Hellenthal to Baraque Michel and retour

This route was planned for a road race bike, but can be used for recreative bikes as wall. It is entirely of tarmac stretches. I used a Garmin Edge 830 for navigation, and it gives 6 recognized climbs.

I started in Hellenthal, but you can start anywhere on the route. From Hellenthal the first climb is immediately the steepest, Strava segment counting, 4.4km with average gradient of 4%, but the steepest sections close to 10%. After this climb the route is more or less flat until you hit the Perlenbach crossing. (Sadly there is no beer under the bridge but water). The descent to the bridge is on a bike path, but without hard turns, an easy one. After the bridge there lies on the east side of the B-258 road the beautiful German medieval town of Monschau, which is worth visiting for it's beautiful old town centre. After the descent however you need to climb up towards the roundabout where you turn left to the Belgium town of Eupen.

There is a small climb until you hit the highest point on this road near the Belgian-German border. After that it is a beautiful stretch of 10 km road with a 2-5% descent into Eupen. In Eupen take a left turn (crossing the Weser twice) onto the N68 towards Malmedy. Here starts the real pain. This is the infamous Baraque Michel Climb with only a 3% average gradient, but a whopping 14.3 km length, towards the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes in French). The first part is rated as a Cat-3 climb. Almost at te top, take a left turn towards Robbertville. After the turn it is only a small climb towards Signal Botrange, the highest point of Belgium, counting 694mtrs above sea level. But the Belgians found 700 a better number, so they created a small hill with a plaque to celebrate this height.

Just over half the route this is an excellent place for a celebratory capuccino, or in my case a Leffe Blond Beer, check the rest of the route with the excellent Wifi of the restaurant, and refilled my bottles.

After the Signal the road continues to the Lake of Robbertville, and this is where the easy part is over. A lot of turns from here towards the Belgian-German border, which i won't mention all. I strongly advise a smartphone or other navigation device :)

When you are close to the lake of Robbertville, turn left and keep the lake on your right hand. At the smallest part of the lake there lies the beautifull crossing towards the Champagne Village.

After Champagne the route continues to the beautiful Bütgenbach lake where you climb above the lake to the small town of Berg. After Berg follow the route towards Witzfeld, Mürringen and then straight east to the border. At the border take on the roundabout the left on the B-265 road to Hollenrath and Hellenthal.

There is only a bit of climbing left towards the White Stone Skiing Hill, than only downwards toward Hollenrath, with a slight descent. The best part is after Hollenrath where the roads has some hairpins down toward the Olef river and Hellenthal, with 4km -4% descent. The finish is close, the roundabout in Hellenthal centre. Congratiulations. Over 100kms with close to 1500m climbing.