(5) You will enter Furfooz Park. The entrance to the park is marked by a chicane and is open to hikers. Continue as close as possible to the Lesse, sometimes only a few centimetres away, to pass a guinguette (only open in season) and, shortly after a few buildings, you will arrive at the foot of a hill leading to the park entrance.

(6) After a few metres of climbing, shortly after passing a few buildings, a^GR® fork allows you to turn left, following the^GR® 17 and the SAT, to cross the stream that runs alongside the road and ignore it. You thus leave Furfooz Park. The path overlooks the house and the passage is a little technical if you are carrying a heavy load. You will reach the Lesse a little further on and turn right to follow it along its right bank, descending it. At the next railway bridge, follow the path to climb onto it and cross the river. Descend on the other side of the bridge to reach the Route des Aiguilles de Chaleux.

(7) Turn right here to pass under the railway and then enter Chaleux. The road takes you to the Lesse, on a beautiful sandy shore offering a beautiful view of the Aiguilles de Chaleux. This is also where the road ends.

(8) Following the^GR®, turn left onto the path towards a new railway bridge. Pass under it and immediately after it, take a fairly steep circular left turn to climb up onto it. Cross the Lesse again and descend once more to turn right, still on the^GR®, so as not to pass under the bridge you have just crossed.

(9) At the next railway bridge over the Lesse, leave the^GR® 17, 126 and SAT trails, which climb up to the bridge on the right, and continue straight ahead underneath it, following the flood variant of these trails. After going around the grounds of a house in the woods, you begin your second significant climb of the day, towards the summit of the Aiguilles de Chaleux. During the climb, various signs invite you to leave the path to the right to admire the view. Treat yourself and walk the few metres necessary, depending on what your heart tells you. At the top of the climb, ignore the path coming from the left and continue, almost naturally, to the right. The path now turns into a road and takes you to the centre of Furfooz.

(10) At the junction of Rue des Aiguilles de Chaleux and Rue du Camp Romain, stay on the^GR®, turning right towards the large esplanade/roundabout, then right again towards the dead end. Descend to the church and then keep right, continuing downhill.

(11) At the next crossroads, just after the house at No. 5 Rue du Camp Romain, head slightly uphill towards the dead end in Rue de Molémont, and not towards Parc de Furfooz. Just after the first house, take the path on the left, which climbs slightly, and do not continue straight ahead.

(12) At the top of the path, the^GR® SAT joins the path you are on from the left, and you continue straight ahead on this path to begin a beautiful descent into the woods. This ends in wide hairpin bends and takes you to a bridge, which you cross to reach a road. Turn right towards the car park, keeping to the right-hand side of the road, on the hard shoulder, and only cross the road when you are close to the car park and have a clear view of the traffic, which travels at 90 km/h here.

(S/E) This will take you back to your vehicle. If you came by train, continue through the car park to reach the station opposite you.

Accessibility:
- The first part (between points (3) and (4)) can be difficult with young children or animals due to the metal duckboard ladders and stairs, which are quite steep.
This walk is generally very difficult for people with reduced mobility, even with a Joëlette. The main reason for this is the ladders, stairs and other very steep climbs on railway bridges that dot most of the route.
- In the event of flooding, be sure to check before setting off on the route between points (3) and (9), as you will be in the floodplain of the Lesse. You can check the status of the Lesse at https://hydrometrie.wallonie.be/home/obs...].
Variations:
The circular path can also easily be split by going directly from point (S/E) to point (4), to allow for a version suitable for children and/or animals, or to reduce the distance.
- The description provides explanations for splitting the route from (4) to (S/E) and thus "only" doing the part with ladders and stairs, which is difficult with children and/or animals.
- To go from (S/E) to (4) and avoid these difficulties, from the car park, head towards the station and pass under the railway bridge, towards the Lesse and the kayak launch facilities. After this, turn left towards the tavern car park, then, at point (4), in the middle of the car park, turn right to rejoin the route and pass under the road bridge. Once you have passed under the bridge, follow the description from point (4).
Equipment:
In case of rain, the ground can quickly become muddy and slippery. Appropriate footwear and walking sticks are recommended. In all weather conditions, choose footwear with good grip and support for your feet and ankles, as the paths can be tricky due to stones and numerous ascents and descents, some of which are quite steep.
Tourist crowds:
During the tourist season, from May to September, it can be quite difficult to find a parking space at the car park at the starting point (S/E). Alternatively, you can park in Gendron, next to the church and just before the starting point (2). It is often less busy. You can reach it by leaving the car park with the station behind you, taking the first road on the right towards Gendron, which will take you to the point (1). The description then explains how to reach the car park, just before the point (2).
Crossing the kayaking infrastructure between points (4) and (5), although the path is public, remember that you are on a^{GR® trail}, which can also be a little complicated at certain times of the day.

Eat, drink, take a break:
- L'Auberge de la Lesse, near (S/E), also a hotel
- Ô bord de la Lesse, at (4)
- La Flobette, a favourite, between (5) and (6).
Furfooz Park is a nature reserve where you can discover the flora and fauna as well as the life of a Roman camp and its thermal baths. The entrance to the park is on Rue du Camp Romain, between points (6) and (11).
Les Aiguilles de Chaleux, with magnificent views of the Lesse, between the points (9) and (10), or views from below, at (8).
Kayaking is possible on the Lesse, around (4), when navigation is permitted.
There are many other walks in the region.
Further afield, there are the castles of Vêves and Walzin and a good number of campsites, hotels, lodges, cafés and restaurants, as the region is very popular with tourists.