Evagraven (the Eva Canyon), Flatruet, Funäsdalen

How the canyon was formed and what you see

Evagraven is a narrow forfault fracture and glacially carved ravine that slices into the Flatruet plateau; its steep rock faces and exposed bedrock owe their shape to meltwaters and frost action at the end of the last Ice Age. The channel narrows and deepens suddenly where the bedrock has been scoured, producing a sequence of sheer walls, scree benches and small ledges where hardy mosses and lichens cling.

Landscape, vegetation and seasonal character

Around the canyon the landscape opens to the windswept fjällheath of Flatruet — low dwarf shrubs, crowberry and lichen-dotted ground, scattered stunted birch and a horizon of distant peaks. In summer the plateau is pale green and dotted with late‑blooming alpine flowers; autumn turns the heath to russet and gold. Winter converts the same terrain into a high, silent expanse where snow smooths the contours and the canyon’s rim appears as a darker scar on the white surface.

Stories and human traces tied to the name

Evagraven carries local folk stories that give the place its human edge: one tale speaks of a Sámi woman named Eva who perished in a storm while travelling with reindeer and sled, another tells of a young fäbod girl from Ruvallen who vanished long ago. Whether or not these stories are literal history, they shape how people imagine the canyon and its solitary, slightly uncanny presence on the plateau.

Walking the Hällmålningsrundan and the visitor experience

Evagraven is encountered along the Hällmålningsrundan, a roughly 9 km circuit that also passes ancient rock paintings and the neighbouring Fiskhålsgraven gorge. Approaches move from sheltered birch trails up onto the open plateau, and the path near the canyon becomes rockier and more exposed. The canyon itself is a natural stopping point — a place to peer into the cleft, photograph the strata and feel the scale of the landscape.

Practical notes about terrain and safety

The terrain is typical mountain moor: firm when dry but liable to be boggy in places and snowbound in shoulder seasons. Stretches near the canyon can be uneven and slippery when wet; sturdy footwear and layered clothing are advised. Mobile reception on the plateau can be patchy. Leave-no-trace practice is important here — the plateau ecosystem is fragile and slow to recover from trampling.

Why Evagraven matters in the local landscape

Evagraven is a compact but visually strong example of glacial geomorphology on Flatruet: a raw incision that offers close-up evidence of ancient ice‑age processes and a palpable sense of wild, open mountain country. Set among hällmålningar, ridgelines and wide views, it anchors a short circuit of natural history, legend and fjäll character that rewards a quiet visit and a moment of reflection.