Committed hikes,
no shortcuts.
Alpine 3000s, Pyrenees, wild Belgian trails and via ferrata. Documented firsthand, with GPS tracks, field notes, and the honest story behind each summit.
Hiking3000 is a handmade hiking journal, not a trail database. Every route here has been walked by me, photographed step by step, and written from field notes. You will find 30 documented hikes spanning the French Alps, the Pyrenees, the Belgian Ardennes, and a handful of signature via ferratas, plus a preparation section to get ready for engaged alpine terrain.
I am David, a Belgian CEO, former sysadmin, self-taught mountain hiker. I document what I actually do: the difficulty, the beauty, the mistakes, the refuge coffee, the sudden storm, the 4 a.m. start. No scraping, no AI-generated routes, no volume play. Just one hiker sharing what he has walked, in the hope it helps the next one.
Most articles are currently in French. English translations are rolling out progressively. You can already navigate the catalog, the interactive map, the Belgium and via ferrata guides in English. Individual trail pages will follow.
Alpine summits, Belgian trails, preparation you can trust
20 committed hikes above 2500 m
From Maurienne to the Ariège, engaged alpine summits with full field reports, GPX tracks, altitude profiles and French FFRandonnée ratings.
BelgiumWild Ardennes trails and via ferrata
The Belgian hub: how to hike and climb in a country people forget has real wilderness. Complete via ferrata guide with CAB access, grades and gear.
PreparationBefore you commit, read this
Ratings explained (FFRandonnée E/T/R system), gear essentials, reading alpine weather. The minimum you need before walking into engaged terrain.
Recently documented trails
Boucle de Harre (22 km, 720 D+)
Boucle sauvage de 22,66 km au départ de Harre, dans la commune de Manhay. 720 mètres de dénivelé, de larges chemins forestiers roulants, une alternance de sapinières, de hêtraies et de prairies ardennaises. Une grosse journée, avec un passage privé sur le tracé dont il faut parler honnêtement.
Tour du lac de Nisramont (15 km, 597 D+)
Boucle de 15 km autour du lac de Nisramont, dans la commune de Houffalize. Un tour de lac qui ne se contente pas de longer l'eau : 597 mètres de dénivelé, des chemins qui montent et descendent sans arrêt, et la confluence des deux Ourthes. Une pépite belge, à condition de l'éviter le week-end.
Via ferrata des Grands Malades
Au bord de la Meuse, coincée entre la nationale et le pont des Grands Malades, cette via ferrata namuroise ne paye pas de mine côté décor. Mais le rocher calcaire est superbe et le parcours est le plus varié du pays : tyrolienne, ponts de singe, ponts népalais, corde à nœuds et un rappel de sortie obligatoire qui filtre les visiteurs.
Boucle de Werbomont (20 km, 605 D+)
20 km en boucle au départ de Werbomont, commune de Ferrières. Trace dessinée à la main pour éviter les itinéraires touristiques, passage par les hameaux de Bra, Habiémont et Chevron. Mise en jambes à quinze jours du départ aux Alpes, 605 m de dénivelé sans aucun monde rencontré.
Boucle de Lorcé (21 km, 520 D+)
Boucle sauvage de 21 km au départ de Lorcé, dans la commune de Stoumont. Forêts mêlées de feuillus et de résineux, gorges de l'Amblève, ruisseaux discrets. Un samedi d'Ardenne presque désert, parfait pour reprendre les jambes avant les Alpes.
Bettenfeld, boucle volcanique en Vulkaneifel (Allemagne)
Boucle de 21 km au départ de Bettenfeld, dans la Vulkaneifel allemande, à travers le groupe volcanique du Mosenberg, le Windsborn-Kratersee (seul lac de cratère permanent au nord des Alpes), la tourbière du Hinkelsmaar et la vallée de la Lieser, sous les ruines des châteaux de Manderscheid et le Burgenklettersteig.
Firsthand mountain writing, not content farming
I hike solo most of the time, in the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the massifs surrounding Belgium where I live and work. I am not a guide, not a journalist, not a sponsored ambassador. I run a small telecom company by day and, on weekends, I walk into big terrain.
Everything you read on Hiking3000 comes from my boots, my notes, my photos, and a deliberate editorial choice: slow, artisanal, a counterpoint to volume platforms like AllTrails or Komoot. If I have not walked it, it is not on the site.
More about me →
Questions we get before every trail
Can you do via ferrata in Belgium?
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Yes. Belgium has 8 main via ferrata routes, run by the Belgian Alpine Club (CAB) or privately. Non-members can buy a day invitation. Grades range from F (Pont-à-Lesse, beginners) to ED (Fond des Cris, confirmed climbers). Full guide in the Belgium section.
Which 3000 m Alpine peak is suitable for a beginner in alpine hiking?
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There are accessible 3000s. They require good fitness and stable weather but no mountaineering gear. Examples: Pointe de Tierce (Haute-Maurienne, 2973 m), Col du Carro, Mont Pelat. Typical profile: 1500 to 2000 m vertical gain, early start, marked trail, acclimatization to altitude.
What is the difference between hiking, via ferrata and mountaineering?
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Hiking is done on foot on trails, with no specific gear beyond good boots. Via ferrata progresses on equipped rock (cables, rungs) with harness, lanyard and helmet. Mountaineering involves rope techniques, crampons and ice axe on snow, ice or rock at high altitude. Hiking3000 covers the first two.
Who writes Hiking3000?
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David, a.k.a. Le Belge Alpin, Belgian, CEO of a Belgian telecom company, former sysadmin, self-taught mountain hiker. Every trail published here has been walked by me, documented with my GPS track, my photos, my field notes. No scraping, no AI-generated routes.
Ready to see what is documented?
The full catalog is free to browse, the interactive map shows every route on one view. Create an account to download GPX tracks and leave field reports.