La Roche-Ortheuville-Engreux-La Roche along the Ourthe 96 km

This cycling tour takes you along the Ourthe River from la Roche-en-Ardenne to Ortheuville on the Ourthe Occidentale and then to the Ourthe Orientale near Mormont and back to la Roche, with an additional circuit via Cielle including the climb of la Haussire, the most strenuous climb of Belgium. The tour includes heaps of generally quiet and hilly scenery with wide views, forests, pasture, and valleys, and includes quite a few climbs with a total ascent more than 1700 meters, and may also be qualified as 'difficult'. The tour is suited for the racing bike, although the last few meters descent to the Lac de Nisramont are less suited for a road bike. You can find places to eat and drink in la Roche, Engreux, Wibrin and Nadrin. Near the start is free parking in la Roche. This tour is part of a series of cycling tours along the Ourthe (two still to be done). In la Roche the route connects to another route along the Ourthe between Vieuxville and la Roche (https://nl.wikiloc.com/routes-fietsen/vieuxville-la-roche-en-ardenne-vieuxville-along-the-ourthe-105-km-58181171).
From the start you ride along the Chalet with the tank above the Ourthe with a view of the ruins in la Roche. You leave la Roche on the road to Hives. The Côte d'Hives is the first climb of the day taking you through woods up onto the pasture around Hives. From here you keep climbing and descending with the Ourthe valley in sight but always down below. From Hives you descend a bit to Buisson, a quiet village. You climb a bit to Hubermont and descend again to Floumont. Via Mousny and Beaulieu and Trèsfontaines you cycle to Wyompont down in the valley of the Ourthe Occidentale. You follow this valley to Ortheuville and a bit further and then cross the Ourthe and cycle back east. After the N4 you climb to Roumont with a castle, and then on through the forests out of the Ourthe valley. From the top you descend to Givroulle outside the Ourthe valley. Here you follow the main road N826 which takes you on gradual climbs to Gives and on to Bertogne and Compogne. Here you leave the main N-road and continue to Bonnerue. Here you descend via the village of Engreux to the Lac de Nisramont. This lake is a reservoir which forms the confluence of the Ourthe Occidentale and the Ourthe Orientale. There is a kind of sports center here, and you approach the lake for a short view although the last meters are less suited for a racing bike. You have to climb the same way back out of the valley to get to Bonnerue, and here you descend again to the Ourthe, this time the Ourthe Orientale. You cross the river and climb out of the valley to Mormont and on to Wibrin. After a bit of descent to Nadrin you climb a bit further to Bérismenil, and here follows a long descent on the N860 to Maboge on the Ourthe, the last section unfortunately with bad asphalt. From Maboge, the road stays at the valley bottom and you follow the meandering river to la Roche. Shortly before la Roche there is a quieter road away from the N860 (Chemin des Eveux) followed by the Corniche de Deister which gives you a nice of view la Roche from above. You descend to the center. Here starts the most strenuous climb of the day, la Haussire. This most difficult climb of Belgium is a nice way to conclude a hilly tour. From the top you descend back towards la Roche, but take another lighter climb toe Cielle. From Cielle you descend to the Ourthe again, and via the Rue des Echavées you cycle back to la Roche, crossing the Ourthe once more.