Snow hiking event from February 10

PESHAWAR: The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and the Adventure Edge Club are jointly organising two-day snow hiking event at the scenic Nathiagali in Galiyat from February 10 to promote adventure tourism and revive tourist attractions in the province.

“The snow hikers will exhibit their skills over a four kilometer hiking track from Dunga Gali to Mushkpuri Top besides taking part in other adventure activities,” Secretary Sports, Tourism, Culture, Archaeology, Museums and Youth Affairs, Muhammad Tariq said while chairing a meeting on Monday.

Additional Secretary Babar Khan, TCKP Managing Director Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, General Manager (Admin & Properties) Sajjad Hameed, Event In-charge Hassina Shaukat, Director Adventure Edge Club Khalid Khalil and others attended the meeting.

The secretary hoped the proposed event would promote adventure tourism in the region and provide recreational opportunity to the youth and the families.

He said that least adventure tourism events were being arranged during the snowfall but the Mushkpuri is a safe point for such activities, which would attract tourists in large number.

The official added that the activity was meant to provide opportunities of entertainment, adventure and eco-friendly tourism to youth and families of the province and country as well.

He said that efforts were also on to identify new serene resorts including that of cultural, religious and adventure tourism to develop them on modern lines to lure more tourists to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mushkpuri is a 2,800-metre-high (9,200 ft) mountain in the Nathiagali Hills in Abbottabad district. It is 90 kilometres north of Islamabad, just above Dunga Gali in the Nathiagali area of Ayubia National Park. Much of its mountain is covered with Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests.

Briefing the participants, Hassina Shaukat said that hikers and spectators will leave for Nathiagali from Peshawar on February 10.

“A number of other activities including bonfire and music at evening are other features of the event after reaching Nathiagali,” the official added.

She said the hiking event will be held from Dunga Gali to Mushkpuri Top, where team games, adventure games, igloo, snow survival and others will be organised.

Those interested in attending the activity should either contact cell phone # 0345-964 2370 or visit the TCKP Facebook page www.facebook.com/kptourism.

The official said the participants will be facilitated. They will be provided transportation, food, first aid kit and other facilities during the event.

The department had earlier also arranged various events of cultural, religious and adventure tourism and sports including rafting, paragliding, jeep rally and zip-lining in Peshawar, Misri Banda and Akora Khattak in Nowshera, Shabqadar in Charsadda, Kohat and Khanpur Lake in Haripur district for the youth and families.