pakistantraveldiaries
Most people who reach Kalam turn toward Ushu Forest and Mahodand Lake and never see the other branch of the river. Utror sits about 16 to 20 km west of Kalam. It has terraced fields, wooden houses and far less traffic than the Ushu road, so it feels like a different valley even though you left from the same bazaar.
Gabral is further on. It has a clear river and the Shahi Bagh meadow, and a walk of a few hours from the road end at Ladu takes you to Kundol Lake. The tracks are rough, so plan each of these as a full day by jeep and do not try to fit two into one. Snow usually covers Kalam from December and the tracks to Utror and Gabral stay closed until spring, so plan it for the warmer months. In summer a jeep track also crosses the Badgoi Pass from Utror to Kumrat, which is in Upper Dir and not in Swat.
Nights in Kalam are cold even in July, so keep a jacket for the evenings. If you are still deciding how to get to the valley from Lahore, the group tour timings and prices are on this page.
This post was created with our nice and easy submission form. Create your post!
