Safed Koh

Safed Koh, also called Spīn Ghar, is a mountain range straddling eastern Afghanistan and the adjacent Pakistan border, forming a high, rugged barrier east of the Kabul and Jalalabad valleys. It is notable for steep limestone and metamorphic ridges and high alpine terrain.

The area includes steep valleys, high passes and a number of prominent peaks above 4,000 metres, with permanent and seasonal snow at higher elevations. The eastern slopes contain complex karst topography with caves and narrow ravines.

The range has long been a frontier zone and has featured in regional military history. In recent decades sections such as the Tora Bora area have been the focus of military operations and strategic activity during conflicts in Afghanistan.

Geographically it lies along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier east of Jalalabad, forming a natural barrier between the river valleys to the west and the plains of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region to the east.

• Local name: Also known by the local Pashto name Spīn Ghar - the name means ‘White Mountains’ and reflects seasonal snow cover on the higher summits.
• Elevation and climate: Summits and ridgelines exceed 4,000 metres in places and receive significant winter snowfall, making higher passes difficult or impassable in winter months.

What to See#

• Tora Bora: Tora Bora cave complex on the eastern slopes, a rugged system of caves and ravines that has been used historically for shelter and in recent decades for military operations.