Enduro at Trötänga in Härjedalen

It started with an ice track

Trötänga ice track opened in 2016, and interest was strong from the very beginning. More than 300 people attended the opening. Visitors could, among other things, ride along in fully studded rally cars and on motorcycles, as well as try the ice track in their own cars.

Even then, there were bigger plans. The ambition was not simply to create a place where the public could drive on ice. John Vesterström, who owns the land, also saw opportunities to attract rally teams, vehicle manufacturers and other organisations looking for good conditions for training, testing and driver development.

The name Trötänga, incidentally, suits the place better than you might first think. In the Härjedalen dialect, “tröt” means play and “änga” means meadow or bog. Roughly translated, it means a place to play on the bog.

And there is certainly no shortage of play here, in the most motorised sense of the word.

The enduro loop Haren (“The Hare”)

The story of enduro at Trötänga does not begin with any grand plan. It begins with a friend of John’s who needed somewhere to train. He was preparing to ride the Gotland Grand National and asked John if he could practise on his land. John thought it sounded like a good idea, and together they created what would become the first enduro loop at Trötänga.

While working on and riding the loop, they were regularly joined by a hare darting between the tracks. It ended up giving the loop its name: Haren, Swedish for “the hare”.

There are similar stories behind most of the enduro loops at Trötänga, with names such as Ensamma tallen, Lärkan and Snigeln.

Once the first loop was finished, John felt he could not let his friend ride there alone in case something happened.

So he bought a Husaberg 550 and started riding with him. That meant not only had the first enduro loop been created, but John had also, almost by accident, become an enduro rider himself.

And what began as a training opportunity for a friend would eventually grow into something much bigger.

From winter to bare ground

The ice track and winter activities continued to be an important part of Trötänga, but enduro opened up new possibilities for the area.

What had previously been primarily a destination during the colder months could now come alive throughout the year. More loops and riding opportunities were added, followed by organised training sessions, competitions and training camps.

A few hours on the trails

Today, I had the chance to experience Trötänga for myself. It was just John and me there, and he had managed to squeeze in a couple of hours with me before heading off to a children’s birthday party and then returning for another riding session later in the afternoon.

With the whole area to ourselves, he guided me around the approximately 15-kilometre course and showed me the different loops, each with its own character. In places, the riding is genuinely beautiful, particularly where the trail runs alongside the lake.

After the tour, we did a few laps of Haren for some more focused practice. It turned into a really enjoyable morning on the enduro trails, and I am very grateful that John took the time to meet me and show me around his fantastic track. It is clear that he not only enjoys riding enduro himself, but also creating opportunities for others to do the same.

If you fancy giving Trötänga a try, Trötänga Tre Timmars, TTT, is a three-hour training session divided into different classes. If you are in the area and want to get in some proper training ahead of, for example, an upcoming cross-country race, it is a perfect opportunity.

and Facebook page. The track is approved by Svemo.

More information about Trötänga, training sessions and upcoming activities can be found on their website isbana.nu and Facebook