Adventure Tourism in Pakistan

Malam Jabba: the roof-top of the world!

At 8’700 feet above sea level, Malam Jabba Ski Resort stands on top of a mountain of the Hindukush range, north east of Saidu Sharif. Surrounded by mighty Karakorams and stunning Black mountains, Malam Jabba is more that just a Ski Resort. It is a holiday resort that caters to all interests and is also home to the remains of ancient civilizations. Amidst its natural beauty and imprints of Gandhara civilization, lie the wonders of modern tourist facilities such as:
• 52 rooms motel
• 2 skiing platforms
• Chairlifts ( 800 meters long cable, highest point 9,200 feet above sea level)
• Roller/Ice Skating rinks
• Restaurant offering both local and international cuisine
• Telephone facility
• Running tap water
• Snow clearing equipment
The food, lodging and skiing facilities are all managed by foreign trained staff and offered at competitive prices.

Easy To Reach
Situated on one of the important offshoots of the Karakoram Highway, Malam Jabba is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport on Saidu Sharif-Kalam Road. The road diverts right from Manglor to Malam Jabba.

Sights Unlimited
Mighty ranges of the Hindukush, the Karakoram and Black Mountains, gentle slopes, placid plains, torrential streams…Malam Jabba offers unlimited sights to behold. The summer temperatures of 10oC to 25oC give way to lush green meadows and thick green forests of Pine & Deodar trees. In the winter when the temperature falls to –5oC to -10oC, the angel white snow make it the ideal place for skiing. The enchantment of Malam Jabba goes beyond this natural beauty. The 2000 years old archaeological remains situated at an altitude of 2600 ft above sea level include two Buddhist stupas and 6 monasteries, scattered over the slope opposite the main structure of the ski resort, measuring 310 meters north to south and 500 meters east to west. The main stupa uncovered in these remains depicts a circular plinth, with moulding. The diameter is 13.01 meters; the maximum surviving height is 1.50 meters. The lower wall curves gently inwards and there is a small projection that steps out a short distance at the base of the actual stupa. Still more historical sightseeing lies 1 km from Malam Jabba – the ancient mound. It is surrounded on all 4 sides by mountain slopes characterized by slabs of schist. A water spring which much have been used in the past also, is a center of attraction for those charmed by health effects of fresh spring water. Besides these slights, Malam Jabba boasts of two major trekking tracks paved amidst beautiful scenery. One track winding through Ghorband Valley and Shangla top is 18 km from the resort. It is a jeepable track overlooking the Miandam settlement and reaches Shangla top in 1-1/2 hours from where the adventure seekers can proceed to the Karakoram Highway. The other major track leads to Saboney valley, 17 km from the resort through thick Pine forests and peach and apple orchards.

  Around Malam Jabba Malam Jabba
is part of the picturesque Swat valley which sprawls over 10,360 sq.km. Swat, which has been inhabited for over 2000 years is known to be the cradle of Buddhism. The area has also been the battle ground for many battles of Alexander the Great. The strategic location of Malam Jabba makes it convenient for tourists to access other tourist destinations such as: Mingora see the white palace, museum and orchard farms. Kabal gold course Miandam for its scenic beauty & surrounding peaks Kalam for Trout fishing.

Come Over For An Experience You’ll Never Forget
If Malam Jabba and its surroundings have already began to charm you, then you must visit the sites and experience the enchantment for yourself.

[ RESERVE NOW ]

Tough and sparsely populated, Pakistan’s northern valleys exhibit the diversity one would expect of a boundary area. In the east, Baltistan shows an affinity with Tibet; in fact, its language is a dialect of archaic Tibetan and many remnants of Tibetan culture can still be observed, In the Gilgit region, Shina is the dominant language. Gilgit’s most prominent contribution to the area seems to be the Gilgiti cap worn throughout most of northern Pakistan. To the north, legendary Hunza confirms its reputation as one of the world’s great mountain communities. Its Language – Burushaki – seems unrelated to any other and its origins remain a mystery. Like Chitral to the west, Hunza manifests its age-old-contact with Central Asia, the consequence of lying abreast of the Caravan routes that spread south from the all-important passes. Within the borders of Chitral are the Kafir valleys of Birir, Rambur and Bomburet. In a nation that is almost entirely Muslim, the Kafir are unique; they are Pagans (Kafir means infidel) with their own very original beliefs, customs and art forms.The land of these northern valleys is best described as mountainous. During winter, heavy snow separate the valleys from the rest of the world for six months. In the summer, temperatures over 100 degrees are common. In Skardu, one is immediately struck by the juxtaposition of sand dunes and show-capped peak.

Trekking in Pakistan

Pakistan is a paradise for trekkers. Most of the trekking routes lies in the northern mountains of the Hindukush, the Karakorams and the Himalayas. For most of the treks, trekking season is between May to October. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of Pakistan, has defined trekking as walking below 6000 m.

It has designated three zones for trekking; open, restricted and closed. Foreigners may trek anywhere in open zone without a permit or services of a licensed mountain guide.
For trekking in restricted zone, foreigners must pay a fee of US$ 20 per person per trek to obtain a trekking permit from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of Pakistan Islamabad.



It also requires to hire a licensed mountain guide; buy a personal accident insurance policy for the guide and the porters and to attend mandatory briefing and de-briefing at the Ministry of Tourism, on the beginning and end of the trekking trip. No trekking is allowed in closed zones which are the areas near Pak-Afghan border and near the Line of Control with Indian-held Kashmir.

Following regions/treks are located in open zone;

Following regions/treks are located in restricted zone;

For a list of treks in open and restricted zones, and to have a copy of latest trekking rules & regulations, please write to the Public Relation Officer, Ministry of Tourism, Government of Pakistan (Operation Section) Pakistan Sports Complex, Shahrah-e-Kashmir, near Aabpara, Islamabad.
Tel: +92-51-9203509 Fax: +92-51-9202347.

[ RESERVE NOW ]

Heli Safaris to the roof of the World – A great opportunity for those who have limited time but still like to have a bird’s eye view of Pakistan’s Northern paradise. All these safaris begin from Islamabad. We use Mi-17 (24 passengers) and ALT-III (5 passengers) helicopters for these heli-safaris.

Fairy Meadows – The last mountain wilderness of the Himalayas, lying under the shadow of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), waiting for you to explore by helicopter.

Trango Towers – It is a freestanding shaft culminating in the Trango Group, located on the left of Baltoro Glacier. It is the highest granite tower and considered to be the finest rock pinnacle in the world.

Concordia –This chaotic jumble of ice and rocks looks like an amphitheater rimmed by ice streams descending from four highest mountains of the Karakorams (K-2, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II and Gasherbrum-IV). The point rests on the junction of two great glaciers – Baltoro and Godwin Austin. Being at Concordia means to be face to face with K-2 (8,611 m), a real soul stirring experience.

K-2 – “It was one of those sights which impress a man for ever, and produce a permanent effect upon the mind” (Francis Youghusband (1896) – First view of K-2). “The sight was beyond my comprehension and I sat gazing at it with a kind of timid fascination” (Eric Shipton).

Kalash Tribes & Chitral Valley – Chitral, an area which was focus of the “Great Games”, at the turn of the 19th Century, is a land of ancient forts, rivers, springs and unique culture. The valleys of Brir, Rambur and Bamburet are the home of the only pagan tribe – Kalash, ‘the wearers of black robes’.

[ RESERVE NOW ]

It is because of this, that Pakistan International Airlines offers, perhaps the most unique Air Safari on Earth: a grandiose flight into the ultimate realm of the mountains! It is a flight through a virtual forest of literally hundreds of over 7000 meter peaks, inclusive of five that fall into the 14 highest mountains of the world that are over 8,000 meters.


The second highest mountain, the majestic K-2, the ninth highest Nanga Parbat, universally dubbed “the killer mountain”, on account of its forbidding reputation in the mountaineering community, the 11th highest Hidden Peak, the 12th highest Broad Peak and the 13th highest Gasherbrum-II, are all part of this amazing region .


Four of these awesome peaks come together in the most spectacular theatre on Earth – the Concordia, called the Darbar of the Emperor of the Jinns from the Arabian Nights! The locals believe that the “Badshah” of this land of Jinns chose this spot for his court as it was the loftiest and most remote on Earth. It offers all this and much more.Come and witness all of it with us on board, the PIA Air Safari that can be chartered at just two weeks’ notice.

[ RESERVE NOW ]

Unique Mountains, Valleys and Glaciers

Northern areas of Pakistan, spread over 72,496 sq.Km. are fascinating as its southern region. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1000 m to over 8000 meter, the valleys of Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu recall Shangri-La.

The cultural patterns in this region are as interesting as its topography. The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi provide the traveler an unforgettable experience. Nowhere in the world there is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers and passes except Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8000 peaks on earth, 4 occupy an amphitheater at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range.

Richard Travithick produced the first locomotive by bringing the locomotive and railway invention together in 1804. Britishers brought this technology to the Subcontinent and in order to augment the defenses for stopping the Russian invasion on united India, a 42 kms long Khyber Railway lines was built by them in 1920s from Peshawar to Landi Kotal at an enormous cost of 6 million. This is one of the most historical and interesting train journeys in the world today.

The train coaches are pulled and pushed by two 1920s vintage oil fired steam engines to climb 1200 meters through 34 tunnels and 92 bridges and culverts. At one point the track climbs to 130 meters after a journey of 1.4 kilometers. A section of the track is shaped like a W and the train has to move in changing directions. The tribes people travel free as part of the contract agreed upon when they allowed the British to build the railway through their territory and this rule is still honored. [ RESERVE NOW ]

Karakoram means black in Turkish. This splendid magnificent collection of dark brown and black metamorphic rocks is the most unique mountain range. It has the largest concentration of lofty pinnacles and mountains in the world, stretching for 400 kms with 250 kms depth. It is bounded by Shhyok River in the east and Karamber, Ishkuman and Gilgit Rivers in the west in the north-east it is bounded by Shaksgam river and in the south-west by Shyok and the Indus rivers, Karakoram is specially characterized by its fissured rocks, gendarme like vertical features and steep slopes presenting great challenge to climbers and adventure seekers.

Four peaks above eight thousand meters i.e., K-2, Gasherbrum 1 & 2 and Broad Peak are situated in Karakoram in a radius of just twenty kms around a famous glacial junction Concordia.
The sub regions of the Karakoram are Baltoro, Soltoro, Hispar, Lupghar, Khunjerab, Panmah, Aghilm, Masherbrum, Saser, Siachen, Rimo, Batura, Rakaposhi/Bogrot and Haramosh. The snow line in this range varies between 4200 to 4500 meters during the summers. The temperatures in the area are extreme and there is large difference between lowest and highest temperatures during a day. Monsoons do not penetrate this area.


Most suitable climbing season in Karakoram being from the month of May till end of September each year. Climbing during winters is, however, possible. Besides high mountains, Karakoram is inhabited by the largest glaciers outside the polar region. For centuries travelers have been lured by the grander and massiveness of the Karakoram and Hindukush. The Chinese were the earliest known travelers on the famous Silk Route which passed through these magnificent ranges and recorded their impressions of dark mountains, rope bridges and mighty glaciers.
 
[ RESERVE NOW ]