Down the stairs we have to go

The first day of our long distance hike was from Maastricht to Valkenburg. The men and Poodle started at the railway station and I joined them, where the route of the Krijlandpad left the built-up area towards the slopes of the Geul valley. I didn't like to skip the first four kilometers, but at the end of the day, I felt good about this choice, because at least the next day I could go with them again.
We had to go past the old marl quarry, where we could enter the depth by means of a staircase. The Poodle did not dare and remained standing stiff. He had to be carried.