Kalam Valley
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|
Kalam | |
|---|---|
| کالام | |
.jpg) Kalam Valley | |
  Kalam  Kalam | |
| Coordinates: 35°28′48″N 72°35′15″E / 35.4801°N 72.5874°ECoordinates: 35°28′48″N 72°35′15″E / 35.4801°N 72.5874°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat |
| Elevation | 2,001 m (6,565 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 23,170 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Kalam (Kalami, Pashto, & Urdu: کالام) is a valley located 99 kilometres (62 mi) from Mingora in the northern upper section of Swat valley along the bank of Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[2][3] Visitors frequent the Kalam Valley as it is known for its mountains, forests and lakes.[4] The Kalam Valley is where the Swat river originates. The Swat River was formed as a result of the confluence of two major tributaries of Gabral river and Ushu river.[5]
It is a sub-valley of Swat, at an elevation of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level. The valley itself provides room for a plateau that is located above the river and used for farming.[6] There are roads from Kalam that lead to the Usho and Utror valleys. There are mountains that are also visible from Matiltan, a valley close to Kalam Valley, including Mount Falaksar 5,918 meters (19,416 feet), and another unnamed peak 6,096 meters (20,000 feet) high.[7]
There are several hotels in Kalam providing accommodation for tourists to the valley.[8]
Climate[edit]
With a mild and generally warm and temperate climate, Kalam features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalam is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F), while the annual precipitation averages 639 mm (25.16 in). November is the driest month with 15 mm (0.59 in) of precipitation, while April, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 93 mm (3.66 in).
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 24.1 °C (75.4 °F). The coldest month, January, has an average temperature of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F).
| Climate data for Kalam | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
22.8 (73.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
23.8 (74.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.6 (49.3) |
17.8 (63.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) |
1.0 (33.8) |
5.2 (41.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
10.6 (51.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −7.6 (18.3) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.7 (38.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
3.5 (38.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 49 (1.9) |
66 (2.6) |
88 (3.5) |
93 (3.7) |
64 (2.5) |
32 (1.3) |
66 (2.6) |
66 (2.6) |
41 (1.6) |
28 (1.1) |
15 (0.6) |
31 (1.2) |
639 (25.2) |
| Source: PMD | |||||||||||||
Tourist Spots[edit]
Usho (also spelled Ushu) is a hill station in the north east of Kalam valley. It is situated 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from Kalam and 123 kilometers (76 mi) km from Saidu Sharif at the height of 2,300 metres (7,550 feet). It is accessible from Kalam by jeeps only.
Matiltan
Matiltan is located about 11 km away from Kalam. The landscape of Matiltan is characterised by the presence of large glaciers, forested and moutnainous landscapes. From Matiltan, the tallest peak of Falaksair mountain is visible.[citation needed]
Utror
Utror Hill station is also located in Kalam Valley which is located 16 km away from Kalam. It is surrounded by mountains and the Kundol Lake.
Gabral
Gabral is another valley, located approximately 20 km away from Kalam. It is known for its flora, fauna and geographical formations, including Swati Trout fish, forests, medicinal springs, peaks and lakes. A notable lake in this region is the Shahi Bagh lake located to north west of Sazgul region which can be accessed by a three hour journey on foot.[citation needed]
Lakes[edit]
Kalam has large number of alpine glacial lakes. Two notable lakes in the Kalam Valley are the Mahodand lake and Kundol lake, both of which are frequently visited due to their easy access routes. Other lakes in the region, such as Izmis lake, are harder to enter and need to be done so on foot.
Mahodand Lake is a large lake in the Swat valley, located approximately 40 km from Kalam, in the Usho Sub-valley of Kalam at the base of Hindu Kush mountains. It can be accessed by off-road vehicles and activities such as fishing, boating and camping are commonly undertaken there. It is surrounded by mountains, plains and forests.
Another notable lake in the Kalam Valley is the Kundol Lake located in the north of Utror region, 19 km away from Kalam. It is located at the base of Hindu Kush mountains and accessible via the valley of Ladu on foot.
Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalam Valley. |
- ^ "POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL: KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Kalam Valley in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Distance from Mingora". Pakistantravelguide.pk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Kalam Valley, Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". www.worldfortravel.com. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ Hassan, Ali (7 August 2015). "Kalam — As memories of war fade..." Dawn. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Birthplace of Swat and Surrounded by Green Hills and Thick Forest". Destinations.com.pk. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ Tourists Guide >> Places to Visit >> Kalam Publisher: swat valley.com, Retrieved on 29 September 2012
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Kalam From Above.......Pakistan HD". YouTube.
- ^ http://tribune.com.pk/story/27716/all-is-not-lost-for-kalam-valley’s-hosts/
- ^ "Climate: Kalam – Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
