Struggling amid scenic mountains of Laram valley

LARAM TOP: While the cold weather deters many from going into the open after sunset in the mountains, it is a routine for people inhabiting Laram valley of Lower Dir district.

Wali Rehman, a 55-year-old chowkidar taking care of a rest house in the scenic Laram hills, walks for around five hours daily. He walks from his home to the rest house and then back home as he receives a monthly salary to take care of the rest house.

Laram Top is home to dozens of rest houses, constructed by people in private capacity. However, there is no such facility built by the government for the stay of tourists. The area is frequented by a large number of people to enjoy the beauty of nature, the cool weather even in summers and forested mountains.

“Quality food isn’t available in this area. There is no hotel for tourists and visitors. People come here in large numbers but they have to return and leave the place, mostly because they have to fetch food items from the Ouch bazaar, which can be reached after more than one-hour drive,” stated Wali Rehman while speaking to The News.

Several affluent people have built their own rest houses for stay in summers on the top of Laram hills when they wish to visit the place for recreation. Normally, they have handed over the rest houses to chowkidars, who are paid for taking care of the houses that are usually empty in the off season days.

During a visit to Laram valley about 13 years ago, a group of journalists had found the area to be underdeveloped and lacking social development. There were no proper metalled roads and no facility of stay for tourists visiting the scenic location. And to our surprise, the area still faces the same problems as discovered in a recent visit after more than 12 years. Laram valley still lacks proper roads. The big stones scattered on the route cause damage to tyres of vehicles. The visitors have to arrange accommodation by requesting the owners of the houses or return from the area before the night falls.

Laram Top, the highest place of Laram valley, houses a radar of PTCL. The weather is extremely cold even in summers. The mountains have thick forests and freshwater springs are also found at scattered places in Laram valley.

Located at an altitude of almost 8,500 feet, Laram is part of Lower Dir district and offers its visitors the views of tow-lying hills, feeling of winter in the summer season and an opportunity to stroll over the clouds due to its high altitude.

A lush green scenic location, Laram Top is almost 200 kilometres from Peshawar via Ouch area. Compared to other scenic locations in Swat and Upper Dir, the Laram mountains take lesser time and energy to reach there. The people from Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan and other places in KP can enjoy the beauty of nature in case they want to avoid spending much time on travelling to faraway tourist spots in Swat and Upper Dir.

Laram valley is located about 30 kilometres from Chakdara town. Timergara, the main town of Lower Dir district, is located to the west of Laram valley, while on its south western side is the Talash area.

Laram Top can be reached from different areas like Rabat, Talash, Ouch and Timergara. It is also accessible by two largely unpaved roads, one from Ouch, and the other from Rabat Bazaar. However, a major problem is the rough and stony routes. Like other people, Wali Rehman – who spends the night in the rest house and goes home in the morning – is also disappointed about the lack of roads and other facilities.

“We have got used to this tough life due to lack of facilities,” he says as he pulls up his socks to begin his hours-long journey back home in the morning.