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#005 Årsta havsbad

Distance: 53.6km
Height: 453m
Direction: Clockwise
Style: Excellent gravel with short sections of single track. 

 

A cycle which was originally meant to be just a link connecting Tyesta Loop to the Nynäshamn Line was too good to leave out and so has become its own tour.

Starting in Jordbro the gravel comes quickly and you head down towards Årsta havsbad and the military training areas.
The trail passes by horse stables and riding lanes so care must be taken if you come across horses.
We recommend you signal to the rider long before you reach them, especially if you’re approaching from behind.
Slow down to a very slow pace and if the horse seems nervous then dismount your bike and walk passed.
Be friendly to the rider and ask for instructions. We all share the same trails and a good relationship with local horse stables is always best.

The first 25kms of this tour are a mix of open fields, short stretches through forest and along country lanes on excellent gravel.
Before you cross the 73 and get to the forest there’s a 3km section of road to travel down but think of it as a way to help your average.
The feel of the route now changes and this section share the same gravel as the Nynäshamn Line tour.
After passing the Pendaltåg station of Hemfosa there is a bit of  boring gravel  along the train tracks but its soon over.
At time of writing there’s been some logging in the next area and so parts are a little chopped up but still 100% ridable.

Bypassing around Tungelsta you get to pass a nice Viking Stone before heading back into the forest.
Smooth wide single track takes you up close to Tornberget ( the highest point in Stockholm Län ) before you need to jump off your bike to navigate what looks like a bomb crater.

But you’ll soon forget this as you ride along excellent gravel up to Öran.
Make sure you don’t miss the sneaky hidden sharp left with takes you on slightly more tricky single track over to the village area of Öran.
Its challenging but you’ll make it over this section with out putting your foot down.
Go on, you can do it. Just go for it!

A short bit of road will have you over to the surprisingly good gravel of Varberget so you can get the final leg burn before you cruse back to Jordbo.
An excellent unlikely tour.

NOTE: The military zone after Årsta havsbad is an active zone and can be occasionally closed for military exercises.
Technically, to travel through this area you must hold a Swedish passport. ( I’m not sure how often or if ever this is checked )
If there’s a drills on you can not pass through the area.
Check out the link for more info.

https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/

Please research for military events before you cycle this route.

This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. Hi,

    We tried this root but was not aware it passed through a military training area. If we new this we would have checked days of shooting but now we had to turn back after 13k. Maybe make a note about this? Thnks

    1. Hej Frej,

      Yes it does go though the military area.
      We weren’t aware the roads closed even when there are exercises on.
      We’ll make a note on the description to check first.
      Can you recommend a website to check?

  2. Really enjoyed this route. Adventurous with a mix of gravel, forest roads and a short stretch of tarmac. Muddy at this time a year as well (which I love) so no slicks! Some military training was going on though accessing the area was not prohibited this day. Also, the part which includes the training area is quite short so no worries. Thanks for a fun route!

    1. Hej Stoffe,

      Thanks for your email. I love this route too. Have you tried the Hidden route near by? It’s a classic.
      If you do it let us know how you get on.

      Regards

      Michael @grvl

    2. No I haven’t yet but definitely will! Thanks for the tip. Did the Tyresta loop a while ago which was really nice as well.

  3. Hi,

    I did most of this route this weekend, and it has some wonderful gravel parts to it. One note though, it seems like the owners have closed the bridge over the little stream Husbyån between Södra Beteby and Stadsberga. The brigde looks to have collapsed partly, and the owers have placed a bunch of scrap metal on it to prevent people from crossing. I tried to look for a alternate way around, but gave up and crossed anyway.

    1. Hej Alexsander,
      Thanks for that. Does it look like they’ll ever repair it? Or are they just trying to stop people using the lane?
      Should I add a warning marker there?
      Michael

      1. Hi Michael,

        There was a sign placed on the bridge that said something like closed, in need of repair and then the name of the property the bridge belonged to, sorry the exact details are lost to me. I assume they intend to repair it, but it might be a good idea to place a warning marker on the map anyway.

        Aleksander

  4. This was a really nice route, way better than expected, thanks for sharing.
    If anyone is up for another 10k or so I would recommend extending it out on the Häringe/Hammesta nature reserve, it has some great gravel roads and tons of amazing oak trees.
    The bbq place “Det arga svinet” in the industrial area close to the starting point is a great way to start or end the route too.

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