#041 Sörmland Revisited

Distance: 125 km
Height: 1 363 m
Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Percentage: 85% gravel
Style: Gravel Riding with easy single track.
Designer: Michael O’Dwyer

Right on the edge of Stockholm county lies the quintessential Swedish bikepacking tour. A 125km route packed with unusual points of interest, adventurous trails and of course, endless amounts of perfect gravel riding. One of the best overnight trips to be had in the greater Stockholm region.

Highlights

Looking for the wolves in Lugnet Nature Reserve
Lunch at Skottvångs gruva restaurant
Testing your metal as you ride the Ånhammar wooden planks
Caving and climbing on Kammarsten boulder
Camping at the beautiful Ösjön lake
Visiting the natural phenomenon of Bågberget Stone Bridge
Riding the historical Erik’s gatan
Admiring the picturesque houses at Björnlunda hembygdsgård

The route was originally planned in 2018 when bikepacking as we know it today was still in its infant stage. I wanted to form an all inclusive bikepacking community in Stockholm and so, I set up the @bikepackingSweden Instagram account and invited other cyclists to join me on this tour. It happened, and from that weekend friendships were formed and my dream of a flourishing bikepacking community in Stockholm was realized. GRVL.se was born.

After riding in the region over the past 5 years, the trail has been expanded from the original 100kms to the 125 kms of today’s tour. The route is adventurous in nature and although there is very little technical riding, the constant changing terrain and rolling landscape makes this tour more demanding than one might think. 60kms on day one, followed by 65km on day two gives two full days of riding.

Although the highest point on the route is only 78 metres above sea level and RWGPS calculates the tour to have 1363m of climbing, the actual high gain is more like 1600m.

A gravel bike, loaded with camping equipment should have at least 45mm tyres for a comfortable ride, but a rigid mtb is probably the better tool for the tour. Given the terrain you will encounter the route should be considered to be a hard 3 out of 5 on our gravel biking grading scale.

Starting in the town of Gnesta, which is easily accessible from Stockholm via the Pendaltåg train, this tour starts on the northern side of the railway line and heads towards the Frostuna Church. After passing by the church, cross over the road and follow the gravel road along the forest edge. Take the climb via the Sörmlandsleden hiking trail over the hill and shortly after meeting the asphalt road look for the gravel path at the bus stop which runs parallel to the Mariefredsvägen until after the entrance to Södertuna Castle. Continue to follow the marked Sörmlandsleden trail down the long straight gravel road until you can turn right, following more gravel, until it ends at the entrance to a private house. Keep to the left here, avoiding the private garden and instead taking the single track over to Klämmingsbergsbadet ( Klämmingsbergs Swimming Beach ).

After climbing out of the Klämmingen basin look for the left turn at the top of the hill and continue on following the Sörmlandsleden for some excellent riding. Not quite a gravel road but not single track either. A little further on when back on gravel there is a small trail to be followed on the left side of a sharpe turn. This track is taken to reach the gravel road about 100 meters away. A road used to exist here but I guess someone with good contact in the kommun managed to get it removed. Once on the other side the easy riding can continue.

The next 16 kilometers are through some really remote forest. Although you most likely will not see any of the local Sjunda wolves pack members, you might just see some evidence that they exist. Look out for wolf scatt ( poop ) or parts of a recently hunted deer. Regardless of what you might come across, the riding is excellent. After passing through Björndalen summer house valley you’ll take a sneaky but easy single track up onto the 223 road before dropping down to Marvikarnas Naturreservat and passing over its famous canoeing trail. More excellent tight gravel tracks will take you over to Skottvångs gruva old mining museum where you can visit their fantastic restaurants during the summer months.

The gravel continues after the break, leading you along some epic landscapes in which you need to pass by several farm’s gates and fences. Make sure you lock all gates after you’ve passed through! A right turn further down the gravel brings you to a forested track and along the shoreline of Trynen lake.

After more great gravel you’ll arrive at Ånhammar Herrgård where you’ll get a chance to test your metal and ride one of the longest sections of wooden walk aways in Sörmland county. Once you’ve cleared the walkway and earned a gold star from your fellow riders, ride through the oak meadows but remember to turn left in the middle of the meadow towards the road to avoid the impossible hike-a-bike section the Sörmlandsleden want to take you on. By following the asphalt after the meadow you will arrive at another of the tour’s highlights, the giant boulder of Kammarsten.

Located in the field on the right of the road, this huge boulder is difficult to miss. Will you crawl under the boulder to again access to it’s centre or will you squeeze through the crack at the back of the boulder? Tip, at the crack at the back, taller folk should bend their knees and drop downwards when squeezing through.

Climb to the top via a short wooden ladder to enjoy great views over the local surroundings. After jumping back on your bike, psych yourself up for the last big climb of the day. At least it’s on asphalt!

Just after the crossroads and when you’re back on the gravel, you pass by a well on your left side before some easy singletrack through a new growth forest. Only a few more kilometers are needed until you turn off the gravel as the wooden outdoor toilet and carry your bike over the rocky terrain into the shelter at Ösjön.

Day 2 starts off with gravel and then a short single track ride into the natural phenomenon of Bågberget Stone Bridge. This naturally formed arch is a mini version of the great arches which you might see in Utah, USA. It is thought that the back of an existing cave collapsed leaving just the front entrance and therefore giving us the arch. Those who can hold their nerve can cycle across it to get that ultimate selfie cycling shot.

Back track to the gravel and ride out to the asphalt road following it all the way down to Stjärnhov where there’s an ICA store. The next block of gravel riding begins as car gravel but soon you get to turn off onto smaller lanes and back into remote forest. Those riding these roads in the early morning or late evening are virtually guaranteed to see endless amounts of wildlife.

Just before the 85km mark you can take the left turn to visit a great view point over Lockvattnet. To find this point ride downhill, crossing over a small canal and after passing by the houses climb the gentle slope until the road levels out. Here, you’ll see a small car layby on your right. At this point, look to your left to find a small but well defined single track heading into the forest. Follow this for less than 100 metres to the view point.

Reverse the track and back to the previous junction and continue on the car gravel out to the 223 road. Now you start riding on another highlight of the route, Erik’s gatan. You pick up this multi-use trail at the small village of Axla where you follow the blue markers north towards Björnlunda. This old road with royal connections is another hot spot for wildlife. It’s not uncommon to meet a sounder of wild boar. ( Sounder is the correct but rarely used name for a group of wild boar! )

As you ride Erik’s gatan remember what goes up must come down. All the steep climbs you have to take have equally good descents. Follow the trail to the outskirts of Björnlunda village where, by continuing to follow Erik’s gatan you will pass by the beautiful Björnlunda hembygdsgård. These groups of buildings house an unmanned STF hostel which can be booked if notified in advance. Unfortunately Erik’s gatan ends shortly after and you enter the last stage of the tour.

Cross the busy 57 road and round the back of Björnlunda Church to ride past one of the tallest ruin stones in Sörmland before riding along a farming drainage and back out to a quiet stretch of car gravel.

Asphalt takes you past the small grassy airport of Vängsö before you turn right and head up to the very old church of Gåsingö. If you have the time it’s worth having a walk around its graveyard. A last stretch of gravel takes you back to the Mariefredsvägen where you get to ride the single track gravel path parallel to Mariefredsvägen back towards Gnesta. This time, instead of riding over the hill, take the right leaning cycling lane at the bus stop to ride a flat path to the outer suburbs of the town and on to the train station.