The Ardennes, a Hot Place for Romance

A trip report of a July hike along the GR 577, from Marche-en-Famenne to Wellin
July 19 - July 21

I would like to share some photos with you of my latest trip to the Ardennes with my girlfriend. We went there to celebrate that we've been together for 5 years. So that's the romantic part ;)
It was mostly around or over 30° C which makes it a hot place but an ideal preperation for the GR 20 later on this summer.

Morning

First Look: OMM Sonic Smock

When you are reading this text, my wind jacket is probably on its way back to England. A Small was too - well - small for me so I will exchange it for a Medium. But please, let's get on with the First Look.

First Look: Eastpak Kruizer Velow Messenger Bag

Not all reviews or in this case, a first look, have to revolve around hiking gear in my opinion. And since this is my blog I can do whatever the heck I like :p .
I do a lot of biking to get to places or just for the sport of it and hence I thought I'd share my first look on my newly acquired Eastpak Kruizer Velow, a whole mouthful.

Extremities Inferno Mitt, a short term review

I always have cold hands, whether it's summer and 20°C, when I shake hands with someone, they are always surprised of the cold touch. Now it's winter and when temps sometimes drop to a mild -3°C (although we've been having 6° to 10°C lately!) I like something a bit warmer than fine windproof liners.

In comes the Inferno Mitt from Extremities, and I have been them for some time in when it was cold in November/beginning December. So let's see how they performed so far and I'll keep you updated.

Gear Review: Light windproof gloves from 'den Aldi'

It's time to write about a pair of gloves that's been my trusty companions for over 3 years.

The Windproof Upper

I believe that so many years of use deserve a review, even when they're not from a brand but were bought from Aldi. Sometimes, they sell something usable there, really!

Alright, time to hit the specs and what I think of them, go and read on...

Eifelsteig: The Gear Overview

As promised you still have to get an overview of the gear we used on our trip, you can see a gear list further down. Do not count this as a gear review and enjoy :) .

The Backpack
First of all I want to start with the pack, this was my first trip with the Laufbursche Huckepack (Large) and thus my very first trip with an ultralight backpack. It sat comfy and packing it was easy thanks to the brochure that came with it and of course the movie Hendrik made, or this example.

I used my Thermarest Prolite Plus as the burrito and filled it. Trying it on was a revelation: It actually sat very good, I was not in pain and didn't grin over the weight. The HuckePack is a huge improvement over my old pack.
I can now move around, my back is more flexible, and my hip straps don't hurt, in fact I only used them when we just refilled water or to move the weight from my shoulders. Most part of the trip my pack was light enough for shoulders only-carrying.

The HuckePack on my back
(don't mind the garbage)

All in all I like the pack a lot! Its quality build, its details and its simplicity. I did need getting used to the lid because the sides are sewn on the the pack, still trying to figure out how to keep it open and upright.

Hiking The Eifelsteig Lighter: Roetgen - Nettersheim

The vacation started drawing to an end, soon Sarah would be in school and time would become a scarse good. The perfect time frame thus for planning a last longer hike.

The first camping spot

Out of many hikes, such as the Wildnis Trail or the Müllerthaler trail, we decided we had time enough to do the first sections of the well known Eifelsteig. We started planning, booked our tickets and packed our bags. 

The lovely autumn spirit mixed with the last of summer made for a splendid setting and we hiked from Roetgen to Nettersheim where a train would take us back home.

Go ahead and read more about how our 5 day trip was...