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Survey advances project to support sustainable tourism in Pakistan's Swat Mountain region

10.10.2023

A team of 20 people from Germany, Italy, Pakistan and Spain completed a survey expedition in the Swat Region of Pakistan in September 2023. The team climbed peaks over 5 000 metres and trekked through six previously unexplored mountain passes. The survey was part of the final phase of the Swat Project led by Mountain Wilderness International which aims to promote sustainable tourism in the region and publish a guidebook in English and Urdu.

Swat is a mountain region in Pakistan easily reached from nearby large cities. This makes it a popular destination for tourists and mountain sport enthusiasts. The area includes multiple peaks, lush forests and pristine lakes. Mountain Wilderness International has developed many trekking itineraries and carefully explored all the mountaineering possibilities within the region. This research is the basis for a forthcoming guidebook.

By preparing a guidebook, Mountain Wilderness aims to discourage the development of destructive forms of tourism that would negatively impact the beauty and environmental health of the Swat Mountain region. The book will include detailed information on different trekking routes through the Upper Swat Valleys, critical information for proper preparation, and geographic and cultural information about the region and the people who live there.

The expedition team was divided into four groups to cover multiple itineraries. Each group explored new areas in the region and glacier crossings. Two of the groups successfully summited peaks over 5 000 metres. Altogether, the groups trekked and described six new mountain passes.

Mountain Wilderness International has been leading the Swat Project in Pakistan since 2017. Project partners include the International Institute for the Mediterranean and the Oriental Studies, the Italian Academic Alpine Club and the Mountain Partnership, with sponsorship from Banca Sella. Mountain Wilderness is an international non-governmental organization, devoted to the protection of the last pristine areas in the mountains. While its geographic scope is worldwide, the majority of its work takes place in Asia and Europe.

News by Mountain Wilderness International

Photo by Mountain Wilderness International/Carlo Alberto Pinelli