Country:
District:
Starting point: Franchimont Castle car park, Allée du Château, 17, 4910 Theux.
(S/E) From the car park, head towards the castle entrance. Pass to the left of it. Immediately after, at the Y-junction, follow the left-hand path, which is initially gravel, following the yellow and red GRP® markings and the white rectangle on a red background. The path begins to descend. Atthe Y-junction , continue along the right-hand path. Pass a path that descends sharply to the right and reach a meadow.
(1) Leave the wooded area by going through a gate, then continue along the meadow. At the end of the meadow, go through a metal gate to cross a field, leave the field and cross a second meadow. Leave it by going through a metal gate, then continue between fences on a path that leads to a road in the hamlet of Sasserotte (Sassor). Go up to the left for a few metres until you reach a T-junction.
(2) Leave the markings that go to the right and go up to the left, following the green diamond road sign. Almost at the top, just after an electrical substation, leave the asphalt road by turning right and continue along a wide stony path that leaves Sassor and soon enters the countryside between fields and meadows. Approach a hamlet.
(3) As you approach it, leave this wide path by turning right, following a green mountain bike trail. During the descent, on the left, you will see the Polleur motorway viaduct. After the hairpin bend, turn left, still following the green mountain bike trail, and follow a grassy path between meadows. Opposite an isolated bungalow, continue left on a wider path, following the green mountain bike trail and the red sign with a white rectangle on a red background, until you reach the foot of the motorway embankment.
(4) Go down to the right, parallel to the motorway. At the bottom of the descent, turn a quarter turn to the left, then pass under the viaduct for the first time. Just after a safety barrier, ignore a path that descends to the right, then cross a grassy area and reach a road. Go down it to the right, following the yellow and red GRP® markings . At the bottom of the descent, do not enter Polleur (church with a twisted bell tower). Continue to Route du Congrès Polleur.
(5) Turn right onto this road, ignoring all the signs. Cross it carefully, then continue towards the viaduct, along the Hoëgne. Go under the viaduct and over the river, then, just after leaving Polleur, leave the main road and turn left. Go up the road and pass under the viaduct a third time. A good hundred metres further on, as the road curves to the left, leave the asphalt at a bend.
(6) Go up to the right on a stony track, following the blue rectangle sign, two mountain bike trails and the red and white GR® markings . Pass under the viaduct for the fourth and last time and, just after, continue straight ahead, following all the markings. Facing the entrance to a meadow, atthe Y-junction , continue on the very rocky path on the left. Atthe next Y-junction , climb left again to enter the Bois de Staneux. You will come out at a large crossroads of paths, at "L'arbre des Traqueurs (L'abe du lès trakeûs)".
(7) Climb up opposite, following the green mountain bike trail, the blue rectangle sign and the GR®. Pass a path that branches off to the right, then, at the junction with a wide path that descends to the right, continue climbing. Pass the Brigadier Simar forest lodge and you will come to a crossroads.
(8) Cross this crossroads and continue straight ahead, still following the blue rectangle sign and the GR®. As you progress, ignore several side paths, pass the "Frères fourchus" (forked brothers), Scots pines planted in 1880, and after a good kilometre, you will reach a T-junction.
(9) Still following the same markings, descend to the left. Cross a ford. At the junction with a path on the right, continue downhill. Almost at the end of the descent, at the junction with a wide path that climbs to the right, leave the blue rectangle and GR® markings that continue to the left and arrive at a crossroads.
(10) Go up to the right, following the green diamond sign. After a steep climb, you will reach the "Chêne de la Vierge" (Virgin's Oak).
(11) Continue and, at the next crossroads, go straight ahead, still following the green diamond sign, and pass the impressive Michel Counotte sequoia (forest ranger at Staneux from 1975 to 2013) and a forest lodge. Continue along a wide forest track that begins to descend. Cross a junction and shortly afterwards, atthe Y-junction , leave the green diamond sign, which continues to the right.
(12) Continue on the left-hand path, which is unmarked. The wide path ends abruptly and continues as a much narrower grassy path. After overlooking a quarry, pass a path that branches off to the right. At the bottom of the descent, go through a metal gate and you will come out onto a wide asphalt path in poor condition.
(13) Go down to the right and pass by the "Chêne de la montée devant Staneux" (oak tree on the climb in front of Staneux). When the asphalt disappears temporarily, leave the wide path and follow it on your left for a few metres on a dirt track that turns almost 180 degrees to the left and begins to descend between the edge of the forest and meadows. The descent becomes steeper and the path becomes very rocky and steep-sided. At the bottom of the descent, after an S-bend, the path turns a quarter of a turn to the left and then runs alongside the old Spixhe quarry (an area managed to encourage the presence of reptiles, including smooth snakes). You will come out onto a wide path facing the Pepinster-Spa railway line.
(14) Follow it to the right until you reach a level crossing. With a green mountain bike trail, cross it and continue on the gravel path between the meadows. At the T-junction, turn right and follow the Wayai. At the first houses in Spixhe, continue on the asphalt road. Shortly afterwards, do not cross the bridge over the stream, but continue straight ahead. When the asphalt ends, continue on the path along the Wayai. At the end of the path, follow the paved lane on the right until you reach the Franchimont SNCB stop.
(15) Pass the station and continue to a road. Cross it at the pedestrian crossing, then follow it to the left. Go over the Wayai and, at the end of Route du Congrès de Polleur, you will come out onto the N62. Follow it to the right, keeping the red and blue diamond signs on your right. Pass the confluence of the Hoëgne and Wayai rivers to arrive at the Institut Saint-Roch.
(16) Turn right towards Sassor and Franchimont Castle. Cross the Hoëgne and then the level crossing. Just after passing the institute, you will reach a small square on the right.
(17) Cross the road and go up to the left on a paved lane, following the yellow and red GRP® signs. After a few metres, turn left again to climb a staircase, then begin a steep climb on a schist path on the hillside. You will arrive at a fork.
(18) At the crossroads, continue the steep climb to the right, following the GRP® and the green cross sign. At a telecommunications antenna, the slope levels out considerably and the route continues through meadows until it reaches the junction of Chemin des Roches and Rue de Chawieumont.
(19) Descend to the right on a gravel path, following only the green sign for Croix Verte. At the first houses in Sassor, the asphalt takes over. You will come out onto the main road.
(20) Go down it on the right, then leave it and turn left into Allée du Château. Opposite house no. 8, leave the asphalt and go up to the left into the woods, going through a metal gate. Begin a steep climb. But before reaching the top, at a tree marked with Extratrail signs (in the opposite direction), turn right onto a hillside path that leads back to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
