Okay, the Bohusleden is signposted. A 360-kilometre hiking trail from Gothenburg to Strömstad, near the Norwegian border. That doesn't exactly sound like an adventure that will tickle the will to survive out of your pores. More like a ball pool in an adventure park. And I had actually entered "Lapland", in the very north of Scandinavia, into Google. Sparsely populated primeval landscape, harsh climate - you certainly need a lot of testosterone to survive there. But while researching, I came across the Bohusleden. The name kept popping up in forums and blogs of Swedish enduro bikers. A trail that leads through the south-western Swedish forest. The trail is lonely and unpredictable. Although there were no significant mountains in sight, "... the route is not flat and certainly not easy," it said promisingly. But the mere idea that we would pass 112 lakes on the way also convinced my mates. That way, we could cool off at any time if it got too hot.
Instead of sun - mushrooms!
Unfortunately, we had to agree to start the tour in mid-August. When we arrived in Gothenburg harbour on the ferry from Poland, we were already feeling sick from the rough seas on the Baltic Sea. I knew it! I've had bad experiences with the Scandinavian late summer before. We shuffle down the gangway in the rain and pick up from the conversations of other passengers that summer practically ended with our arrival.
"Never mind, at least we'll have mushrooms to eat in the forest," we cheer each other up. I'm just afraid it's almost too cold for mushrooms. My jacket is zipped up to my chin. We will probably have to reckon with additional difficulties due to the bad weather. The Bohusleden leads for long stretches through moorland and marshland. Once the rain has really soaked it up, we will certainly lose a lot of time. Which would be bad, because we have set ourselves the ambitious goal of completing the 360 kilometres in ten days.
We set off from Lindome, a southern suburb of Gothenburg. When we reach the marked wooden post at the entrance to our adventure, the first water is already seeping through my rain jacket. It is now pouring with rain. From above, but also from the side thanks to squalls, and I have the feeling it's raining from below too. Nothing in sight to suggest that the weather will improve. So we only cycle a few kilometres until the first hut appears. We stay here overnight, there's simply no point driving in the rain. These huts were another motivating factor for this route. There are 36 wind shelters along the entire route. Wooden haystacks with only three walls. In front of the missing fourth wall, there is usually an open-air fire pit with a barbecue grill. Only today we can forget about making a fire, the wood is soaked through. But a campfire is such an important moral point on the first day of an adventure trip! Well, at least we have a roof over our heads.
Instead of relaxing by the campfire, we sort our luggage again. We stuff our clothes together so that the most important things stay as dry as possible. As we wanted to get by without the help of civilisation, we had to prepare ourselves precisely. Although we didn't take a tent with us because of the huts, but only a tarpaulin and thought everything through down to the smallest detail, we couldn't fit all our luggage into our rucksacks. So for the first time we also travelled with a pannier rack and panniers. It's a shame for adventurers, but it actually keeps our backs a little freer and the trails are more fun. At least here in the southern part of the route, where the path still meanders through the forest in a civilised manner. Further north, the route should become much wilder - but that's exactly what we wanted: our personal bike trophy!
27 stages for the Bohusleden Trail
The Bohusleden is divided into a total of 27 stages. The first stages are relatively easy to cycle. They run through the urban periphery. But it doesn't take long before the first surprises appear: moss-covered stones, individual rocks, treacherous roots and wet footbridges to be crossed. But the first real inconvenience that will accompany us until the end of the entire tour is water in our shoes. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. There are only wooden planks across some of the moorland. The planks are narrow and slippery. All it takes is a jerky steering movement and you have to put your foot down in the mud. Not even wellies would help.
There are certainly alternative routes. Unfortunately, we only printed out the map sections from the official homepage. They are too narrow to cover the surrounding area. All we know is that civilisation is somewhere to the west.
A few kilometres from Angered, where a wonderful path through a forest and rocky landscape makes us forget the weather madness, it happens: I slip off a footbridge with my front wheel and splash into the deep mud. One by one, the same thing happens to my mates. We find it hilarious for a while, then less so and at some point it just makes us puke. We would never have expected such technical sections. In good weather, without all this wetness, without luggage and with fullys, the trickiest sections would definitely be rideable. Unfortunately, only I have a fully and still have to push from time to time. There are alternative routes, but the map sections I printed out from the official Bohusleden website are too narrow. They don't show enough of the surrounding countryside. So it will have to be enough if we soften the forks, let the air out of the tyres and loosen the click pedals. However, this doesn't improve the mood in the group. But whenever we're at our most pissed off, the path puts on a friendlier face. As if out of nowhere, it suddenly becomes divine. The hard times are immediately forgotten. We cross spruce forests with lush green moss carpets and rest in chilled-out spots right on the lakeshore.
The Scandinavian glacier once modelled some really beautiful corners into the landscape here. We are now benefiting from one of its last actions, as we walk along almost effortlessly on flattened stone slabs. To the right and left of the path, there are man-sized rocks lying around. Sometimes we even pass rocky cliffs, which is amazing for this actually flat region. The highest point of the route is only around 200 metres above sea level. Nevertheless, it is constantly uphill or downhill. This is not only more strenuous, but also more time-consuming than we thought. I'm beginning to doubt that we'll get there in ten days.
112 lakes, moorland landscapes and all this in a dense forest. Normally you would be eaten up by midges in a region like this. But there are no mosquitoes or other annoying insects here.
In the meantime, we are shimmying from lake to lake. There are very small, crystal-clear pools of water that flash up behind trees, but also larger ones with rocky islands in the centre. We often find a hut to spend the night on the most beautiful banks. We don't mind the lack of walls on these shelters any more. You lie in your sleeping bag under the roof, but have a panoramic view over a beautiful lake. What is really strange, however, is that there are no mosquitoes or other annoying insects. In Lapland or at home in Poland, the annoying suckers would have eaten us up long ago. Here, however, we can pick mushrooms, catch fish and then roast everything together cosily over the fire without being bothered at all. And when the fire is burning nicely at the end, we can even take a dip in the lake. These are the moments when everything is right with the world again.
In Scandinavia, this natural way of life even has a name: friluftsliv - open-air living. We practically have nature on our skin here. The water in the lakes has a slightly reddish tinge from the blueberry bushes. You pay a lot of money for a bath in this extract in wellness hotels. We even wash our dishes in it here. The reddish edges are soon almost impossible to rub off. Unfortunately, we don't see any moose, but we do see otters wiping through the water. I can really feel my body's batteries recharging in this natural environment - even without the sun.
To salvage the last shred of morale, we put together an expedition team. The mission: find civilisation and bring back beer and some tasty things to eat.
I think the only reason we get back on our bikes on the seventh day is the fantastic landscape. It started pouring again overnight. The water is everywhere now. A small stream is even making its way along our trail. We crank and crank and get stuck in the mud again and again. Our schedule is bogged down again, because after a few kilometres we are so soaked that we decide to spend the rest of the day in a hut. Luckily for us, the next accommodation even has four walls, four bunks and a fireplace. Perfect for drying all our clothes. But while our belongings are steaming away, we start to have doubts. Does it even make sense to continue? This damn rain has flushed all the testosterone out of our limbs. In order to salvage our last bit of morale, we form an expedition team. The mission: find civilisation and bring back beer and some tasty food. After a 24-kilometre ride to the west, the team actually returns with a big haul. In the meantime, I've made a fire and roasted some chanterelles I found nearby. This evening is going to be really fun.
Until our sparring partner drums on the door again the next morning: The rain has brought squalls for a change today. Our clothes, still damp and clammy, now give up all resistance. The water soaks through the top of the jacket, makes its way through the trousers directly on the goose bumps and finally collects in the shoes. There it mixes with the last remnants of our Trophy spirit before it gushes back into nature through the lace holes with every step. Our will is broken. We leave the path and make our way westwards through the forest. At some point we have to meet the road that leads to the next village. There is supposed to be a guesthouse in Munkedal. But we don't find one. Maybe we've already driven past it? To be honest, we don't even know where we are any more. A hunter helps us out of a tight spot. We are allowed to spend a night in his caravan. There's a gas cooker in it, around which we can drape our clothes to dry. Unfortunately, I can no longer capture this chaos on camera - it doesn't make a sound. The wetness has even brought the good, waterproof camera to its knees.
Over dinner, we seal what everyone has long known: We will tackle the remaining stages next year. So the next day we're on the train back to Gothenburg and on to Malmö. Two days of urban jungle, we decide, because the rain doesn't matter. We have barely got off the train in Malmö when the Swedish summer returns.
Info about mountain biking in Sweden
The route In 27 stages, the Bohusleden Trail leads from Gothenburg northwards to Strömstad near the Norwegian border. The stages are designed for hikers. The 360 kilometres can be covered in ten days by bike - weather permitting. From the finish in Strömstad, you take the train back to the starting point. Cost: SEK 180 (160 euros) and SEK 30 (27 euros) for the bike.
Best touring time In recent years, the Swedes have always been lucky with the summer. The safest, rain-free time: June to mid-August.
Accommodation Simple huts await you along the route, some of which are equipped with cooking facilities. If necessary, you can also return to civilisation at any time. The route runs parallel to a railway line and the E6 trunk road. You only have to head west for a while before you come across villages along the road.
Tips It is best to ride with flat pedals. Click pedals have proven to be very impractical in the running sections through muddy terrain. Spare shoes in case it rains! It was also a good idea to choose a full-suspension bike, as some of the passages are very technical. The perfect pannier rack for this: Thule Pack'n'Pedal Tour Rack with the specially designed panniers. It held even the heaviest weight.
General information Detailed information about the Bohusleden route with stage descriptions and map sections can be found at www.bohusleden.se
Please note: The map sections are focussed on the route. In an emergency, there is no overview of alternative routes. It is therefore better to take an additional topographical map for the regions. Useful information can also be found in this blog: cesarandthewoods.blogspot.se ("my complete guide to Bohusleden", in English).
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