Kalam Valley
Kalam (Kalami, Pashto, & Urdu: کالام) is a valley located at distance of 99 kilometres (62 mi) from Mingora in the northern upper reaches of Swat valley along the bank of Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[2][3] The area has become a popular tourist attraction, known for its mountains, forests and lakes.[4] It is the birthplace of Swat river, which forms with confluence of two major tributaries of Gabral river and Ushu river.[5]
Kalam | |
|---|---|
| کالام | |
.jpg.webp) Kalam Valley | |
  Kalam Kalam Valley  Kalam Kalam (Pakistan) | |
| Coordinates: 35.4801°N 72.5874°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat |
| Elevation | 2,001 m (6,565 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 23,170 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
It is a sub-valley of Swat, at an elevation of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level, and providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river for farming.[6] From Kalam, the metaled road ends and shingle road leads to the Usho and Utror valleys. From Matiltan, some snow-capped mountains are visible including Mount Falaksar 5,918 meters (19,416 feet), and another unnamed peak 6,096 meters (20,000 feet) high.[7]
There are several hotels in Kalam providing accommodation for tourists to the valley.[8]
Climate
With a mild and generally warm and temperate climate, Kalam features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalam is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F), while the annual precipitation averages 639 mm (25.16 in). November is the driest month with 15 mm (0.59 in) of precipitation, while April, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 93 mm (3.66 in).
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 24.1 °C (75.4 °F). The coldest month, January, has an average temperature of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F).
| Climate data for Kalam | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
23.1 (73.6) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
26.0 (78.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
8.1 (46.6) |
18.8 (65.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.6 (45.7) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.0 (39.2) |
13.4 (56.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
11.6 (52.9) |
16.6 (61.9) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
8.1 (46.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 49 (1.9) |
66 (2.6) |
88 (3.5) |
93 (3.7) |
64 (2.5) |
32 (1.3) |
66 (2.6) |
66 (2.6) |
41 (1.6) |
28 (1.1) |
15 (0.6) |
31 (1.2) |
639 (25.2) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[9] | |||||||||||||
Tourist Spots
Usho (also spelled Ushu) is a hill station in the north east of Kalam valley. It is situated at a distance of 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from Kalam and 123 kilometers (76 mi) km from Saidu Sharif at the height of 2,300 metres (7,550 feet). It is accessible through a non metalled road from Kalam by jeeps only.
Matiltan
Matiltan is located about 11 km away from Kalam. It is the location of large glaciers, thick forests and lofty mountain peaks. The tallest peak of Falaksair mountain can be seen from here.
Utror
Utror hill station is also located in Kalam Valley which is located 16 km away from Kalam. It is surrounded by snow clad mountains and Kundol Lake.
Gabral
Gabral is a hill station, comes at a distance of 20 km away from Kalam. It is known for brown swati trout fish, green forests, medicinal springs, snow clad peaks and lakes, among them Shahi Bagh lake located to north west of Sazgul region at about three hours of trekking.
Lakes
Kalam has large number of alpine glacial lakes, among them Mahodand lake and Kundol lake are very popular due to ease of accessibility. But others like Izmis lake, which is located in close proximity with Kundol lake is one of the spectacular one in the region. Most of these lakes are accessible through tedious trekking over lush green trails across the way.
Mahodand Lake is one of the largest & scenic lake in the Swat valley, located at a distance of about 40 km from Kalam, in the Usho Sub-valley of Kalam which is laid out in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains. It is accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle, and is a good resort for fishing, boating and camping. It is surrounded by snow clad mountains, lush green meadows and thick forests which hypnotise one to its center.
Kundol Lake is another charming lake in Kalam valley which is located in the north of Utror region at a distance of 19 km away from kalam. It also lies in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains and accessible via the mesmeric valley of Ladu through a trek of 4–6 hours.[10]
Gallery
References
- "POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL: KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- "Kalam Valley in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Distance from Mingora". Pakistantravelguide.pk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- "Kalam Valley, Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". www.worldfortravel.com. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- Hassan, Ali (7 August 2015). "Kalam — As memories of war fade..." Dawn. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- "Birthplace of Swat and Surrounded by Green Hills and Thick Forest". Destinations.com.pk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- Tourists Guide >> Places to Visit >> Kalam Publisher: swat valley.com, Retrieved on 29 September 2012
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN3rlHoknRg
- http://tribune.com.pk/story/27716/all-is-not-lost-for-kalam-valley’s-hosts/
- "Climate: Kalam – Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrWv06vY9gc
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