The 10 biggest highlights of 2021

- The first snow has arrived in Hallingdal, and the cycling season is coming to an end. In 2021, there has been a lot to look forward to for cyclists. We've rounded up the season's 10 biggest highlights and unveiled a few of next year's new features.

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#1 42 km of new trails

Hallingdal is one of the most ambitious mountain biking regions in Europe, and development has accelerated in recent years. In 2021, the region has set a clear Norwegian record in trail construction, with the completion of more than 42 km of new trails (!). The floating trails have made their entrance in Hallingdal, and this year three gigantic lighthouse projects were completed. These are Hallingspranget (17 km) in Nesbyen, Flow Motion (4 km) in Geilo and Blå flow trail in Hemsedal (10 km). In addition, both Ål and Gol started their development of trail centers close to the city center, and in Flå , new trails and facilities are being built on a large scale at both Turufjell and Høgevarde.

Photo: Lars S. Storheim

#2 Arrangements

Hillbilly Huckfest was back in full force, with 500 participants and the best festival atmosphere of the summer. The cycling competitions also woke up from the corona doldrums, with the Norwegian Enduro Championships at Nesbyen. Rarely has there been such a good atmosphere as when the cyclists were finally able to line up between the barriers in Norway's Enduro capital.

#3 Hallingdal Pumptrack Series 2021

We never get tired of following young and old, new and professional cyclists battling it out on the pumptrack. This year's series saw a new record number of participants and a sky-high level of cycling. The biggest cheer went to Eine, aged 4, when he left it all behind on the pumptrack in Nesbyen. This year's achievement has to be Annika Pettersen, who took four straight pumptrack victories with almost unearthly precision and speed. This is going to be hard to top in 2022 - but guess if we're going to try...

Photo: Magnus Grönberg.

#4 The people

When you develop awesome cycling facilities, you also get a lot of awesome people. Throughout the year, we've been lucky enough to roll with trail-building legends, skiing celebrities and some of the country's fastest trail cyclists. We're looking forward to meeting new and old cycling buddies on the trails in Hallingdal next year!

#5 Better information

With an additional 42 km of cycle paths, it's safe to say that the path network in Hallingdal is becoming extensive. Therefore, there is also a growing need to provide cyclists with good information about levels of difficulty and where to find the quality-assured trails. Work on signs, maps and portals is still at an early stage and cyclists can look forward to several new information points in 2022. Hallingdal has also entered into a long-term partnership with the Hallingdal company Trailguide AS, which will ensure top quality digital information.

Photo: Lars Storheim

#6 Social media

biking engages both on the trail and online! It's been great to follow the engagement on social media throughout this year's season. Many cyclists tag @hallingdalrides when they ride in Hallingdal, so we can follow what's happening out on the trails.

#7 More people exploring the region

Hallingdal is developing into an Eldorado for trail cyclists, and there is great diversity in the cycling offer at the 6 destinations in the region. "We see that a lot of cyclists travel to several different destinations when they visit Hallingdal. That's what makes Hallingdal so unique: With an ever-expanding trail network, there's always an opportunity to come back and test a new trail or destination.

Photo: Lars Storheim

#8 More guides

In Hallingdal you will find as many as 5 guide companies that have certified at one of the three levels in the official Norwegian guide program. Several have climbed the levels, and this fall Oskar Brodin in Tunet Sport and Nina Gässler of Geilo Aktiv made it through the eye of the needle and were certified at the top European level. This makes them part of a very exclusive group of only 3 cycling guides in Norway with this level of education.

#9 Better service offerings

As the number of trails grows, Hallingdal has also become a more cyclist-friendly region. This year, more than 10 bicycle washing stations have been set up, and more and more service points are appearing with tools and equipment for easy bicycle repairs - and even charging points for electric bikes.

#10 New cyclists

The development of trails in Hallingdal is not only aimed at experienced trail cyclists - it is just as important to recruit new cyclists to the sport. Children, young people and families with limited experience of trail biking are now starting to appear on trails and facilities around the valley, and we believe many are experiencing the same fun and sense of achievement as they do when they visit the valley on skis in winter. This development is happening thanks to the new facilities, which are built in such a way that most people can find challenges at their own level.

Photo: Paul A. Lockhart

What can we expect in 2022?

This year's season won't be easy to top. But planning for 2022 is already underway, and no-one in the regional cycling family is going to sit on their hands. What many people are probably wondering is what new trails are being planned for next year. We can tell you that there are some real treats in the pipeline - such as what will be the region's largest paved pumptrack covering an area of 2,000 m2 and a 7 km red-graded flow trail! More info will follow during the winter. Stay tuned here on Rides.no and @hallingdalrides.

Thank you to our fantastic partners and all the cyclists who visited us in the 2021 season. See you on the trails in 2022!

Greetings Rides crewet

Photo: Anders Backe