Kalam (کالام) is a refreshing place in Swat and a heaven of tourists. It is located at the distance of 99 km (62 mi) from Mingora, in the Northern Upper part of Swat valley, on the bank of Suvastu River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.
Kalam is encircled by green hills, thick forests and blessed with mesmerizing Lakes, lively meadows and waterfalls, which make the Valley a must wandering place. It is the birth place of Swat River, which is conflux of two major tributaries; Gabral River and Ushu River.
It is a vast sub-valley of Swat; is located at an elevation of about 2,000 meters (6, 562 feet) above sea level, and providing a room for a small but fertile plateau above Swat River, making it ideal for farming. A metalled road ends here in Kalam and a shingled road leads to the Ushu and Utror valleys. Visitors can see the snowy mountains from Matiltan, including Falak Sair Mountain, with the height of 5, 918 meters (19,416 feet) and an unnamed peak of 6,096 meters (20, 000 feet) height.
Ushu Valley constitutes some of the beautiful parts of Swat Valley. It is in the North-East of Kalam Valley. It is situated at a distance of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Kalam and 123 kilometers (76 mi) from Saidu Sharif. It is at the height of 2, 300 metres (7, 546 feet). As metalled road ends at Kalam; therefore it is accessible only by jeep.
Matiltan lies next to Ushu Valley and it is located about 11 km away from Kalam. It is famous for its huge glaciers, thick forests and sky-high mountain peaks. The tallest peak is Falak Sair can be seen from this Valley.
Gabral is an alluring hill station, and at a distance of 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Kalam. It is famous for its brown trout (fish), thick lush green forests, musical springs, home of highest snow-capped peaks and beautiful Lakes.
Lakes in Kalam:
Kalam has a number of alpine glacial lakes, among them Mahodand Lake and Kundol Lake are famous because of their scenic beauty and accessibility. Other lakes like Izmis Lake, located near Kundol Lake are among the most popular with their wonderful landscape. These are accessible through trekking.
Mahodand Lake (Lake of Fish) is one of the largest and fascinating Lake of Swat Valley. It is located at a distance of about 40 km from Kalam, in the Ushu Valley. It is accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle, and is a good fishing resort; ideal for boating and camping. It is surrounded by snowy mountains, lush green meadows and thick forests.
Kundol Lake is another charismatic Lake in Kalam valley. It is located in the North of Utror region at a distance of 19 km from Kalam. It also lies in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains and accessible via the valley of Ladu through a trekking of 4 to 6 hours.