Oslo: The Capital of Singletrack

Rune Røsten intends to try all of them. He is originally from the central Norway town of Tynset and now lives on the edge of a forest in Oslo. He’s one of the capital's most dedicated trail riders. He has passed on that biking gene. When we meet him for a chat over a digital bicycle map, he is not alone in the Østmarka on Oslo’s east side. His daughter Hillevi has come along, and she shares his passion for the nearby woodlands.

Together they ride over the rocks at Oppsal, on their way deep into the forests with all the endless ‘ah-ha’ experiences that follow.

But Østmarka is just one of the hilly forests, or ‘marka,’ that surround Oslo. We ask Rune to take us through four of them: Nordmarka, Østmarka, Lillomarka and Romeriksåsen – the last of which lies a bit north of the city.

What are the characteristics of these areas? Where should a newcomer try first? And what are the most entertaining trails for driven riders visiting Oslo?
Welcome to an unashamedly biased guide to a few, select sections of Oslo's famous forests. We recommend you use MTBMap.no as a reference along the way, because we used trail names to form that digital map solution.

Nordmarka in a Nutshell:
Nordmarka is by far the largest part of the Oslo forest lands and often the first one beginners visit. It has a lot of tight pine forests and varied, hilly terrain with many technical challenges.

The Best of Nordmarka:
Nordmarka offers some of Oslo's longest and nicest descents if you head for the south side of the hill going up to Fagervann Lake. This is the place for some beautiful descents within just one hour of cycling. Nothing in Østmarka comes close.

The Worst of Nordmarka:
The trails close to the city are heavily used, so they can be wide and trampled to pieces by crowds in some areas. There are a lot of rocks, roots and not much flow. Be ready for a bumpy ride.

The Best Area for Beginners:
The area from Grinda on Nordberg and north towards Låkeberget has some nice, simpler parts – the same goes for the trail called Høyspenten. It’s nice and open.

The Technically Fun Areas for the Experienced:
The trail called Vettakollen Loam on mtbmap.no is a treat! It is a steep, and technical downhill, requiring practiced skills and a sharp mind. It is rocky with a lot of boulders, meaning good grip in dry weather, slippery in wet weather. Ride farther down Die Streif and Gummiskogen for a fun conclusion. The tried and tested trail over Kamphaugåsen is also a nice and hilly route with good flow, but always gives you things to work with. You can cycle on to Bjørnholt for a coffee and on the way home you ride back towards Kamphaug and on Sagåsveien all the way to Robin Hood and Lady Marion.

The Secret Gems that Few Know:
Many have tried Båhushøgda and Fagervann but they still hide some real gems on the ridge to the southeast. Zorro is one of them. But if you continue farther down Robin Hood and follow it over to Lady Marion, you’ll find a fantastic route! It is almost all downhill, without super steep or scary parts. It only has nice, small crux challenges, plus several long, fast sections with good visibility – on a path so narrow your pedals brush the heather. A real find in Nordmarka.

The Best Vantage Point:
Vettakollen is the obvious choice, with unique panoramic views close to the city. You can ride out here via Fuglemyra from the north side, but try to avoid the busiest times because it is crowded with hikers on weekends.

The Best Refreshments:
Skjennungstua is the one I like best. Very good food and they put a bit of extra effort into their tasty soups and lovely bread, omelets and other goodies. It’s deep enough in the forest to always have room.

Østmarka in a nutshell:
Østmarka is the place trail riders never get tired of because there are always new opportunities. The area is known for its characteristic longitudinal ridges with open pine forest and many boulders, which can offer an entertaining mix of technical crux and fun stretches of flow. Pionéren is here: eight kilometers of trail with Oslomarka's only specially designed trail for mountain bikers.

The Best of Østmarka:
You can follow its enticing and distinctive north-south ridges almost forever. They let you ride a long way in one direction, but then you have to ride the same way back or try to make it across deep and often soggy valleys. Østmarka is also my favourite in the winter thanks to a lot of hikers who leave hard trails as soon as the snow falls.

The Worst of Østmarka:
Heavy undergrowth makes it difficult to find good east-west transitions, which limits the possibilities of putting together nice circular loops without resorting to gravel roads as links. Many map reading riders might also want to try their hand at the Flyktningeruta. Don’t do it. For trail riding, it is a non-stop disaster that is best simply forgotten.

The Best Areas for Beginners:
The area around Ulsrudvann and the bluff south towards Nøklevann is characterized by simple, small bends, but no hard slopes. It has large boulder sections with some moderately technical sections and many trails in a compact area, so you always have an alternative. The hills north of Østmarksetra also have some areas suited to beginners.

The Technically Fun Areas for the Experienced:
Trolldalsåsen is an entertaining area, one kilometer south of Nøklevann Lake. There are a variety of trails up, but on the way down Trollstien is nice (find it on MTBMap.no), before you turn 90 degrees to the east onto a steep downhill section and follow it down to the end at the hiking trail at Katismyr. This route gets better with every try, steep enough to get some adrenaline pumping and plenty of line choices.

The Secret Gem that Few Know:
Up by Lutvann is Fagerholtåsen which is both fun and little used. It’s a place with small technical games with lots of play potential and challenges that are some of the most fun in Østmarka. From here you can also cycle the path Lutvann Enduro, which begins along a narrow ridge and continues through a technical section before the path alternates between flow and technical features down towards Lutdalen at the northern end of Nøklevann. There is a bit of ‘Nordmarka feel’ here with lots of nice challenges in a compact area.

The Best Vantage Point:
The fire tower at Kjerringhøgda by Bysetermåsan is in a class of its own and the trails in the area are also worth a visit. Open and fast terrain with narrow paths that are relatively little used.

The Best Refreshments:
Sandbakken is one of my favourite stops in Østmarka, where you get an excellent mushroom soup in the autumn. They have great baked
goods – often their own cakes and cookies of various kinds. I like to have lunch here on the way to Bysetermåsan.

Lillomarka in a Nutshell:
‘Lillo’ is a concept among the most hardened trail riders. It is known for hilly and relatively confusing terrain, created for those who love technically demanding parts and cope with often having to climb.

The Best of Lillomarka:
That must be the huge variety. It's up and down all the time, you get a steady stream of climbs and descents and the surface is generally even more rocky with more roots than in Østmarka and Romeriksåsen. But if you choose the right trail, most parts are rideable. This is not the place to learn to ride. You should wait until it is dry. Lillo is an acquired taste in my book.

The Worst of Lillomarka:
Lillomarka is a wilderness compared to the neighbouring forests. You should have a GPS and do your homework ahead of time. While the paths in Østmarka follow north-south-oriented ridges all the way, Lillomarka is full of small hills that all look similar and trails that cross each other. Old hands enjoy themselves there, while the beginners lose their way.

The Best Areas for Beginners:
The area down towards Maridalsvannet between Langsetløkka and Sandermosen is good for most people. Find the GPS track for the just completed Maridal round for nice, continuous stretches with good flow that are well-suited for beginners.

The Technically Fun Areas for the Experienced:
The north side of Barlindåsen is a classic for those who have ridden for a while. This is a narrow ridge east of Sandermosen railroad station, which becomes sharper and steeper towards the end on the north side. This trail is marked ‘black’ for a reason. Lower your seat and steer with caution down the steepest parts. If you find the right line through the tree trunks, it is quite possible to ride the whole way down but focus on the track – not on the shark's teeth of pointed rocks next to it! From here you can continue down to Snippen, for a more open conclusion with more speed.

The Secret Gem that Few Know:
Seterkollen is nice! This is a trail from Søndre Langvann down to Lilloseter, which includes a short and narrow section with S-turns down along dirt, roots and some boulders. Hikers often think this small descent looks insane and watch with disbelief if they see you riding down it. Most fun in dry conditions.

The Best Vantage Point:
Although there is a lot of dense forest on all sides, Årvollåsen has an elevation of 326 meters above sea level and a nice view of the city. From the top of Barlindåsen you can enjoy panoramic views south towards Maridalsvannet Lake.

The Best Refreshments:
Lilloseter has some of the best sweet buns in town. Sinoberhytta is farther in and is the confirmation of the great job you did to get there. Both places are worth a visit.

Romeriksåsen in a Nutshell:
Romeriksåsen in the area south of Busterudvangen and north of the Nittedal church is an unknown gem for many and much loved by the locals. It offers many beginner-friendly routes on nice, dry pine needle trails but also technical sections with good flow.

The Best of Romeriksåsen:
Undoubtedly, the surprisingly large number of little-used, narrow trails in a compact area, with consistently good quality of trail.

The Worst of Romeriksåsen:
It must be that most people drive a while to get here, especially if you live on the west side of Oslo. And if you get over eager and end up a little too far north, you wind up down in the valley and must ride on the road around to get back to the start. If you stay south of Busterudvangen, things will go well.

The Best Areas for Beginners:
This whole area between Søndre Ryggevann and Høgsmåsan is an Eldorado for beginners! The path up to Busterudvangen and refreshments
is also excellent. It’s easy to see the solid effort local enthusiasts have put into clearing as well as building wooden crossings over wet areas. Thanks!

The Technically Fun Areas for the Experienced:
Just north of the car park at Solberg is a zig zag path that runs parallel to and west of Skogvokteren. It’s real fun for intermediate to advanced riders. The same applies to the trail that goes south from Holterkollen a little farther west. It is narrow and nice, follows the edge of the ridge, partly passes some boulders and makes it tempting to add a little speed if you dare.

The Secret Gems that Few Know:
This whole area is a secret gem! But if I had to pick one place I’d mention Ravndalstien over Kirkebyhøgda – five kilometers farther north than what I have mentioned earlier. It is a bit marshy at first, before it goes up along a huge rock that gives you the feeling of climbing a whale and from there it’s a first-class narrow path down to Ravndalstjern. Follow the gravel around the water to the east side and continue on Blåbærstien and Nittedalstien.

The Best Vantage Point:
Preikestolen is nice but lacks good access for bicycles. But if you cycle up Holterkollen, you have a great view south of Tysilen!

The Best Refreshments:
Sunday dinner at Busterudvangen, a very nice place!