Spjärshällen naturreservat

Less than two miles north of Svärdsjö you will find Spjärshällen, the highest mountain in south-eastern Dalarna! At 506 meters above sea level, you have a wonderful view in all directions.

To the north is Gryfs Stormyren, a wetland with associated spruce forest on the northern slope of the mountain. The spruce trees are old, but the forest is currently suffering from a lack of dead wood. Glasgården, on the northeastern slope of the mountain, consists mainly of spruce forest, but there are also old, flat-crowned pines with elements of dry bark and occasional deciduous trees. Parts of the slope have a large number of boulders that have made the area difficult to access and thus received the name Glasgården or Glasgårdshällarna. There are spruces with broken snow, traces of three-toed woodpeckers and spruces that have died from insect infestation. Kurfinn is located in the south-eastern part of the area. It is more fertile here, which has resulted in a lot of large spruces, some large aspens and plenty of dead wood.

The Pilgrim's Trail passes through the reserve, a hiking trail that runs between Yttertänger and Björnås via Kurbergets fäbod. This is part of an old trail that went from Västra Aros via Kopparbeget to Trönö and Nidaros. The pilgrimage route was used as early as the 12th century for journeys to the Christian center of the North, Nidaros Cathedral in Norway. The trail goes over the heights to make it easier to orient yourself in the terrain because you did not have access to maps. From Enviken, Sommarvägen goes north via Alderbacka fäbodar, past Spjärshällen and then connects to Pilgrimsleden.

In addition to hiking and snowmobiling, this is a popular area for skiing on the hard snow in the spring. At this altitude there is usually a lot of snow, and it remains well into the spring winter. If the nights are cold, the ice forms, which is so enjoyable for skiers. But be aware that the forest roads up here can be closed or difficult to get around when the frost comes out of the ground.