Optimal Choice of Damavand

Description

Morning of the first day, your mountain guide will pick you up from anywhere in Tehran. After the pre-trek briefing session describing the ascent program and technical tips, we have a 3-hour drive ahead. You can enjoy the sceneries of the Alborz mountain range on the way to Rineh, located in the south of Damavand. After having lunch at a cozy local restaurant, we’ll spend some time in this bungalow village. We can see the photos of the first ascending to Damavand’s peak by the locals and professional foreign mountaineers. Then, we’ll drive to base camp  (Goosfand Sara) to stay the night at a higher altitude to let our bodies and minds get used to the mountain.

Description

Eight in the morning after having a nutritious breakfast, we’ll arrive at Damavand’s protected region after a thirty-minute drive. Crossing this point is only possible using mountain 4WD vehicles. We will see sheep flocks grazing at the hillside. After about thirty minutes of driving in a rocky and steep route, we’ll arrive at the Damavand’s base camp. At this point, we deliver the backpacks to the porters and start the ascent at about 3000 meters. After about 4 hours of hiking, we arrive at Camp 3 at nearly a 4200 meters’ height. Most of the time, the clouds are beneath our feet. It’s scenery you’ll never forget. That is where we’ll be staying for tonight and the night after. In the meantime, the backpacks will arrive at the shelters with the help of our fellow mules, and we settle in a room or a tent.

After having lunch and a little bit of rest, we climb to about 4700 meters to acclimatize, enjoy the view a little bit and return to the camp before sunset. Then we will have dinner and get ready for bed.

Description

The most exciting day of the trip starts at 5 AM. After having breakfast, we leave the camp heading to the highest point of the Middle East. That’s where we’ll see an icefall that’s frozen all year round and gives the route a beautiful sight. Afterward, we set foot on the sulfur hill. As sulfur small gets stronger, we’ll know we are getting closer to the peak. To the point where we can see the sulfur vapor coming out of the caldera just a few steps away from reaching the summit! At regular speed, we would reach the peak of Damavand about 5 hours after starting the trekking. The great lake of Lar Dam is visible from the south-west. Also, if the weather is suitable, sometimes we can see the Caspian Sea as well. At this point, you are standing at the highest volcano peak in Asia and taking some legendary photos to bring back this dream home with you. Then, we leave the 400-meter hemisphere and return to the base camp using the same route or sand skiing on the west crest. We will have warm lunch and fresh fruits with the joy of conquering the summit and enjoy the landscapes till dusk. That would be an excellent opportunity to connect with Iranian mountaineers and share personal insights and stories.

Description

After a pleasant sleep and having breakfast, we deliver the backpacks to the porters once again and slowly head to Base Camp. At this point, photographing the diverse plant species is a delightful thing to do. We return to the gate of Damavand using the same mountain vehicle. But our affiliation to the Damavand Mountain doesn’t end here; after a 50 minutes’ drive, we arrive at Larijan village, which is full of hot springs boiling from deep inside the heart of Damavand. That is where you can rest and relieve those muscle cramps before returning home. After having lunch at a local restaurant, we leave Damavand and start heading to Tehran. We’ll arrive at Tehran after 3-hour drive, not missing the sunset on the road!