Paths and trails

Picnic areas around Skien fritidspark 

In cooperation with DNB Nord and FFO Telemark, we have constructed 4 picnic areas along the lighted trail in Fritidsparken. The picnic areas are disabled-friendly.

Designated parking bays for wheelchair users

• Accessible paths and trails

• Lighted wheelchair trails of 1 km, 2.5 km and 5 km*

• 4 accessible picnic areas

• Disabled toilets in the hall and in the ice dome

• Accommodation without doorsills, with disabled toilet

• Water park with disabled-friendly special equipment

 *The 5 km trail is demanding and has some steep hills. It should not be attempted unaccompanied.

“I’m definitely coming back!”

We left the parking lot and wheeled over to the information board, getting an overview of the trails in Fritidsparken. Svein-Anders was impressed when he saw that the trail lights were on until 10 pm at night. We tested the tarmac path, which circles the outdoor ice rink. Svein-Anders finished the path “in the blink of an eye”, so he wanted to go further into the forest. “I would like to bring a packed lunch and a thermos with coffee and go on an outing”, he said.

We rolled over to the crossing by the climbing park. Here, we decided to try the lighted trail, which is 1 km. The first hill was rather steep, with quite a bit of loose gravel, but Svein-Anders didn’t quit. He wanted to succeed, which he did. He says the key to an easy ascent is to reach a certain speed before going up the slope.

“If I don’t have enough speed, I’m left spinning,” says Svein-Anders. Getting stuck halfway up a hill isn’t fun if you’re on your own. We reach the top of the first hill. Then we roll towards the edge of the path to have a look at the Jomfrudammen pond. 

Magnificent view, even if we don’t spot a single moor frog or salamander. However, we do see the path to Piggen, with the blue markings from The Norwegian Trekking Association. We approach the picnic-area Trollets hjerte (Heart of the Troll). Svein-Anders pictures himself in this lovely spot in the middle of the forest with a packed lunch and a thermos. We turn back and head down the trail towards the stadium. Svein-Anders holds on tight to the brake. You need to brake evenly and continuously to avoid skidding the bike. “It’s going really well”, says a happy Svein-Anders. Svein-Anders saying he wants to come back, is music to my ears.

“I can bring my wife here. She can run while I bike. Then we’ll get both the exercise and an outing, and a break at one of the nice resting areas. I might want to try one of the longer trails as well. The 2.5 and 5k both look tempting.”

“My wife can give me a hand...,” concluded Svein-Anders. According to Svein-Anders, the trails are feasible with both a manual wheelchair as well as an electric/power assisted one.