Mur de Huy

Today I headed south into the rolling hills of the Walloon in search of the infamous ‘Mur de Huy’. This is - of course - the legendary centre-piece of “La Flèche Wallonne,” twice scaled before one final ascent to its formidable finish line. Departing at 11, with 3 pages of printed maps to avoid the mishaps of Fridays ride, I gently pedalled through narrow lanes, cobbled roads, and rural Belgian towns arriving in Huy some 3 hours later. Making my way through the busy high streets and packed roads, I eventually found the foot of the hill. Translated to English, “the wall of Huy” abruptly dawned as being overwhelmingly apt. Averaging 9.3% for 1.3km, featuring sections of 19% before peaking at 25%, it is easy to see why the climb has achieved its legendary status. Impressed by its magnitude, having only eased my way up, I turned back and after 5h 45 was home in Kumtich. I will certainly be back to the Mur soon for an all out attack on its daunting slopes.