#030 The South Side Tour

#030 The South Side Tour
The big link up, bikepacking style!

Distance: 125km
Height: 1162m
Direction: Clockwise
Percentage: 76% Gravel 24% Road
Style: Gravel with road link up
Route designer: Michael O’Dwyer

An amazing bikepacking adventure linking up some of the best gravel roads in Stockholm bikepacking style. The route is designed as a gravel bike bikepacking route mostly skipping out single track and mtb depended link ups.  As a loop, which passes by many Pendeltåg Stations, this route offers many possibilities to shorten or lengthen the tour as you please. The GPX file shows the start of the rout to be in Farsta Strand but we recommend you decide how long you want spend riding and where you want to camp and then work backwards to start at a Pendeltåg Station which suit you best. 

From Farsta Strand you head north through and around the suburbs of Stockholm city. Flowy trails around Flaten brings you up to the very popular gravel of Nacka nature reserve. The weekend crowds should be tolerated and respected as soon it’s all left behind as you head to quieter parts in the way of Tyresta nature reserve. The routes doesn’t go into the national park but follows the tranquil lanes along it’s boarders. There’s a great shelter in the park if you detour north from the official trail to find it. You are allowed cycle this road in the park.

After a bit of asphalt excellent gravel roads takes you out to Västerhaninge where there’s a train station, shops and places to eat before heading back into the forest. Before the hidden village of Öran you have a choice to make. Either head in on ( hard at first then easier ) single track to Paradiset and to one of the shelters for the night, or as the route suggests, stay on the gravel down to Tungelsta. Presuming you stay on the trail you need to cycle around the boom into the village of Öran. There’s no shops or facilities here. At the end of the road out the other side of Öran there is a short single track  section which allows you link up with the gravel roads behind. The land here belongs to a hunting club so make sure to wear bright colours during the hunting season! They’re not fans of cyclist in this area hence the awkward boom to get around and the large ditch at the end of the gravel. Easy to get around.

Next comes my favourite gravel roads in Stockholm. After turning off the asphalt at Sadelmakartorp farmer lanes lead you deeper into the forest on ever shrinking gravel roads. Just when you think you’re lost a horse stable appear along with some of the newest houses in the ever expanding Stockholm. Remember that most horses are afraid of bikes so please take care around stables.

A steep gravely decent takes you off of Pålamalmsvägen and through more picturesque country lanes over to the road at Rosenhill. This could be another place for a fika stop. Brave the busy stretch for a few hundred meters before turning off into Lida. There are several shelters in the Lida area but the easiest one to get to is at the Accropark. If I were to stay there I wouldn’t set up until late and make sure you are packed up early in the morning. It’s not that it’s not allowed but rather you could end up with a million children swarming around you! There’s also a great restaurant and toliets in the main “village”.

The gravel roads north of the main Lida area are a must, even if they look like an unnecessary extra loop. When passing through Gladö you need to drop off the gravel just as you meet the last house. It seems like you’re cycling through someone’s front garden, and you kinda are, but it’s a right of way so carry on. Zip down the asphalt road crossing over the Orlången lake before turning right down the long gravel section into the reservation proper. In the reservate there’s a floorless shelter at the lake’s edge with a great fire place and perfect wild camping. A quiet camp spot but in my opinion one of the best in Stockholm. You access it by following the Kvarnen runt trail behind the stables. The shelter is located below the windmill on the lake’s shore.  The last stretch of the tour is along pleasant old gravel roads out to Ågestavägen and back to the start at Farsta Strand.

Where to start from

Farsta Strand to Tyresta Hut: 39km
Farsta Strand to Paradiset: 68km

Västerhaninge to Lida: 37km
Västerhaninge to Orlången: 65km

Tumba to Orlången: 16km
Tumba to Tyresta: 71km

Västerhaninge station would be my preferred starting point with Orlången being a great place to camp.
The shelter in Tyresta is in a picturesque location but get busy at the weekends.
Paradiset is one of the most popular wild camping spots in Stockholm. Crowded at the weekend.