Hindukush Snow Sports Festival kicks off in Chitral

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

Assistant Commissioner, Drosh, Abdul Haq inaugurated the three-day festival. Officials of TCKP, district administration and a large number of snow sports players, foreign tourists and local spectators were present on the occasion.

The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and the Chitral district administration have jointly organised the festival.

The Hindukush Snow Sports Festival showcases a number of snow games including skiing, snow-tubing, trekking, snow-boarding, ice skating, ice hockey, making snow statues, cartoons, snow curling and others.

Traditional foods, barbeque, 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. Speaking on the occasion, Assistant Commissioner Abdul Haq said that organizing the event on government level was a great step towards promoting tourism and snow sports in the valley.

He praised the organisers and said that not only the local but the foreign tourists were also enjoying the mega event, which will send a positive message to the outer world. “The district administration and locals would extend every help and support for the successful holding of the event and making it a regular feature in the time to come,” vowed the official.

Later, a number of snow sports activities including skiing, snow-tubing, trekking, snow-boarding, ice skating, ice hockey, making snow statues, cartoons, snow curling and others were held.

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.