Islamabad : The visitors turned towards the newly opened Trail- I to enjoy the scenic beauty and serene natural environment right in the heart of the Margalla Hills.
According to the details, the visitors especially youngsters found an opportunity after quite some time to hike on the path that could lead them to the top of the mountain. It is yet to see whether the trail is fully safe for the visitors because the relevant authorities have not deputed guards at all critical points.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced that “Now the visitors can come to this trail for hiking and trekking and enjoy the natural environment in much better conditions.” The trail was earlier not properly marked and there were also no facilities for visitors like rest areas or sit-outs. There were also two check posts where visitors were supposed to show their identity.
The notice boards and trail maps were also missing on the trail to guide the visitors about proper paths and their safety from the wildlife animals. The civic agency has taken some time to clean Trail I and now it has developed a mechanism to ensure its cleanliness on weekly basis.
Now the trail will lead the hikers to the top terminal of the Pir Sohawa road, in more or less two hours. Upon extending the walkway, they will reach Monal Restaurant in twenty minutes.
This trail was once very popular among the visitors and some of them used to carry out day-long trekking to reach its top spot.
Actually, there are about thirty well-identified trails in Margalla Hills and most of them are used by the local people. The relevant authorities have so far developed six hiking trails and all of them offer unique hiking opportunities to visitors. The official said, “We had to keep in mind some basic issues before the opening of Trail I like the safety of visitors, the privacy of wildlife animals, cleanliness of paths, and protection of the natural environment.”