Hindukush Snow Festival kicks off in Madaklasht Valley

CHITRAL: The Hindukush Snow Sports Festival kicked off with colourful events at the scenic Madaklasht valley in Lower Chitral district on Saturday.

Assistant Commissioner Drosh Abdul Haq inaugurated the event.

Besides officials of the Tourism Department and district administration, a large number of adventurists, lovers of snow games and foreign tourists and trainers reached the venue to enjoy the winter gala.

Earlier, the district administration and locals warmly welcomed the foreigners to the scenic valley. They were extending all-out support to the tourists and players of snow games to make the event a success.

Men, women, youth and children took part in various competitions of snow games, including ice hockey, snow trekking and making snow sculptures and cartoons.

The participation of foreign tourists in large numbers added colours to the ongoing festival.

Jointly organised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KP-CTA) under the aegis of Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Culture, Museums and Youth Affairs Department, Lower Chitral district administration and Hindukush Snow Sports Club, the festival showcases a number of snow games, including skiing, snow-tubing, trekking, snowboarding, ice skating, ice hockey, making snow sculptures, cartoons, snow curling and others.

Traditional foods, barbecue, night music and workshops on the topics of climate change and eco-tourism are also part of the winter gala to raise awareness about the ever-rising environmental pollution. The local and foreign tourists are enjoying the mega festival.

The Hindukush is an 800 kilometre-long mountain range that stretches through Afghanistan, from its centre to northern Pakistan and into Tajikistan. It forms the western section of the Hindukush Himalayan Region and is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram and the Himalayas.