Bike Pro Jasper Jauch about his trip to Sweden

Mountainbike pro, heavy traveller and Adventure Crew member Jasper Jauch sets out to explore unknown terrain: Sweden. And it turns out to be “one of the best trips” of his life. He fills us in on what made it so special and has a few trip tips, too.

Sweden. Sverige. Round about 10.5 million people on 450,000 km² = 26 inhabitants per km². Plus 96,000 lakes, 221,800 islands, beautiful ställplatser – and a few bike parks, too…

Quattro Infernale heading north

Sweden is not the first destination that comes to a mountain biker’s mind. Norway, sure. You find articles, blogs, films about the wilder Scandi neighbour and its bike parks. But have you ever heard of Flottsbro? Jaervsoe? No? Jasper Jauch – Adventure Crew member, MTB pro and heavy traveller – wanted to get out of his comfort zone, out of the bike box and into a new bike adventure.

So, he took three of his friends to Sweden. 4 bike parks, a lot of nature, not many people and new experiences day by day. In the end, the road trip turned out to be one of the best for the Quattro Infernale…

On the road with

Taking it slowly

The one thing that strikes Jasper right after crossing the border: things are slowing down. No stress – neither on the motorway with its speed limit nor on the campsite or the bike park. There is no rushing and no pushing in Sweden – which is, of course, also due to the fact that it’s hard to push when there is no one there to be pushed. Sweden is a lonely country. In Germany there are 235 inhabitants per square kilometre, in Italy 198, in the Netherlands 521 – in Sweden 26.

The sparse population grants a very special experience of nature – and the four of them embraced and enjoyed it to the fullest. Every eleventh square meter in Sweden is water, making it incredibly easy to access a lake for a solitary night. Chopping wood, making a fire, cooking, skinny dipping without scaring people, quite a dream.

“Sweden impressed me with its vast landscapes and its lack of people.”

Be careful with the allemansrätt

The fact that you can hop in almost every lake is due to Sweden’s allemansrätt, every man’s right to nature. You are free to explore nature as long as you do not cause any disturbance or damage. Swimming, picking berries, kayaking are permitted as well as camping and making a fire. Yet, there are different rules and regulations for nature reserves and protected areas. The key is to be considerate and respectful.

BUT VERY IMPORTANT: The allemansrätt does NOT apply for camping with motorized vehicles. Yet, besides the traditional campsites, there are plenty of legal ställplatser scattered in special spots in the midst of nowhere. You can, e.g., find private hosts on Acamp.

Riding in parks and cities

But let’s get to the actual motivation for this trip: mountain biking in Sweden. The four guys also brought their 26” hardtails to play in the small alleys, on the promenades and in the parks of Stockholm & Co. Exploring cities by bike is definitely worth it – but what about the small, unknown bike spots Jasper had put on his list?

Spoiler alert: they turned into joyrides. The four were seriously impressed and stoked. Vallåsen in the south-west “delivered with a bunch of surprises”. Serene Flottsbro, situated near a picturesque lake just outside Stockholm, did the same. According to Jasper, they are fantastic spots for any skill level: “It’s incredible how much fun you can pack in 100 meters of altitude and a drag lift.”

On they travelled to Bergscykel Park Järvsö, around 300k north of Stockholm. And yet again “great vibes with a chair lift and super cool tracks”. Another 300 kilometres further north-west they checked out Åre – Sweden’s major bike and ski spot which you very likely have heard of. The biggest bike park on the trip with the most vertical meters and three lifts. It offers alpine terrain at the top, jump lines at the bottom and lots of everything in-between. Yet, Åre reminded Jasper almost too much of the parks back home. In the end, the four were particularly drawn to the small, inconspicuous bike parks…