It was about time I visited the Ardennes again and today I felt like I won the lottery. I rode to Nonceveux , not far from Remouchamps in the Ambleve valley to ride the O2 Bikers roadbook . From the figures it looked like one of their toughest roadbooks ever, both physical (5/5 stars) and technical (4/5 stars) as well as offering almost 1100 heightmeters on a 36K distance. What more does a real biker need?
It starts easy from the little church of Nonceveux, over the river Ambleve and then taking the busy N633 for a couple of 100 metres and then the first offroad climb takes me through a few hairpins up towards the Tilleul des Pendus. The climb is steep and the legs have to get in gear. But I feel fine and the Merlin is in top shape too. I am following the track on my Garmin Edge 705 and I would experience no major problems with that throughout the whole ride. I saved the track in Course format (.crs file) which proves to be THE format the Edge 705 really likes. Only in some of the deep valleys did it hesitate a few moments because satellite reception was not optimal.
That being said, lets continue the ride. A rocky path takes me down towards the N697 which I follow briefly before climbing on a tarmac road towards Pierzay. At the top I turn left into a freshly mown path - brambles and other thorny branches lie scattered over the trail. I am on NoTubes but still I felt like having a flat every moment. But nothing happens, and the trail gets gnarly as it changes into a rocky underground and the downhill gets steeper - better keep concentrated. A few switchbacks and I am at what looks to be an old quarry. The soil is red and there are some puddles here. I follow the little Gergova river upstream before crossing the N697 again. I follow this busy road for a short while before an impossible climb takes me right up a plateau and on to what looks like a Fagnes track. Before long I turn right and head back towards the Tilleul des Pendus. Wow, 10K far and already almost an hour of biking.
It starts easy from the little church of Nonceveux, over the river Ambleve and then taking the busy N633 for a couple of 100 metres and then the first offroad climb takes me through a few hairpins up towards the Tilleul des Pendus. The climb is steep and the legs have to get in gear. But I feel fine and the Merlin is in top shape too. I am following the track on my Garmin Edge 705 and I would experience no major problems with that throughout the whole ride. I saved the track in Course format (.crs file) which proves to be THE format the Edge 705 really likes. Only in some of the deep valleys did it hesitate a few moments because satellite reception was not optimal.
That being said, lets continue the ride. A rocky path takes me down towards the N697 which I follow briefly before climbing on a tarmac road towards Pierzay. At the top I turn left into a freshly mown path - brambles and other thorny branches lie scattered over the trail. I am on NoTubes but still I felt like having a flat every moment. But nothing happens, and the trail gets gnarly as it changes into a rocky underground and the downhill gets steeper - better keep concentrated. A few switchbacks and I am at what looks to be an old quarry. The soil is red and there are some puddles here. I follow the little Gergova river upstream before crossing the N697 again. I follow this busy road for a short while before an impossible climb takes me right up a plateau and on to what looks like a Fagnes track. Before long I turn right and head back towards the Tilleul des Pendus. Wow, 10K far and already almost an hour of biking.
A broader track drops me down towards Sedoz where a very steep climb takes me up to meet with one of the many small rivers that drop down from the plateau towards the Ambleve valley. My pace is little more than crawling and it is very dark and damp under the dense tree cover. My GPS loses signal for a few seconds from time to time but I have no trouble following the set track. I cross the little river and cross over towards the Chaudiere valley. This little ruisseau I follow - the little rivulet in a deep valley left of me - down to where it crashes into the Ninglinspo. I have a little bite to eat at this point, enjoying the elfin quality of the little babbling brooks. The climb that follows now - following the Ninglinspo river upstream - is very well known to me. I relax in a comfortable pace and start the 200m vertical ascent. Along the way I cross the little Ninglinspo river several times before making my way away from it towards Blanches Pierres. A fast downhill brings me close to the Tour Drouet and I decide to have a look at this magnificent viewpoint. This means I have to climb back up again around 50 heightmeters to take the rocky road into the Hé des Graviers. Steep sections strewn with rocks take me towards the 370m mark. I have to follow another fagnes road, with wet patches and a lot of roots. The Merlin laughs at these conditions, its suspension working like a charm . In the Bois Bablette a fast downhill takes me to the bords of the Chefna river.
This might easily be one of the most beautiful spots on this ride. The climb with the little river babbling on my right is tough, steep and rocky. Luckily it is reasonably dry. I have been here before but the beauty of the terrain still gets me. At the top I take almost an 180 degree turn to follow the river on its other side down again. This descent is a difficult one. Wet patches, rocks, roots and gullies force me to be very attentive and I enjoy the Merlin again whilst I lead it over the rubble downwards. Two big deer cross my path and scatter themselves with unseen grace down the steep slope towards the Chefna. I stop and watch them in amazement. After a while the track gets broader and I storm down into the Ambleve valley.
Crossing the Ambleve only one more climb awaits me. The first bit is amazing. Pure bedrock and steep steep steep , there are no words for it. I admit I had to walk a few bits. When the dense forest opens up I have an amazing view over the valley and I see the lush green forests on the other side of the Ambleve, where I was less than half an hour ago. At Rondai Fontaine I am sent into what seems to be an off-limits road, there is a sign stating that no entry is permitted. But what can I do but follow my GPS track, right? The track drops down slowly at first, approaching the E25. But then it gets serious - and wet with the first real mud I saw today - and I have to hit the brakes hard from time to time to keep the speed on the safe side of sorry. Just before dropping into Nonceveux it gets downright dangerous when the track turns into some kind of rocky garden.
Crossing the Ambleve only one more climb awaits me. The first bit is amazing. Pure bedrock and steep steep steep , there are no words for it. I admit I had to walk a few bits. When the dense forest opens up I have an amazing view over the valley and I see the lush green forests on the other side of the Ambleve, where I was less than half an hour ago. At Rondai Fontaine I am sent into what seems to be an off-limits road, there is a sign stating that no entry is permitted. But what can I do but follow my GPS track, right? The track drops down slowly at first, approaching the E25. But then it gets serious - and wet with the first real mud I saw today - and I have to hit the brakes hard from time to time to keep the speed on the safe side of sorry. Just before dropping into Nonceveux it gets downright dangerous when the track turns into some kind of rocky garden.
Wow, what a great ride this was. 36K and indeed a whopping 1100 positive heightmeters - my GPS and Polar agreed on the number for once - and at times the track was indeed very challenging and technical. The climbs were of the steep kind and you need a bike that provides traction over rocks, loose stones, roots and bedrock. A great trail but not for the meek.
Ride Stats : 36K and 1100 heightmeters in 3h3mins
Hill Factor : 30.5
Ride Profile : CLICK
Maps (GPS and NGI) :
7584/75540
No comments:
Post a Comment