Kalam Valley

About this place

Kalam is a valley in the Swat Kohistan region of Upper Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 99 km north of Mingora at about 2,000 metres above sea level. Here the Swat River forms where two major tributaries, the Gabral and Ushu, meet. The valley is mostly home to the Gawri people and sits on a plateau above the river used for farming, overlooked by high peaks including Falak Sar at 5,918 metres and another of about 6,096 metres. Its climate is mild and warm, averaging 24 °C in July and 1.5 °C in January, and there are many alpine glacial lakes around it. The roaring white Swat River runs between huge boulders and dense pine forest under snow-capped peaks, with houses and fields scattered across the wide valley and green meadows around it where cattle graze. Visitors walk along the riverbanks, head into the surrounding pine forests and meadows, and set out from here to the nearby mountain lakes. Summer is the best time; check the UK Foreign Office's current guidance for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before you plan.