SHANGLA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has a number of unexplored tourist resorts having huge potential to attract nature-lovers from across the country and abroad if the government does the proper projection and provides the required facilities.

Speen Ghar (white mountain) valley in Shangla district is one such attraction. Lying afoot the mountain covered with snow throughout the year, the valley’s name seems to be derived from it.

Nevertheless, it is heartening that some tourists still visit it. A group of trekkers, including three youth and as many children, recently visited this tourist destination to explore the hidden beauty of this valley, on the one hand, and to have the taste of traditional food served by locals, on the other.

Hailing from Lilownai, also a scenic place in Shangla, the group started their journey towards their destination in a jeep, which took three hours to take them to Kandaw area. From this point, they started hiking and after passing through Changa Baba, Kaar Banda, Natkai Banda, Gat Sar and Charai Banda, they reached Speen Ghar, surrounded by waterfalls, vast meadows, thick forests and attractive lakes. The cold weather was adding to the beauty of the valley.

Mohammad Shahid, a member of the group, said the three-day trip was exciting and informative. “Cooking food, enjoying bonfire and telling stories were the main features of the trip.”

For Mohammad Adnan, another trekker, it was the best experience of his life, enabling him to see glaciers, lakes and enjoy cold weather in the month of July which is too hot to bear in plain areas of the country.

Shangla, he observed, is rich in natural beauty, natural resources and the government must take necessary steps to build link roads and establish guest houses which would go a long way in generating handsome revenue for the government. In addition, he added, it would also contribute to the local economy.

It was the second visit of the eight-year-old Sameer Ali to Speen Ghar during the last couple of months. For him, the visit was unforgettable as, according to him, it provided him with an opportunity to see the area himself about which he used to hear from his elders.

“I would recommend youth to visit these historical places as very few people are aware of these beautiful spots,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2019