As I discovered, the Ardennes is, in fact, a surprisingly magical swathe of deep forest, rolling countryside, patches of woodlands, perfectly manicured villages, and poignant, World War 2 reminders – be it small memorials tucked into hillsides, or mothballed US tanks proudly parked outside churches and even village high streets. The conditions under tyre are also just as varied; one moment, we were riding down a wide and sedate forest road, then grappling with a grassy, lumpy two-track tracing the edges of a field, before launching down a rocky chute paralleling a fast-flowing river, or later figuring out a way through some unexpectedly rooty and demanding singletrack. The inclines are steep and often unexpected, be it on singletrack or sunken cart trails – a far cry from the cobbled flatlands of the Flemish north. I can’t imagine a better way of getting a feel for it than this 365km loop, especially in the company of friends. Group trips seem to suit forest camping so very well.