SWAT: Girls from different parts of Swat completed an eight-day-long training in mountaineering and rock climbing here on Wednesday.

The training titled ‘Girls in Action’ was organised by Mountain Wilderness International, Spain, in collaboration with SPS College Swat. The training was sponsored by International Association of Mediterranean and Oriental Studies.

International instructors, including veteran mountaineer Carlo Alberto Pinelli, also a recipient of Sitar-i-Imtiaz, Patrizia Romangalo, Giuliana Pagliari, Cóncep Miró I Carrera and Moizza S Elahi trained the girls in trekking, hiking, camping, rock climbing, first aid and rescue. They were also given a tour of Gandhara civilisation remains in the district.

The girls said for the first time in their lives they had an opportunity to learn things outside their houses and schools. “We have mountains around us but we never explored them and never tried to climb a rock as we always felt scared of it. This training enabled us to perform adventurous activities. Now we can climb a rock and trek a mountain easily,” said Sameera Malik, a training participant.

“We learnt about Gandhara civilisation and art as we visited archaeological sites during the training. We found them amazing and useful,” said Laila Rauf, another participant, adding she also learnt about the history of Swat.

The instructors appreciated the active participation of girls in the training and said if they were given opportunities they could excel in every field, including mountaineering and rock climbing. On the occasion, Carlo Pinelli said after the basic course, he would organise an advanced level course for girls. He said mountains were blessings for human beings and they must not be considered a venue for sports and fun.

Patrizia Romangalo, the rock climbing instructor, said Swat girls were bold and active and they learnt the skill quickly, which was something amazing for her.

“It has been the most amazing experience in my life to train the girls in Pakistan.

Concep Miro I Carrera, the vice-president of Mountain Wilderness International, said she was amazed by the energy of young girls and enjoyed working with them. “The girls should be given opportunities like this as they want to do more for their mountains, history and culture,” she told Dawn.

At the end, the participants were awarded diplomas and the instructors with gifts and souvenirs.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2022