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Natural Monuments

Geological Wall and Stair Tower

Natural Monuments

Geological Wall and Stair Tower

Highlight • Natural Monument

Geological Wall and Stair Tower

Recommended by 79 hikers out of 80

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Location: As, Hasselt, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Geological Wall and Stair Tower

4.3

(68)

417

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1. Don't start the fire – Rouwmortelven loop from Niel-bij-As

12.2km

03:07

50m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.8

(12)

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2. Station As – Terhills Resort Haven loop from Lanklaar

28.8km

07:28

170m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Hard

4.3

(10)

138

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3. Station As – Don't start the fire loop from Niel-bij-As

3.52km

00:54

10m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

Katrien

February 24, 2023

The Geological Wall is a geological monument in the Belgian municipality of As. The wall is about nine meters high and was created by gravel extraction. The wall is located in the former Groeve Hermans, part of the Hoge Kempen National Park, close to the entrance gate to Station As.

The wall is the first geological monument in Flanders and was recognized as a protected landscape in 1994. The wall shows about 900 000 years of geological history. The quarry wall consists of several packs where one pack is composed of a layer of coarse gravel at the base, which becomes finer towards the top, transitioning into a sand layer and in some cases even a clay layer. On top of the clay layer a new layer starts with coarse gravel at the base and then fine gravel, sand, silt and even clay.

This accumulation is the result of fluvial deposits in the middle Pleistocene, between 850,000 and 130,000 years ago. The flow rate of and the ensuing energy determined whether coarse or very fine material is present in the deposited package. This is typical of a braided river: small beds that cross each other and deposit different sediments, depending on place and time.

This river is the Meuse, now a rain river, but during the deposition period the flow increased enormously after the long winter period due to masses of snow melt water from the Ardennes. In 2021, the Maas will be 15 km further east and 56 m lower.

The orientation of the wall follows the longitudinal profile of the channel, which slopes down from the south to the north. The oblique stratification is visible in the finer sediment as well as in the gravel layers. The flattened gravels lie overlapping each other, which is also an indication of the direction of the current.

Source: Wikipedia

Translated by Google •

Katrien

February 25, 2023

The Geological Wall, located in a former
gravel quarry, is one of the few geological
monuments in Belgium. Geological deposits
bring a history of nearly 300 000
year to life. Connoisseurs can even find ice ages
and warmer periods. Via a
stair tower of 8.5 meters high you can use the
visit the quarry wall at different levels.
A footbridge forms the connection between the soil
of the quarry and the original level.

Translated by Google •

November 24, 2024

In the wall of the abandoned gravel pit Hermans, northeast of As, important geological phenomena are clearly visible. The gravel pit is very important for the study of the deposits and the origin of the Kempens Plateau (main terrace of the Meuse) during the Quaternary (from 2.5 million years ago).

The now abandoned pit is located at an altitude of 85-90 meters +TAW, at a natural steep edge in the northern edge of a dry side valley of the Bosbeek. On the terrain behind the gravel pit there is a pine plantation, to the northeast and northwest several plots of mixed forest. The immense pit wall, with a height of 15-20 meters and a length of approximately 700 meters, exposes a thick package of red gravels of Quaternary age, resting on tertiary sands (Member of Genk).

Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Hermans Quarry, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/302696

Translated by Google •

An 🇧🇪

November 24, 2024

The geological wall, located in a former gravel pit, is one of the few geological monuments in Belgium. Geological deposits bring a history of almost 300,000 years to life. Experts can even discover ice ages and warmer periods. Via an 8.5 metre high stair tower you can view the quarry wall on different levels. A footbridge forms the connection between the bottom of the quarry and the original level. You can visit the wall with a guide to make sure you don't miss any secrets of this scientific monument. Please contact our Tourism Office for more information.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 120 m

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Thursday 13 November

18°C

12°C

20 %

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Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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Location: As, Hasselt, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Geological Wall and Stair Tower

1. Don't start the fire – Rouwmortelven loop from Niel-bij-As

2. Station As – Terhills Resort Haven loop from Lanklaar

3. Station As – Don't start the fire loop from Niel-bij-As

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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