The Somme-Leuze Challenge

There are 4 signposted MTB routes in Somme-Leuze, all of which start at Heure.

The Somme-Leuze challenge is a combination of green, red and blue routes with 48 km and 837 hm.

The distances are 9 km/160 m altitude (blue) , 12 km/170 m altitude (yellow) , 20 km/333 m altitude (red) and 26 km/456 m altitude (green).

A combination of course 3 and 1 , where you switch from course 3 to course 1 at the Drêve de Waillet to continue course 3 on the return, is 29km/ 500hm .

The Somme-Leuze challenge starts in the parking lot near the Heure church. First we follow the green course for about 23 kilometers .

We cross the N929 and cycle to the Rau du Neuf Vivier stream. Here begins a climb of almost 2.5 km on dirt road towards Somal. Now it goes slightly down and just before the Croix Saint-Roch where the chapel of ND de Lourdes is located, We turn left and go down to the Somme . We pass La ferme de Leuze , a former settlement of the Templars of Leuze. There used to be a mine here.

We follow the Somme Valley for a while, but soon the ascent to the highest point of the route begins: 330m. A nice climb on tarmac, in open country with the Somme Valley on the right: it's a picture! After the Five Nations Golf Club we turn right and start a 2 km descent , partly dirt, partly paved.

Then begins a tough climb through the Favereau forest , followed by a descent to the Ri des Soûrdants . Up again and past numerous chalets to the N63 , which we follow parallel to for a while, then follows a descent to the zoning. This boring part of the N929 takes about 2km...

Shortly after Baillonville we do not turn right, but go straight ahead. We are now on the green course . We reach Avenida de Waillet in the Bois d'Heure.

Staying on this plateau for a while, we now switch to path 1 (blue) to begin a pleasant descent of a kilometer and a half to reach the Rau du Trou du Loup . The path is now paved again and it goes up and down to the starting point again.

We continue to follow the blue with a climb of about 2 kilometers on asphalt to Jalna. We pass a work by Les Sentiers d'Art: Le chemin des 4 lunes. Then there is a pleasant descent where the tarmac becomes the Rau du Trou du Loup.

Now follows a long dirt climb of 2 km between the firs, larches and oaks of the Bois d'Heure . Let's move on to another work by Les Sentiers d'Art: Lartbri Cubique. On the Avenue de Waillet we are again at the top of the Bernauthier (280 m) with a wide view over the city.

We stay on this plateau until Tige de Hogne where the road surface becomes asphalt. If we turn a little further to the left, a pleasant off-road descent to the Sinsin Cemetery begins. From the Rau de Blesset begins an all-terrain climb up to 270m , followed by a descent that soon joins the N929 to Nettine. A detour to the Grotte ND du Rosaire is a nice break. We now begin the off-road climb of the Croix Maillard and again reach the Bois des Sarts at 270m.

There follows a 2 km descent to the Rau du Neuf Vivier , which we cross twice through the Bos d'Avennes . After a small climb of a few tens of meters in altitude, the off-road part ends and you quickly descend to the starting point on asphalt .

Also, check out the sightseeing information while you're there. They tell you what you can see!

01/2023