How to Prepare for Climbing Damavand Mountain?
How to prepare for climbing Damavand mountain? Well, that’s one of the most important questions to ask when you decide to step into the unknows of a new...
Following the Sun to Damavand Summit
The west route of Damavand has unique qualities that other Damavand routes don’t. On our path to the foothill, we’ll go deep into the protected area of Lar. We might meet some rare animal kinds such as leopards, bears, hogs, and golden eagles. Nomads spread their tents in Damavand fields. These are people who move with seasons and live in tune with nature every day.
The west route is the hardest one to ascend after the northern route. For one thing, the conical shape of Mount Damavand will put shade on the west side until noon, which will make us feel colder. Another characteristic of this route is that the path will get harder to ascend as we continue our trek. The closer we get to the summit, the steeper the slope will become.
It’s interesting to point out that the west route starting point is at the highest point compared to the other routes. That means that the vertical length to the summit is the shortest on this route. The bad news is, it’s not possible for porters to carry the bags with mules on this route. Therefore, unlike the other routes, mountaineers have to carry their belongings to the shelter themselves. The Simorgh shelter is located at 4100 meters height in which we’ll spend two nights. This shelter has all the needed services, such as rooms, drinking water, and restrooms.
Starts in: | Tehran |
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Ends in: | Tehran |
Duration: | 4 Days |
Age Range: | 15 - 70 |
Physical Rating: | |
Group Size: | 2 - 10 |
Accommodation: | 3 nights camping |
small climber, Damavand
shadow, Damavand
downward slope, Damavand
lar lake, peak, Damavand
trekking group, Damavand
west rout, Damavand
lar plain, Damavand
simorgh shelter, west Damavand
solo mountaineer, Damavand
sulfuric path, Damavand
We don’t have any special physical activities planned for this day. After the introduction session, we’ll head to Damavand from Tehran. In the morning session, the professional mountain guide will tell all the necessary technical tips and the trekking schedule to ensure we don’t face any issues on our ascent. After the session, we’ll get a 4-hour ride to enter the protected lar area on the west side of Damavand. We’ll have lunch at a cozy restaurant on our way there. We’ll be spreading our wings for a little while in the vast fields of Lar at 3400 meters height. As it gets dark, we’ll head to rest in our tents to be prepared for the ascent the next day.
Highlights
At 7 am with our backpacks on our shoulders, we’ll take our first step toward the Damavand summit. The path will start with a slope of about 10 degrees and continue to get steeper as we climb up. After about three hours, we’ll arrive at the Simorgh shelter located at 4100 meters height. Along the route, the Damavand summit is right in front of us, and as we turn our head, we’ll see the beautiful Lar Dam lake. After settling at Simorgh camp and having our lunch, we’ll climb up to 4600 meters height for acclimatization. We’ll spend an hour there before coming back to the camp. Acclimatization on the west route is even more crucial because the height difference from our camp to the summit is more than the southern route. We’ll have a light dinner and sleep tight to be well-rested for the hardest day of our ascent the next day.
Highlights
3.57 km from starting point to the shelter and 1.3 km for acclimatization
Today is the day to use all of our strength to conquer the highest volcanic summit in Asia! So, the day will start at 6 am. After having a light, nutritious breakfast, we’ll slowly ascend to the summit. It will take about 6 hours for us to reach the peak. However, the absence of the sun in the west route and the low temperature will make the first part of our ascent challenging. Also, the steep slope and the sand skiing path towards the end of our ascent will make the last part difficult! However, standing on top of Mount Damavand’s peak will wash away all these obstacles! We’ll take a few photos to remember this worthwhile ascent! After spending about half an hour on the peak, we’ll descend from the same route to the Simorgh shelter and spend the night there.
Highlights
We’ll wake up with the joy of conquering the highest point in the Middle East. Watching the scenery around will be more pleasurable than the previous days with the peace of mind from our successful ascend. We’ll pack up our belongings and head to where we started. Then, we’ll cross the dirt road at Lar fields again and start heading towards the south of Damavand. The Persian traditional medicine put a bold emphasize on natural hot springs and their healing qualities. Therefore, we’ll soak in a few to rest our bones and let go of all the obstacles we had crossed. Then, we’ll have our lunch in a cliff restaurant and drive back to Tehran. We’ll arrive in the city at 9 am.
Highlights
All of our Iran trekking tours have a high rate of success. Having professional guides, suitable acclimatization program, and constant quality checks of trekking equipment ensures the highest success rate during our tours to Iran. The most challenging part of ascending Damavand in summer is the proper adjustment of our body to the height. Our guides will make sure to align the acclimatization program to your physical preparedness and trekking speed.
All bookings and contracts are settled through SAE Event GmbH, a registered travel agency in Austria. As a result, all transactions and processes are done based on the European legal system. So you would have the advantage of working with a local tour operator under EU-law. Visiting Iran with locals was never that hassle-free.
Nutrition has a crucial role in trekking. We have consulted with nutrition and sports specialists to prepare the best meal plan for our Iran trekking tour packages. We have included meals that provide all the essentials necessary for your health. Canned food and ready to make quick meals have no place in our tour packages. All of the meals are prepared with fresh ingredients by a local cook and served warm right at the time of your meal plan.
All land transportation by Air-co vehicles
4WD for Dirty Roads
2 Nights at Simorgh shelter
1 Night Camping
Full Board
3 Breakfast
4 Lunch
3 Dinner
Daily snack & mineral water
Professional English-speaking Mountaineering Guide
Mountaineering consultant 24/7 support
Mount Damavand permit fee
Soak in mineral hot springs
Iranian Sim Card
Wi-Fi Modem
Official Iran Visa reference number
International airfares, taxes, surcharges
Tips
Travel Insurance
Damavand would not require professional mountain equipment during the high season, meaning summer and the beginning of fall. However, it requires some gears listed below. You can also rent these items from us.
Backpack (BS to 45 Litre)
Sleeping bag with the comfort level of +10 to +5
Trekking boots (waterproof)
Base layers
Wind stoppers
Polar jacket
Warm trekking pants
Light down jacket
Gore-Tex jacket (waterproof)
Warm hat
Warm gloves
Sunglasses
Sun creams
Headlights
Sticks, poles
Mattress
You have the opportunity to book any tour as a private tour aligned with your schedule and timing. Our Iran private tours have high flexibility. Therefore, you can tell us all your needs on the booking form to turn any tour into a private one. You could see Iran private tour prices during different months in the chart below. Also, you can send us your booking request without any charges.
Months | Price / person |
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April, May, June | 550 € |
July, August | 580 € |
September, October | 550 € |
In case you cancel your tour booking, cancellation fees will apply:
• Up to 60 days prior arrival: 0% of the package price
• 59 to 30 days before arrival: 20% of the package price
• 29 to 15 days before arrival: 35% of the package price
• From 14 days before arrival to actual arrival: 75% of the package price
• No show: 90% of the package price
Your tour prices vary regarding your preferences and the season of your travel. After finalizing the price of the tour you have selected, you should pay a deposit equal to 20% of your tour cost. Then, we will issue a booking confirmation. You should transfer the rest at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the tour.
Whether this package is suitable for you or not depends on several factors. Your trekking experiences before and your physical preparedness are a few factors to name. To ensure that a package is a right choice for you, you could contact our trekking experts and they’ll guide you in the right direction.
Yes, you can add cultural tours before or after your trekking tour. To see all of our cultural tours, you could check out our Iran cultural tours page. You could let us know on your booking form which package you’d like to add to your trekking tour.
Yes, it is possible. However, please do keep in mind the acclimatization program and the itineraries are a result of many years of our experiences in organizing trekking tours. But, if you have specific requests, please do let us know on the booking form, and we’ll be in contact with you to coordinate all the details of your package accordingly.
If your passport is not from the United States, Canada, or England, your visa process would take less than two weeks. We could help you to get an Iran visa. If you book any of our Iran tours, your visa fee (different than application fee) will be waived and we’ll give this service to you free of charge. If you need more information about the visa application form and the visa requirements, you could check out our article about Iran visa.
For the people who are not professional mountaineers with specialized gears, this package is best to book for the end of the spring, all summer or the begging of Fall.
The mountains of Iran are crowded during the weekends. Therefore, it is usually best if you plan your trip to be in the region during the weekdays.
We’ve designed an appropriate acclimatization program for this tour package to ensure you’ll ascend to the summit without any issues. However, you need to ensure to consult our trekking experts for choosing the right tour package based on your background. Also, our guides and their expertise in giving you the right tips during your journey along with the meal plan will reduce the chances of getting the acute mountain sickness.
Gears are not included in our tour packages. However, you can rent anything you don’t have from the listed gear from us.
Yes, you could leave all the stuff you don’t need during your trekking tour at our office and take them back at the end of your tour.
The accommodations during the trekking tours are mostly shared. Whether you are staying in the tents or shelter facilities, the possibility of a single accommodation is not an option.
All the meals planned for your tour package are cooked by a local cook with fresh ingredients. If you have any specific dietary needs or restrictions, please do let us know beforehand. We’ll design a specialized meal plan for you based on that. Also, there are snacks included in between your meals as well.
The number of people during your private tour depends on you and the number of individuals in your group. However, during the small group tours, we’ve come up with the maximum number of people to be 10. This is the magic number to create a pleasant experience with enough one-on-one time with your tour guide.
No, this tour is only organized as a private tour.
Don’t expect to have the internet on this route but you’ll have cell phone service in some parts of the routes.
The insurance service is not included in our tours. However, you’d need to ensure the insurance that you purchase has the accidents during the hike covered as it is a visa requirement. For more information, please read our Iran travel insurance article.
Our trekking packages are full board. You won’t need to spend cash on anything. However, if you need to buy souvenirs, you would need to bring cash. Also, we have a local debit card that we could charge for you based on the daily currency rate.
Yes, you can. However, it’d be much easier for you to trek with lighter bags. You could also take photos with your phone. If you want to bring professional cameras but need help in carrying them, the mules can bring them up for you as well.
It’s better if you book your trip at least a month before coming to Iran. However, during high season meaning March and April, if you’d like to come, it’s better to reserve your packages at least two months before to make sure you don’t miss out on booking the best hotels. Also, the visa process for specific countries such as England, the United States, and Canada will take longer. Therefore, if you are citizens of those countries, make sure to reserve a tour at least three months before your trip.
All of our trekking guides have first aid certificates and have been trained in all courses related to safety in the mountains. They will do their best to prevent anything happening to the tour members. However, if something does happen, your guide will do all the necessary coordination with mountain emergency team members to manage the situation. We are also your supporters on the back end of the city and would continuously be in contact with your guide.
If you have a particular health issue, disease, food allergies, or any other sensitivities, please let us know in the booking form. So, we can guide you in the right direction so you won’t face any issues during your trip. If you use specific medications, please be sure to have enough of it during your journey. If you get ill or face any health-specific issues during your trip for which you’d need a doctor, we would do all the necessary coordination for you. There is nothing about which you should be worried during your journey.
The duration of the walks could vary based on your trekking speed, physical preparedness, and different days of the journey. The hardest day would be the summit ascent day. It will be an average of 9 hours of hiking going and coming back from the peak. Other days usually have less than 4 hours of trekking.
The shelter facility would have clean water, restrooms, and rooms for night stays.
The Optimal Choice to Damavand
The Optimal Choice to Damavand
Climbing Mount Damavand in 4 days through south route
The Real Adventure to Damavand
The Real Adventure to Damavand
Trekking Mount Damavand in 4 days through the eyecatching north-eastern route
Damavand Nature & Tehran Life
Damavand Nature & Tehran Life
Trekking Mount Damavand in 4 days through south route plus visiting Tehran, the essence of all Iran
IranAmaze organizes a variety of tours for all travel interests and types. If you’d like to see all of our Iran tours and get to know the diverse experiences you could have in Iran, please visit our Iran tours page.
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We are here to answer your question
It’s a long journey to reach the peak. Just say welcome to the challenge.
Do you want to stand at the simorgh shelter and see the shadow of Damavand getting smaller?
Look at gorgeous landscapes all time of sand skiing from Damavand peak to simorgh shelter
All tiredness of climbing getting disappeared by capturing a group photo on the peak with lake scenery
Just a few remaining steps to accomplish the mission from far down foothills
In the dawn from the west route, you’ll see every detail of the sun while uprising mount Damavand.
At the beginning of hiking mount Damavand, everything seems simple and easy.
For two nights we enjoy camping at simorgh shelter before and after summit day
Beautiful view of Lar area makes every mountaineer stop for taking a breath and looking to the scenes
Volcanic activities of mount Damavand spreads sulfur. It’s a sign, shows reaching the peak.