A recreation and trekking expedition to Shankhpal Temple in the Patnitop Tourism Circuit was flagged off today from the Directorate of Tourism to promote adventure Tourism in Jammu region.Officers and officials of Directorate of Tourism Jammu were present during the flag off ceremony.The three day expedition, organised by Patnitop Development Authority in collaboration with Directorate of Tourism Jammu, District Administration Udhampur and Ramban, is aimed at imbibing in the youngsters the enthusiasm for adventures besides promoting adventure tourism in Jammu region.A group of 100 plus trekkers from across the region are participating in the expedition. They will traverse through the lush green meadows to reach the highest point of Shankhpal ridge, almost 2900 ft high, where the famous temple of local deity is situated.On the occasion, Vivekanand Rai, Director Tourism Jammu, interacted with the trekkers and wished them a happy expedition."Enjoy the experience of scaling the steep slopes amidst pristine views. This trek is an important part of our efforts to explore and promote tourism potential of the Jammu region," he told them.Sher Singh, CEO, PDA said, "Along with the trek, we are launching our initiative 'CARRY THE TRASH BACK' which shall sensitize people to keep the environment neat and clean. A team of PDA will be sent to collect the waste from the route. The participants shall also be encouraged to bring back the polythene, bottles etc they find en-route the trek."He asserted that PDA will continue to organise such trekking camps and other activities in future to promote adventure tourism.