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#018 To the Forest. Bikepacking

To the Forest.
A bikepacking adventure.

Distance: 145km
Height: 1400m
Direction: Via Brotby and Wira out and Akersberga back.
Percentage: 50% Gravel 50% Road
Style: Quiet roads and gravel
Route designer: Michael O’Dwyer

Adventure travelling is more than just getting to a place, it’s about the journey there. And when we add in the unknown factor of the final destination the excitement builds. Bicycles are a way for us to experience this and on our over night bikepacking trip the unknown status of our place to sleep definitively added the adventurous feeling to our trip.

We had never biked in this part of north Stockholm but we wanted to explore the region and hopefully make it to the Grevinnans Hut up near Bergsharma. Björn, Jose and I had decided to go on our gravel bikes roughly following the Roslagsleden but mostly skip the single track sections. This road and gravel route coupled with a light bikepacking set up would allow us to travel the 145km out and back from Sollentuna Pendeltåg station over a single night with two days riding. We aimed to take in the highlights of the region and the best gravel roads north east Stockholm has to offer.

Despite planning every section of this route we got some surprises along the way. Besides the usual helicopters blocking the gravel and the deer sprinting across in front of us we were surprised to find ourselves on a motor-cross track riding the rutted Roslagsleden trail whilst trying not to get run over by the motorbikes. ( NB: we can’t guarantee you’ll meet a helicopter along the trail. )

 

When designing this route I wanted to cut out as much asphalt on day one as I knew day two would have quite a bit in it. We rode ( and pushed a little ) through Rössjöskogen to avoid a long road section but were rewarded with some excellent gravel out to Hagby. Updated part of the route. This section has been replaced by a great gravel road. Some natural barriers such as Garnsviken, also causes some problems. Both out and back this long lake forces us to take roads. A bit annoying but necessary.

The trail passes by some restaurants and cafes with some better than others. We stop for food at Brotby Pizza. If your not hungry its best to skip. But the fabulous gård at Wira Bruk should not be missed. One of the highlights of the trip. On day two, Dumarudden is also a place worth waiting for your lunch.

Day two does have a lot of asphalt but don’t let that put you off. They’re mostly quiet and small roads with the 15km of Rumsättravägen worth the trip on its own. Excellent and scenic riding.

North Stockholm is well know for two separate reasons. Lots of viking stones and lots of horses. Not much to worry about the viking stones but a little more with the horses. As always, if you see a horse and rider on the trail please slow down. Notify the rider you are approaching and wait for their instructions. I always dismount my bike when getting close to the horse just in case even though I know it will mess with my Strava averages but it’s better for the safety of all concerned.

Lastly, the reason for the tour. The overnight stay in the Grevinnans Hut. This is an open cottage in the middle of a forest for all to use. Its pretty and picturesque. Its also one of the closest open houses to Stockholm so it gets busy. Even in the quieter times of the year you may not have the place to yourself. The hut can sleep 6 on the floor and there’s no beds. There is a great fireplace, a table with two long benches and even a guest book to sign. The last 700 meters in to the hut is un-disputable hike-a-bike territory. The back up to staying in the hut includes Carlbergs B&B back on the main road or the extremely pretty shelter at Norrgården. Both of these options are located just before the hut.

This Post Has 3 Comments

    1. Hej Tomas, det är fullt möjligt ser jag nu. Du gör så att du klickar på “Ride with GPS” loggan uppe i kartans högra hörn kan man säga, då kommer du till deras sida. På den nya sidan som kommer upp, har du Pin, Share och More uppe till vänster på menyn. På More finns “Export as a file”, där du sedan kan välja önskat resultat. Allt gott! /Daniel

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