Pakistan hopes to lure foreign skiers to its untapped mountains amid the coronavirus pandemic

The little Pakistani ski resort of Malam Jabba is facing a new challenge from the coronavirus pandemic, just as it had hoped to showcase its revamped facilities to the world.

The ski season was brought to an abrupt end last month, with the resort closing as the scale of the coronavirus crisis became evident and much of Pakistan went into lockdown.

Until its closure last month, Malam Jabba had been boasting of its renaissance and a lofty goal of bringing international skiers to Pakistan, a Himalayan country boasting epic peaks but which still struggles with tourism.

 Skiers arrive to take the sky lift at Malam Jabba, a ski resort in the Hindu Kush range.

Nestled in the stunning vistas of the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border, development at Malam Jabba began in the 1980s with help from the Austrian government, who paid for the chairlift.

By the early 2000s, the resort and associated businesses were employing hundreds of people.

Hippie hotspot

Last year, Islamabad introduced an electronic visa system, making it easier for visitors to come.

  Skiers use the sky lift at Malam Jabba ski resort.

 International tourist numbers had increased steadily in recent years, though the coronavirus pandemic has all but stopped visits for now.

It nevertheless has more than its share of attractions, including the north's magnificent mountainscape.

Currently, Pakistan only has three official ski areas, two of which belong to the army and are off limits. Authorities want to build four new ones.

Elsewhere, one can glimpse Pakistan's untapped potential.

 Skiers take part in the closing ceremony of the Malam Jabba International Alpine Ski Cup 2020.

About a day's bumpy drive from Islamabad, the village of Madaklasht lies at the bottom of a loose network of ski trails, some stretching on for about three miles (five kilometres).

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There are no hotels, with the only accommodation provided in locals' homes. Most of the skiing is done by kids with hand-made wooden skis.