Wortel Colony

A short adventure after a busy working week, a break from the daily concerns, an overnight stay in the forest, fully enjoy nature and adventure ... Discover our Sub 24 hour Overnighters or s24o! The overnight Wortel Colony takes you along Kempense meadow and forest towards the Colonies of Benevolence. In this relaxing environment it seems like you have cycled back in time!

The s24o Wortel Colony takes you to the Colonies of Benevolence in Merksplas and Wortel. Until the abolition of the vagrancy law in 1993, people living in poverty were housed here, whether voluntarily or not. Now, 200 years after their creation, the colonies left a very typical and peaceful landscape behind. The wooded area is an ideal setting to relax around a cozy campfire after a busy working week.

This guided bikepacking tour has a total length of 124 km, spread over 24 hours, in an evening and day tour. We travel completely self-sufficient when it comes to food, drinks, clothing and overnight accommodation. Trailgrip will give you the neccecary advice about how you can best approach this. Investing in special bike packing bags is not yet a must, we offer you the opportunity to rent bike packing bags from us at a favorable rate for participants.

Two weeks before the start of the journey, Trailgrip organizes an information evening at our partner Bikepacking Belgium in Antwerp. On this evening you will get a extensive briefing and we will give you lots of bikepacking tips. If you have rented bike packing bags you will receive them on the information evening.

DAY 1

Antwerpen - Wortel Colony | 64 km

The meeting place is at our partner Bikepacking Belgium near Antwerp Berchem railway station. Enjoying a coffee we check the mountainbikes and we escape the city trought the forts of Borsbeek and Wommelgem. On single tracks we make our way through the woods of Zoersel. At the airport of Oostmalle we exchange the forests for extensive fields in the Kempense region.

In Rijkevorsel we dive into the coniferous forests of the Kievits and Blakheide. The last kilometers of the day we can let off steam on the official mountain bike trail in and around the colonies of Merksplas and Wortel. In the colony of Wortel we set up our camp in the bivouac zone. Peace, nature, a campfire and a drink are the ideal setting to fully enjoy this micro-adventure.

DAY 2

Wortel Colony - Antwerpen | 60 km

Strengthened by a healthy and energy-rich breakfast we leave our bivouac place . In the morning we travel, via the village of Wortel, through fields and meadows towards Rijkevorsel and West-Malle. A single track through the woods surrounding the Trappist Abbey puts our technical driving skills to the test.

After lunch we travel through pine forests towards Schoten. We cross the Albert Canal and cycle along surprisingly green paths back into the city towards our final stop, Bikepacking Belgium. Before saying goodbye, we raise our glasses one last time on this soothing bikepacking experience!

Start and endpoint

The start and ending point of this journey is at our partner Bikepacking Belgium near Antwerp Berchem railway station. For participants from Antwerp, this is an easily accessible place.

For participants coming from further, this meeting place is of course perfectly accessible by train. Those who wish to come by car can leave it in the underground car park under the station building at the applicable rates. Keep in mind that the station is located in the low emission zone . Just outside the LEZ there are a few car parks where the car can be left unattended for free. Feel free to contact us if you would like more information about this.

Overnights

Adventure and nature share a first place on Trailgrip travels. So don't expect a luxurious bed, but you will relax on a campfire and a warm sleeping bag.

Trailgrip provides a few tarps for this trip. These are waterproof sails that protect us against wind and light rain. The tarps are tensioned between our bikes or trees. This allows us to camp as true adventurers under the starry sky.

The success of a bikepacking weekend depents largely by the weather conditions. In case of unfavorable weather conditions, participants will be contacted at least 24 hours before the start of the trip and a new date can be set if necessary.

Meals

Who sports needs energy! Trailgrip provides decent freeze-dried meals and some energy snacks for on the road. Be sure you can take enough water with you, for example bicycle drinkbottles or a Camelbak. It is useful if these are already filled on departure. Along the road there are several possibilities to fill them with tap water.

Necessities

As a participant you must have the following equipment. We are happy to advise you on a possible purchase. Or maybe you can borrow certain things from friends or family?

  • A decent mountain bike
  • Bicycle helmet
  • Sleeping bag and sleeping mat
  • Spoon and cup
  • Cycling clothing and shoes
  • Extra inner tube
  • Drinking bottle and / or CamelBak
  • Bicycle lighting and head lamp

Start bikepacking can take a serious bite out of your budget. That is why we offer our participants the opportunity to rent bikepacking bags. During the online reservation you can indicate which items you wish to rent.

You will receive a detailed packing list two weeks before the start of the trip during an information evening.

Insurance

Each participant of a trip organized by Trailgrip must be insured for the full duration of the trip for physical accidents, legal assistance and civil liability.

Trailgrip recommends the insurance of the Vlaamse Wielerbond - VWB for this. In addition to insurance, membership of the VWB offers various advantages. Your membership with the VWB is fully or partially reimbursed by various health insurance companies. More info

Cancellation

You can cancel your booking up to 30 days before departure. You get the amount paid back with deduction of 5% administration costs.

For cancellations between 30 and 7 days before departure, we will deduct 25% from the amount paid. Cancellation of the trip from 7 days before departure cannot be refunded.

More info, see terms and conditions.

Included

The items below are included in the price and are provided by Trailgrip.

  • 1 Supper*
  • 1 Breakfast*
  • 1 Lunch*
  • 6 energy bars for each participant
  • Tea and coffee
  • Use of cooking equipment
  • Tarps as protection during the nights
  • Use of bicycle repair tools
  • Mapped out mountain bike tours
  • Daily briefings
  • Professional advice and guidance

* The meals we take on the road consist of freeze-dried food. This is the perfect solution for trips where the volume and weight of the luggage play an important role. The offer is large, the quality and taste varying. The Trailgrip team has put together a delicious selection for the participants based on experience.

Not included

The items below are not included in the price.

  • Traveling to and from the starting point
  • Insurance (see practical information)
  • Renting bikepacking-bags
  • Mountainbike
  • Personal cycling and camping equipment (see practical information)

Price

€ 85.00 p.p.

participants per booking

Minimal 2 - Maximal 6

Start and endpoint

Bikepacking Belgium - Antwerp

Overnights

1 x back to basics

Total distance

124.00 kilometer

Total ascent

310 meter

Technical level

Condition

Luxury level

Available periods

  • 21-07-2023 - 22-07-2023 (6)
  • 15-09-2023 - 16-09-2023 (6)
  • 22-09-2023 - 23-09-2023 (6)
  • 29-09-2023 - 30-09-2023 (6)
  • 05-04-2024 - 06-04-2024 (6)
  • 12-04-2024 - 13-04-2024 (6)
  • 19-04-2024 - 20-04-2024 (6)
  • 26-04-2024 - 27-04-2024 (6)
  • 03-05-2024 - 04-05-2024 (6)
  • 17-05-2024 - 18-05-2024 (6)
  • 24-05-2024 - 25-05-2024 (6)
  • 14-06-2024 - 15-06-2024 (6)
  • 21-06-2024 - 22-06-2024 (6)
  • 28-06-2024 - 29-06-2024 (6)
  • 13-09-2024 - 14-09-2024 (6)
  • 20-09-2024 - 21-09-2024 (6)
  • 27-09-2024 - 28-09-2024 (6)
  • 04-10-2024 - 05-10-2024 (6)

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