SWAT: Italian mountaineer, instructor and environmentalist Carlo Alberto Pinelli on Saturday announced a groundbreaking mountaineering course for women here.

The initiative is part of his ongoing mountaineering project in the area meant to foster a love for nature, adventure and environmental responsibility, according to Mr Pinelli.

He shared his “commitment to empowering women through mountaineering” during a visit to the Government Post Graduate Girls College, Saidu Sharif, where he interacted with students and faculty.

He met principal Prof Bakht Tasleem, Prof Zamarud of the sports department and staff member Sana Tahir and informed them about his forthcoming mountaineering course in Swat.

Pinelli says he wants to empower women through climbing

Last year, Pinelli conducted a similar course for young women in Swat in collaboration with the SPS, Mountain Wilderness and Italian Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean and the Orient.

This year, he is taking his mission a step further by including more women and expanding the scope of the training programme.

During his interaction with the college community, Mr Pinelli highlighted the importance of “appreciating and preserving the beauty of Swat’s mountains.”

“While experiencing the pure nature and spirituality of these landscapes, people must refrain from polluting them with litter and waste,” he said.

The climber stressed the significance of educating both men and women in the region about the value of their mountains to instill respect and responsibility towards those wonders of nature.

He currently leads “The Swat Project” organised in Pakistan through the collaborative efforts of Mountain Wilderness International and the Italian Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean and the Orient.

In 2016, he received Pakistan’s Sitara-i-Imtiaz civil award from the president for his exceptional contributions to mountaineering, environmental protection, and training.

Expressing her support for the initiative, principal Prof Bakht Tasleem highlighted her belief in sports and co-curricular activities for women.

She praised the natural beauty of Swat and encouraged local women to “understand and appreciate” its significance.

Prof Tasleem said she would “fully” cooperate with the organisers of the mountaineering course hoping that her college’s students would actively participate in it.

She said Pinelli’s commitment to empowering women through mountaineering and environmental education promised to leave a lasting impact on the Swat region, fostering a deeper connection between its people and the pristine mountains that defined its landscape.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023