Mahodand Lake - Homeland of Brown Trout (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa)

 

The Mahodand Lake is located in the Hindukush Range at the height of 9,603 feet, in Upper Ushu Valley in Swat. It is a beautiful and large-sized lake surrounded by meadows, mountains, and pine forests. The main sources of its water are glaciers in the Hindukush Range. It is located at the distance of 37 km from Kalam, a hill station in Swat.

The beauty of the Mahodand Lake is the pine forest and pastures behind it. It gives greenish touch to lake within the bluish waters of the lake. In the pine forest, you can camp for night to observe the golden moon rays touching the silver water of the Mahodand Lake. In summer season, the surrounding of lake is also filled with the alpine flowers, which add a more charming effect in the structure of the Mahodand Lake. The water of lake is the main source of the Ushu Khwar, which is the main tributary of the River Swat. The lake water is divided into various size streams, which are the homeland of the trout fish. Then these stream merge again into the large Ushu River. In winter season, the water of lake freezes and a layer of height snow covers it totally.

You can hire a jeep from kalam for a full day adventure in Ushu Valley and the Mahodand Lake. Jeeps are available from Kalam, but have to bargain with them to avoid extra jeep charges. The best time to start your journey toward the Mahodand Lake is morning around 7pm, otherwise it becomes difficult to get the full adventures in the Ushu Valley and Mahodand Lake.

It is the best place for fishing and camping. After a 2 to 3 hours journey, fishing here will be relaxation activity for you. You can observe cool breeze with light waves in the bluish waters of the lake. The breeze coming from the glacier sides becomes more cold, so sometimes you have to wear jacket in summer season too. The hot sizzling trout fish can be a source of warmness that your body need there. Eating trout within the healthy atmosphere of lack with a broader view of the Mahodand Lake with series of pine trees and snow-covered peaks in the background, will be the memorable days of your life.

Boating is real enjoyment of any lake and a way of touching the inner waters of the lake. At Mahodand lake, you can also enjoy the same. The added beauty of this trip, is the observing the closest view of the pine jungle behind the lake as well as the melting glaciers. Touching the water gives you the sense of coolness hidden inside the glaciers. You can also see moving swarm of brown and rainbow trout fish there in the crystal clear water of the Mahodand Lake.

About Swat

The lush-green and bow-shaped valley of Swat with its shining waterfalls and singing Swat River and its tributaries, and fruit-laden orchards, and gardens with a stack of colorful flowers, is an ideal for holiday-makers loving for relaxation after their busy lives. It is located in the range of Hindukush Range at an altitude of 976 meters above sea level.

Swat is situated at a distance of 257 km from Rawalpindi via Nowshera-Mardan and Malakand Pass and at the distance of 177 km from Peshawar. Traveling through Malakand Pass is a very interesting journey crossing the heights of the Malakand dry mountains with sharp road turns. At the end of this Pass, one can view the vast view of the valley with its green fields and gardens.

With the construction of Swat Express Highway, it becomes easy to travel to Swat and also reduced the distance.

Swat has a rich historical past, especially considered as the center of Buddhism. There is a number of sites in Swat where design carving on the mountain rocks shows the Buddhism in this valley. So it is an attraction for visitors having an interest in the Buddhism.

Swat is considered as Switzerland of the East, as the British Queen Elizabeth II had called Swat "Swizerland of the East" during her visit to Swat in 1961, due to its landscape similarities with Switzerland.

Valley is spread with an area of 10,260 square km, which is divided into two parts by the Swat River in the center from the Mahudond Lake. Its terrain is a little bit flat with snow-capped mountains on both sides. One can enjoy the roaring sounds of the Swat River flowing along the road with falling waterfalls from the surrounding mountain ranges.

Saidu Sharif, capital of Swat valley, is the largest town near Mingora, which is also the major commercial center of the city.

Kalam is the most attractive place in the Swat valley where the broader view of Swat River is available with a cold breeze coming from Ushu and Utrot glaciers, and the height peak Mt. Faleksher can be seen from here. Other most important places in Swat are Bahrain, Mohudond lake, Saidu Sharif, Mallam Jabba, and Miandam. Mallam Jabba is one of the hill stations in Pakistan with skiing and chair-life facilities.

Mallam Jabba is an important hill station in the Swat valley. with skiing facilities

Swat is famous for its production of different varieties of apples. These are exported to other countries and are known as the apple of Swat. Swat is also famous for peach, which accounts for nearly 80% of the peach production in Pakistan.

The population of Swat includes Yousafzai Pashtuns and Kohistni. The most spoken language is Pashto, whereas as Torwali and Kalami languages are spoken by people in the Swat Kohistan area.