Route: Lysakerelva + Bogstadvannet Rundt (Norway)

This route links two popular trails in the greater Oslo area into one challenging route with gnarly trails, beautiful scenery, and lots of elevation changes. The Lysaker River is a trail runners paradise with trail options on both side of the river, although many sections on the Oslo (east) side of the river require leaving the dirt to run through neighborhoods before picking up dirt again. The Lysaker trails are used in some local races such as the Oslo EcoTrail 50k. The second component of this route, Bogstadvannet Rundt, is a 10km mostly-trails route that goes around the lake Bogstadvannet. This route showcases the variety of terrain available in the greater Oslo area, AND with the starting location right near Lysaker Station, it is exceptionally accessible because it's very easy to use public transportation to get to the start.

The route begins where the Lysaker River empties into the Oslo Fjord, right in the middle of the bridge separating Oslo proper from Bærum Kommune. The first approximately 0.7 miles is on paved paths working up through the industrial and commercial area around Lysaker before crossing a pedestrian bridge over Granfoss, a very large waterfall, and beginning the dirt journey. In order to maximize staying on trails, runners/hikers stay on the west side of the Lysaker River all the way until the tunnel underneath the main road at the Jar Bridge, where the trail crosses to the east side for a bit. Staying on the dirt trail eventually brings runners to a wooden pedestrian bridge back over to the west side of the river, which is where you stay all the way up past Grini Mill, where you will pick up a little bit of pavement to cross the river over to the east side. That's where you stay until the trail Ts into the Bogstadvannet Rundt, a 10km circuit through park, farm, and forest around the lake. This trail is marked with blue paint and regular wooden signs indicating where the trail goes. Coming from the Lysaker River paths, you'll be on pavement for about half a mile passing the golf course and turning towards the lake. Then you've got a wide gravel path through Bogstad Farm, then off into the farm fields and sheep pastures, following Sørkedalselva until a quick dash across a paved bridge over that river, and then off into the woods to complete the circuit around the lake. The forest trail is often quite rocky with lots of water crossings and amazing greenery in summer. Towards the end of Bogstadvannet Rundt, the route goes back onto gravel fire roads and a bit of paved road to cross a dam over Lysakerelva and bring yourself back to where you started the Bogstadvannet Rundt section. Then it's right back where you came from on the challenging Lysakerelva trails, repeating your steps (rather than making the circuit, which would required a lot more paved sections). When you cross Granfoss for the second time, you know it's all downhill for less than a mile back to the finish!