Trollsjön Lake Hike & Svensk Fjällsphinx – Abisko, Sweden

Trollsjön, also called Rissajaure, is a lake you can hike to in the Kärkevagge valley near Abisko in Northern Sweden. The lake is fed by glacial waters and surrounded by steep rock faces. Its two names, Trollsjön and Rissajaure, respectively mean Troll Lake and “the lake that glimmers like fire”. I could not find the origin of the “Troll” name in my research, but it is easy to see the reason for its Sami name. On sunny days, the lake really shines and glitters – so much so that it was quite difficult to photograph without blowing the highlights

Trollsjön

Also, on the way to the lake, the trail passes by another Svensk Fjällsphinx, or the Swedish Mountain Sphinx. This is a rock formation that resembles a Sphinx sitting in the middle of a boulder field. It is a beautiful rock formation that somewhat looks like a millennia-old sculpture that’s been partially reclaimed by the elements.

Svensk Fjällsphinx – or the Mountain Sphinx.

The whole area is quite remote and wild, as the Swedish Lapland is. The region is also known for its long-distance trails, but if you are looking for a great day hike in the area, this is one of the best around Abisko.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Trollsjon Lake Hike & Map

The hike is relatively long at 13,2km, but the elevation gain is modest, at about 500 meters in total. There aren’t any challenging sections either, so despite the length, the hike to the Trollsjön lake is quite easy.

It’s an out-and-back hike that can be done in half a day.

Here is the map of the hike. You can download the GPX file for free from the activity linked below.

How to get to the Trollsjön trailhead and Parking

There’s only one road to get to the trailhead, and that’s the E10. If you are touring Northern Norway, it is surprisingly easy to add this to your itinerary. Driving from Narvik to Abisko, for instance, will take less than an hour.

• Driving Directions: If you are coming from Norway via the E10 road, you’ll find the largest parking area to your right at about 10km after crossing the border into Sweden. From the Abisko Visitors Center, the drive takes about 20 minutes, and you’ll find the parking area to your right.
• Parking: There is a free, large parking area at the trailhead.
• Public Transport: The trailhead can be reached using the railway by stopping at the Låktatjåkka station.

Part of the trail is on a walkboard to protect the vegetation (and hikers from mud).

The Trollsjön Hiking Trail & Kärkevagge, a Giant Boulder Deposit (also known as Geargevággi (Stendalen))

The trail is visible from the parking area, even though no clear signs are pointing to either Trollsjön or to the Svensk Fjällsphinx, at least until you’re on the trail already. Initially, the trail goes through a small birch forest, which is extremely beautiful in Autumn. Generally speaking, fall colors here are pretty special.

The trail then crosses the railway on a wooden bridge, and from here it starts climbing toward the valley where the views will open up to both the landscape to the north and a giant boulder field to the south, towards the lake.

As soon as you get a good view of the landscape around from a higher vantage point, you’ll also get a good idea of the vastness around you.

The boulder deposit is a 4km long valley, so it’s huge. It is called Kärkevagge or Geargevággi (Stendalen). It is an impressive sight; with some boulders as big as small houses, you can’t help but wonder what kind of forces created this field.

There does not seem to be certain information about the origins of these giant boulders, but it appears to be some catastrophic event or a mixture of erratic boulders or morainic deposits, or both (source for those interested).

Kärkevagge or Geargevággi (Stendalen)

Another image of Kärkevagge or Geargevággi – note the small hut near the center of the image compared to the size of the boulders.

The trail follows the boulder field for the length of the valley, so as you walk along the trail with the companionship of these giant boulders to your right, you appreciate even more the scale and proportions of whatever event created them.

However, the entire valley is filled with amazing rock formations and surrounded by the mountain slopes on all sides.

More bizarre rock formations

Then, toward the end of this gigantic boulder field, there it is, the Fjällsphinx, or Mountain Sphinx. You can’t miss it, it’s a pretty big landmark even compared to the giant boulders that dot the landscape.

The Svensk Fjällsphinx

That rock formation is quite easy to spot from afar. It’s a short, five-minute detour from the main trail that leads to Trollsjön. But as all the good Sphinxes do, they offer an enigma to solve. While this amazing rock formation is big enough to catch your eye, from which angle do you actually see the outline of the Sphinx?

The “other” side of the mountain sphinx.

Almost taking shape…

Svensk Fjällsphinx

Among the boulder fields, finding the best angle and identifying the outline of the Fjällsphinx is not as easy as it may seem. It’s way, way bigger than it appears in photos, and there’s a bit of walk-around involved to find the best angle to see the Sphinx.

And now – spoiler alert – here’s how to see the fjallsphinx: it’s the side opposite to the direction of travel when hiking up to the lake.

Trollsjön (Rissajaure) a beautiful glacial lake

From the Fjällsphinx to Trollsjön, it’s a relatively short hike. Initially flat, the trail climbs up to the dead-end valley where the lake is. Again, you’ll find gigantic boulders all over the place, so much so that it may feel as if you solved the Sphinx’s enigma only to end up in a labyrinth :).

Jokes aside, there are several viewpoints around the lake, all worth exploring. The 34m deep lake is dubbed the “most transparent lake in Sweden”, although it didn’t seem particularly transparent when I visited in late September. Rather, the water had a nice, emerald green/turquoise tint when I visited.

It is a pristine and quite serene location. I spent about an hour at the lake just enjoying the peacefulness, the silence, and the beautiful landscape around it.

Trollsjön Hike & Svensk Fjällsphinx Impressions

Here’s also a video of some impressions I captured while on this hike:

Trollsjön Hike Photos and Photography Tips

I visited on a sunny day, and the lake lived up to its Sami name – Rissajaure, or the lake that glitters in the sun. It’s quite challenging to capture the lake under such conditions. The lake shines and glitters even under fairly soft light, such as the low, autumn sun of the arctic region.

That, of course, won’t be a problem if it’s cloudy. That may even help the beautiful emerald color of the lake to pop even more. Still, it’s quite fun to try and capture its shimmering waters under the sun. A difficult-to-photograph location, but the effort could be rewarding – at least it was for me.

The Svensk Fjällsphinx is also quite an interesting subject to photograph to try and find the best silhouette to render it. Apart from the lake and the Sphinx, what I liked were the birch trees at the beginning of the hiking trail. I visited in autumn, and the fall colors were at their peak. With so many trees around, there’s a virtually endless supply.

Where to stay

There aren’t too many options in the area; this is a very remote location. There are, of course, Abisko and the Abisko tourist center, then Björkliden, and a few more accommodations around Riksgränsen, close to the Norwegian border, which is also where the only mini-market in the area is located. It’s a remote location, and that’s the beauty of it.

If you are in a van or a camper, camping by the Trollsjön isn’t allowed. There are, however, a few parking areas where it is allowed, such as this one.

Additional Resources

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