Rändåfallet - Lillfjället- Ol-Jonsvallen, Romboleden Etapp 28

The stage goes along the rushing waters of the Rändån River and over the rocky slopes of Lillfjället with magnificent views. On the bare mountain, the trail is marked by cairns.

You pass the ancient Norgesvilden rest area and west of Lillfjället a medieval signpost and place of sacrifice. They testify that you are walking the same path as the medieval pilgrims.

Near Ol-Jonsvallen you have a choice of two routes. Take the historic trail directly to the Bruksvallarnas arena or the trail that passes Ljusnedal and Funäsdalen, the red-marked Kyrkstigen.

Keep in mind that the route is demanding, completely unserviced and contains several fords and wet bogs. Bring a map, compass and overnight equipment.

Read more about the stage

The stage start at Rändåfallets parking lot and takes you up the mountain through forest, over occasionally wet bogs, along the Rändån rapids and over Lillfjället where you follow the cairns. Water can be refilled in Storgräsbäcken 200 meters from Norgesvilden, an ancient rest area. A medieval signpost and adjacent sacrificial site at Rödsjöarna testify that you are walking where medieval pilgrims have walked.

In Ljusnedal there is accommodation and in Funäsdalen there is accommodation, a grocery store and restaurants. In Bruksvallarna there is accommodation, a restaurant and a grocery store which is accessible after regular opening hours with swedish digital ID.

Historical route

In the 1990s, Tage Persson from Härjedalens fornminnesförening (Härjedalen's ancient monuments association) was among those who marked out this stage. He says that they looked for ancient road markings. The stones could be almost completely overgrown with moss. They dug them out and placed them so that they showed the direction in which the path would continue next.

Långå Skans

A few kilometers east of Rändåfallet is the village of Långå where you can find accommodation. The village also has Långå church, which is now in private ownership. Långå is also home to Långå Skans, a historical and cultural defense memorial. The defense facility was taken out of use in the early 1800s. The first redoubt was built as early as 1658, and was demolished the same year, and was replaced under Charles XII by the current redoubt, which was completed in 1700.

Walk in the footsteps of the pilgrims

The Romboleden offers a cultural and historical journey along paths and roads that have been trodden by pilgrims since the 11th century. It is the oldest pilgrimage trail in the Nordic region - and Sweden's longest. The trail is also one of Europe's longest pilgrimage trails. The Rombo Trail stretches approximately 900 km from Köping Church in Mälardalen to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on the Norwegian Atlantic coast.

If you hike the entire trail, you will experience a beautiful and varied landscape. You will walk on old shepherd's paths, over mountain expanses and along narrow gravel roads in the countryside. You'll find everything from easy day hikes with cafés along the way - to long hikes that take several days. The trail often passes through small communities.

It's your choice whether you want to walk for health, recreation or religious reasons. The whole Rombo Trail is long, but you can of course walk each section separately. For natural reasons, the trail sometimes diverges from the historic paths, but it mainly follows the medieval route.

Thanks to the landowners - be considerate when hiking

The Rombo Trail runs largely through actively managed forest and agricultural land. Thanks to the generosity of landowners and the cooperation of volunteers, you will have the opportunity to walk through landscapes that would otherwise not be accessible.

As a hiker, it is important to remember that you are walking on someone else's land. Be considerate by sticking to the trail, avoiding disturbing animals, crops and work in progress. Leave nature as you found it - or even better.

Leave nothing but footprints along the trail.