Heul veul Geul is Brabants for a whole lot of Geul, and is a route that follows the river Geul and goes over the many climbs on both sides of the Geuldal. So why Variant in the route name? That's because this route is a variant of the route Heul veul Geul, with the biggest changes:
- a total of 1.5 km of gravel roads at two crossings of the Geuldal (near Camping du Vieux Moulin towards Cottessen) and between Mechelen and Partij,
- two calf-biting climbs have been removed from the route (Eyserbosweg and Gulperberg),
- about ten other climbs between Wijlre and Sippenaeken compared to the route "Heul veul Geul" (marked with an asterisk in the route description below).

The route starts in Rothem at the church, but can also be started at any other random point on the route, such as the Amstel Gold Race experience center in Valkenburg or from the many parking areas in the Vijlenerbos.

The route follows the Geul upstream first, which means climbs on the northern and eastern side of the Geuldal. Sometimes a detour is made away from the Geuldal to avoid overlap on the return journey. The following climbs are on your path (starting from Rothem) in the Dutch part on the way out:
Vauwerberg (or In den Schreub)
Ravensbosch
Goudsberg
Holleweg Schin op Geul
Schaapsdries
Dikkebuiksweg (*)
Plettenberg (from Eys)
Hilleshagen (*)
Rugweg (except for the first 300 meters in this profile) (*)
Pas van Wolfhaag
 

The route now enters Belgium and you are already away from the Geuldal. But the beautifully paved bike path along a former railway line (RAVeL 39) takes you from Gemmenich to Plombières and back into the catchment area of the Geul, or La Gueulle as it is called in French. Further on, you even reach a piece of German-speaking Belgium near Kelmis, where the stream Die Göhl is located, and you follow this stream along a well-paved bike path (RAVeL 39A) from Kelmis to Moresnet. In the Belgian part, you will encounter the following climbs:
Belle Vue or Rue du Casino (excluding the first 250 meters)
Rue du Viaduc
A short steep climb on RAVeL 39A.

You leave Belgium via a road to Camping du Vieux Moulin near Sippenaeken, a partly pockmarked asphalt road. You cycle over the camping grounds and cross the border into the Netherlands, over a gravel road 600 meters long (gravel path) that is inaccessible during floods of the Geul. Afterwards, you turn right away from the Geuldal, and there is a narrow strip of asphalt on the right side of the road that turns into a good asphalt road after about 300 meters from the hamlet of Cottessen.

In the Netherlands, you will encounter the following climbs (partly still on the eastern side of the Geuldal, later on the western/southern side of the Geul:
Cottessen (*)
Camerig (only the second part!)
Rott (*)
Bommerigerweg (*: in the opposite direction to the route "Heul veul Geul")
Eperheide (only the first part, and in Epen via Boeienstraat) (*)
Gulperweg from Eperheide (*)
Hurpesch (only the first part) (*)

You cross the Geuldal between Mechelen and Partij via an 800 meter long gravel road (delightfully quiet without car traffic!), and then the following climbs follow:

Hommerigerweg (*)
Oude Akerweg (*)
Doode Man
Daalhemmerweg
Lindenstraat
Geulhemmerberg

You descend the Kuitenberg towards Maastricht and then you quickly return to the start/end point Rothem.