Escaping Oslo: The Medieval Gravel Highway You Won’t Believe Exists

I’m in the heart of an international city, yet within 5km I’m on a remote gravel track, already leaving the noise behind and riding into the quiet forests surrounding Oslo. From here, it’s nearly all gravel for hundreds of kilometres. How many cities in the world can offer that? Join me as I head toward Telemark – one of Norway’s best-kept secrets for cycling.

Visit http://www.cyclenorway.com for more information about cycling in Norway.

Route and travel info will be added to the site in the coming weeks

so you tell me right how many international capital cities do you know where you can basically cycle all the way around the outskirts of the city on gravel all the way out of the city through incredible forests for hundreds of kilometers on ancient medieval paths literally passing very few people to the point where you’re going to be completely on your own i cannot believe I’ve never made this video before and what I’m about to show you is the most incredible way to start a bike packing trip in Norway fly into Oslo and hit the gravel straight off the tarmac have you seen Lucy lucy where are you people are worried so last time we met I just picked up the beautiful Farroad bike but after reviewing this route I decided the far gravel was more suited with 45 mil tires no trains planes or automobiles just a bike and we are not chasing smooth tarmac day one 120 km 80% gravel straight out of Oslo city center day two we’re going to head somewhere I should have taken you a long time ago tally Mark it’s a county in southern central Norway with around 170,000 inhabitants now bear in mind it’s half the size of Belgium which has a population of 12 million so what does that mean quiet roads endless lakes dense forests and rugged mountains hardly any tourists cuz everyone is too busy flocking to the fjords darlin will be our most western point before we loop back towards east from there we’ll ride along the historic Telmark Canal more about that in the next video and we’ll finish in the industrial town of Porsun where you can basically roll your bike straight onto a regional train back to Oslo no booking needed no fuss in total 450 km 4 days settled very nice weather what more could I ask for this is going to be one hell of a ride now the usual way heading west out of Oslo is a boring patch together cycle route through the urban sprawl usually I just take the train but not this time this gravel route around the city is called Anchorvine and it was built around 1790 but before that there was a path that dates back to the Viking period this is what it looked like in 1862 and this is today a little less industrial it’s used by runners cyclists and dog walkers but only as a recreational road not as a gravel highway out of the city no trucks no buses no people no junctions no traffic lights no urban sprawl just a beautiful forest road birds singing what more could you ask for and we’re still in Oslo also is just there after around 15 km we say goodbye to Anchorbine and we enter the real forest it’s pretty crazy to be this close to Norway’s capital and yet be completely on your own well we’ve reached Ves marker currently on pave but we’re just about to hit the tarmac uh hit the gravel sorry photo time photo time [Music] vest marker is one of the least visited forests that surround Oslo so this is the road that very very few people know about or or use no cars great gravel pine forest Nordic some lakes can’t recite no one no one at all here i mean just look at this amazing amazing as we come out of Esarka there is an open area with a small village to refuel in but it’s not long before you see the next great gravel forest approach thinner mark is a little bit wilder rockier it’s a sign that you’re leaving the populated areas behind now every forest might look the same but each one you go through has its own unique characteristics its own unique feel but they all have one thing in common up down up down there is no flat roads it is a constant climb and descending through this incredible terrain i don’t know how many places I’ve passed where just like the most perfect camping spots you can imagine i mean I’ve probably passed about six so far i mean look at this one like nice flat soft grass area lake view forest right next to the road zero traffic because there’s uh barriers on either side so no cars come down here so I didn’t leave Oslo until 5:00 p.m and it’s getting late now i’ve constantly been chasing the clock all day and I’ve got to go through this forest you see in front of me i don’t know what it’s called i don’t know what the terrain is going to be like it’s 30ks through there it’s the unknown and uh it looks like I’m going to have to camp in the forest which my plan was to camp at this cabin it looked like a lumberjack or a hunting cabin uh which is about 35ks away but I don’t think I’m going to get there tonight it’s going to be pitch black way before I even get close to it so the final forest section of the evening is nothing like the first two the road really starts to deteriorate it gets really bad in places and I’m so glad that I’ve got 45 mil tires and I’ve taken the Farah gravel bike so change of plan i’ve decided I’m not going to camp in the forest i’m going to get down to the valley we’re at 500 m above sea level right now and it’s pretty damn cold but not only that is that the forest it is an enchanting place but at night time I’m not camping here forget that no way not with a boogeyman around hi so uh 120ks today finished at 11:30 at night and we found this little place sleeping arrangements there bike here can’t complain 165 km of epicness through Talar tomorrow so good morning it’s day two of my little epic trip around Talmark area of Norway talmark what’s Tallyark oh you should know you should know it’s like the least known incredible area of Norway and I forgot to mention if you want to know like how I find places like this well it’s very easy actually i just go on to cycle.com and then I go to the wild camping section and then on the wild camping section there’s basically an area about shelters and there’s lots of links to where you can find shelters and information about them here in Norway etc etc it’s all on cycleway.com thank god for that website cuz if not I would have slept in the middle of the forest last night with the boogeyman it’s day two and we’ve reached the boundaries of Telmar and today we’re going to cycle right across the county on as much gravel as we can find morning what makes Talmark special for gravel riders is the mix wide forest roads old industrial tracks sleepy farm lanes all stitched for a dramatic and largely untamed landscape it’s raw rugged and still rough around the edges but that’s part of the charm you’re not just riding for a place here you’re tracing the scars and stories of a county that once put production above all else today the roads are quiet the views are big and the riding is some of the best you’ll find in southern Norway if you’re willing to work for it trust me you really got to do your research to hit the right roads here so this is Telmark quintessential Tyark Pine forests excellent gravel roads mountains in the distance more pine forest everywhere now there are very few shops around here and mobile phone reception can be sketchy in places but I get a message off my father telling me that he’s been listening to the re-release of Destraits’s classic Brothers in Arms i thought to myself okay that’s a bit random but then 10 minutes later I’m outside a shop with a radio blasting away there is a word that describes a moment like this you’ll find that the industrial past in Tark has been kind of captured in these purposely built open air museums where you can go in and read about the history etc this is an old grainery here and then further down the road you’ve got the views of all views this is probably the most famous view in Talmark always worth a stop and a quick photo it’s not a hidden jet it’s the forgotten jet and then you’ve got the incredible historic hotels and cafes this one no time is one of the most famous for obvious reasons always stop here have a cold drink before you crack on to this place probably the oldest road in Tyark this road is about 300 years old i don’t think anybody’s been down here for about 200 years it’s quite crazy that a day and a half ago you’re leaving by bike an international city and now you’re here i mean there’s just no one it’s pure silence and you’re just swamped with the beauty of nature this is so so remote so quiet as well here we go gravel paradise unfortunately we have to say goodbye to the gravel as we head to Darlin the most western point of the journey now it’s a complete drop off the mountain down into the valley to Darlin we fly through the town because I have no interest in staying there and get back onto the gravel and yes this is the first tunnel of the whole journey so far easy peasy it had been a long day 175 km in total and to be honest with you I didn’t want to cycle that far but I had to reach this place because it’s probably the greatest budget cycling accommodation on the planet