Mountain Damavand tour information | Iran mountain tour information
Mountain Damavand tour information | Iran mountain tour information
Iran mountain information / Mountain Damavand tour information
Introducing the writer
After many years of mountain climbing in Iran and Himalaya, and of course 89 times ascending to Mount Damavand, I decided as Iran mountain guide to write a comprehensive essay about the my climbing memories to Mount Damavand in the different seasons for your accuracy and real information, of course I climbed to this mountain by ski in the winter and spring, this essay can be useful for all your mountain climbing times.
Iran mountain tour information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Where is Mountain Damavand?
The great mountain range of Alborz where is made up more than 277 peaks over 4000 meters and it extends from northeast to northwest of Iran and extends from Iran toward mountains of Turkey and Azerbaijan countries until Alp mountain range but the Mount Damavand is located exactly in the central part of Alborz mountain range in the west north of Tehran, capital of Iran, and it leads from north to Hirkani forest and Caspian Sea and from south to Low height areas of the Iran central desert. The sightseeing of Mount Damavand is beautiful and attractive and Mountain Damavand is observable from most regions of Tehran if it is clear and clean but I should add as Iran mountain guide when you are ascending to this mountain, this high tall conical shape does not seem as the most beautiful of Iran mountain . There are many beautiful mountains in Iran but they have shorter tall than Damavand so they are less favored by foreign tourists that the most beautiful and popular of them is Mounain Alam kuh .
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand elevation
Finally, how many meters is the exact elevation of Mount Damavand?
The Mount Damavand is solitude and conical shape, Mount Damavand elevation is 5609.20 (five thousand six hundred nine meter and 20 centimeter) from the sea surface and it is 473 meter higher than Mount Ararat in the Turkey and 32 meter is shorter than Mount Elbrus in Russia of course, Mount Damavand elevation was registered 5671 meter in the past but the researcher team from the Iran mapping organization registered the above elevation certainly for Mount Damavand during 10 days attempt in 2007, Mount Damavand also is the highest mount in middle east and is the highest volcanic mountain in Asia, which is still semi-active.
What ordinal number is the Mount Damavand in the high elevated mountain of the world?
Altimeter or hypsometer is one of the most important issues in the fields of engineering, navigation and sports.
The absolute elevation includes the elevation of one region or condition from free water surface and the prominence elevation is an important factor in the mountain climbing and mountainous sports.
The relative elevation or prominence is a quantity that represents jot and distinction one mountain and peak than around itself. Therefore, the prominence of a peak equals to the difference elevation between defile around that mount until peak.
If we assume the sea water reach to high level that the desired peak completely become independent from it's around elevations, the prominence is the mount elevation from the assumed surface of water. According to this definition, the main defile is the last point that it will be underwater before converting peak to the independent island.
Mountains are like set of balance curves in the topography maps that do not cross each other. The prominence of peak equals to the difference elevation of summit with the lowest of the balance curve surrounding this mount in the topography map such that this balance curve does not surround the other peak. All the above definitions lead to a single number for the prominence of mounts. In the mountain climbing, the prominence is an important factor for a mount. Whatever the prominence of a Mount become less that mountain is either a sub-peak or a dependent mountain and mountain climbers consider them less. Conversely, the high prominence for a mountain represents that the desired summit has the ascending significant and is recognizable and visible as a distinct and distinct jot from distances
.Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand elevation
Damavand is the twelfth high mountain in the world
As per the international contracts, the prominence of Mount Everest as the highest point of earth equals with its absolute elevation i.e. 8848 meter.
According to the above definitions, the prominence of the Everest southern peak with the absolute elevation 8749 m equals to 11 m. Also the prominence of the Mount Lhotse is the fourth high peak in the world with an absolute height 8516 meters equals to 610 m.
The mount K2 with absolute elevation 8611 m that is the second high mount in the world has the prominence 4017 m that represents jot and distinct this mount than its around mounts.
The interesting and important note in the list of the high mounts in the world is the twelfth rank of Mount Damavand in this list.
According to the definition of prominence mount 5609 m Damavand equals to 4667 m i.e. higher than mountains such as K2, Nanga Parbat, Kangchenjunga and many other high mountains that represent the jot of Damavand volcanic mass than earths around it that the high prominence of Damavand is the main reason of seeing Mountain Damavand from far away .
In this list, Damavand is the twelfth jot and independent mount after mounts like Everest, Aconcagua in the Argentina, Denali in the America, Kilimanjaro in the Tanzania, Vinson in the Antarctic, Elbrus in the Russia, Mount Blanc in the Alp.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mount Damavand and its Volcano
Some people have this question whether Mount Damavand Volcano is still active? In response to this question, we should explain in this manner that regarding to the Mountain Damavand is a volcanic mount having activities such as volcanic that currently, volcanic activities Mount Damavand limit to sublimation of sulfur gases and there is not any Volcanic lava. The last eruption of Mount Damavand related to 38500 ago, from the above time until now, this volcanic mount is semi-dormant.
The diameter of volcano crater of Damavand Peak is about 400 m that its crater is covered by icy lake and there is chimney along its summit that still after thousand years, Sulfur smoke, obtained from the semi-dormant volcano inside of Mountain Damavand flows outside.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Do you know the history of ascend to Mount Damavand?
The oldest documentary attempt on the Damavand is related to the Mr. Abu Dolaf, the Arab Geographer, that he ascent to some part of Damavand (more than 1000 years ago).
Nasir Khusraw at his logbook has written about the Damavand as follow:
It is said that Damavand has a well that Noushadar and the match (sulfur) take from it.
The writer of “al-Bilād wa-akḫbār al-Ibād” , by the second narration, stated that some people from the Damavand neighborhood stated that they reach to the Mount Damavand peak during 5 day and 5 night!
All these written texts represent this issue that apparently the first ascending to the Mountain Damavand is related to the more than 1000 ago but the first European attempt was done on the Damavand about the 1793 to 1798. Olivia, a French professor of natural science, who headed to Iran for doing a mission by the French government. He climbed to Damavand in the 1798 but he did not succeed to conquer the summit.
But the first documentary and successful ascending to Mount Damavand is related to 1837 . Taylor Thomson along with a few people from the rural near to the Damavand did the first documentary and successful ascending to Mount Damavand.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand difficulty
Separated from difficulty degree to standard cliché methods at the mountain climbing, let me to talk about the my experience about the mountain Damavand difficulty because I do not think simply providing one code, any help to you about the Mountain Damavand tour.
In the summer, many people mostly from Iran and European countries ascend to the Mountain Damavand Summit by Iran mountain tour every day. The reason of many welcoming tourists is that none of the specified routes do not need to technical and professional ascending that is you do not need to ascend by your hands but ascending to Damavand summit can be difficult and dangerous due to high elevation and unfavorable climate as the famous climber in the world, Reinhold Messner, cannot ascend to the summit due to unfavorable climate in the spring 1970 and can turn back from the 5000 elevation to the main camp difficulty.
Four ascending routes to Mountain Damavand has shelter, we know that the southern face is the most general route for ascending to the Mountain Damavand due to more facilities was welcome by climbers, of course, the only ascendable route is also for Damavand ski tour, the route of southern and western face of mountain Damavand where it has the smaller shelter but comfortable and neat, these two routes are the most easiest and comfortable routes for ascending to the Damavand that both routes has the same difficulty, the southern face route has more facility but it has more traffic and the western face route has less facility but it has less traffic and also more beautiful than southern face route. Of course the facilities of the western face route are also sufficient. We provide the complete welfare facilities in all camps of Iran mountain tours in the Iran Horizon company.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from north east route
Generally, the northern face route of Mountain Damavand has two routes (the eastern north route and northern route) is more difficult than western and southern routes of Damavand and we have not ever seen the foreign tourist who ascend the mountain Damavand from the northern route but we have ascent many times with foreign tourist to the Mountain Damavand from eastern north, totally, this route is colder, longer and of course in the 5450 m elevation the short part of path should have ascent from the snow that we should have more caution for passing this route. We refer to this note that mountain climbing route starts usually from the 2700 m elevation and it is foggy from the 4700 elevation and it is necessary to have GPS and finally, Mountain Damavand eastern north route distance of Mount Damavand to Tehran is much more than western and southern. Iran Horizon company in Damavand north east route, we only use our own special standard ECO camp because the shelter of this route is very smaller. The north east Damavand route like western face is also beautiful and attractive.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand difficulty
All things about difficulty of ascending to the Damavand in terms of elevation, acclimatization and problems resulted from elevation is the most general challenge that I as Iran mountain guide in all mountain Damavand tours face with them but this problem can be solved by a little awareness.
Your status and condition more than 5000 m elevation of Mount Damavand has the direct relation to this note that do you live from sea surface at what elevation and how many times climb to the high mountains? Shortly, you should ask from yourself that am I used to do physical activity in the elevation 5000 ? More importantly, am I used to stay above elevation 4,000 meters? Many people interested in Mountain Damavand tour at the time of correspondence to us, before travel they tell us that they ascend to the high summit for acclimatization at their country before Damavand tour and they want to have the quick ascending to Mountain Damavand!
Unfortunately, this method of acclimatization is not suitable at all because you after ascending at another country, again a few days will be in the low elevations and the effect of acclimatization will be eradicate. The best method of acclimatization is that in the Iran country, you ascend to the high summit before starting mountain Damavand tour and then immediately with maximum two days 'rest, you should have the easy and quick ascending to mount Damavand.
Many interested people in mountain Damavand tour are athletes and with high physical fitness feels that they do not need to acclimatization before ascending. There is no guarantee in this issue that such people can have a successful ascending without acclimatization because acclimatization simply is a process of your body habit to settlement and activity at the high elevation and does not have direct relation with physical fitness.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Why we suggest before Mountain Damavand tour, you ascend to another mount in Iran?
Iran has more beautiful mountains than Mount Damavand,
it’s a pity you do not enjoy from travelling them and you pass one route in the Damavand many times that it has usually more traffic as well as it is boring. It is better you do acclimatization at the another Iran mounts such as mounts near Tehran or mount Alam-Kuh that is the best choice do and then you have easy and quick ascending to Mount Damavand.If you are going to ascend to Mount Damavand, you consider the Damavand tour program 5 days from Tehran to Tehran that you should have the chance of acclimatization, we, in the section of Mountain Damavand tours, has explained the exact programing tour with different days.
Don't you know Mountauin Damavand is the tenth most dangerous peak in the world!
Why such an easy mountain that does not need to professional and technical ascending and we see that everyone with low ability and even the age 80 ascent to this mountain but unfortunately we create the heart-rending accidents for our fans every year.
The main reason of accidents leads to death in the Mount Damavand is the suddenly change climate and lack of sufficient vision in the elevation 4800 m and at the time come down or return back if it becomes foggy and windy, the vision becomes so low and everywhere is like each other because the Mount Damavand is completely conic and it has too slope, I got into trouble of this trap and I feel death and I suggest to study certainly the essay Damavand ski tour Informstion, , for all days your mountain climbing at each point of world is very useful.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south (normal route)
W e have explained much important information formerly. But how we ascend to peak of Mount Damavand for the most general route i.e. the southern route?
In the early spring 2009 , Tony sent an email to us and he asked Mountain Damavand tour from south route during 5 day for early summer, he wanted to travel to Iran along with his girlfriend and 3 other friends from different countries Switzerland, Ireland and England. We firstly got Iran visa for them of course if they wait the maximum 2 hours at the airport, they can get visa but if you get Iran Visa before travelling, you sure that you do not have any problem at the arrival time to Iran.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (first day)
O ur colleagues welcomed to them in the early morning in Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) and we should visit the important sightseeing of Tehran city that day. From IKIA to the central part of Tehran city that we book the hotel for Tony’s team, almost take 1 hour. Of course you can use from IKIA subway for arriving into Tehran, for arriving into Tehran that map in the subway station exactly guide you. In the recent years, many hotels are established in the Tehran city that they fortunately have the good quality. That day, Tony and their colleague visited the Tehran. The another important note is that many people ask us that can I stay in one room in the hotel with my partner that we do not get married formally? Not your formal marriage, there is no any prohibition for settlement in all domiciles and walking in the streets and public places.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (Second day)
Movement from Tehran to the second camp of Damavand
After we ate breakfast in the early morning 7.30 , we left Tehran to the north-east (if you want to go yourself to Mountain Damavand tour, the best vehicle for traveling is hiring a taxi). Our path passed from Haraz road that mostly is a highway path, firstly we passed from Bumehen and Rudehen citeas then road became mountainous until reached to defile 2400 m Imamzadeh Hashem Shrine that is the highest place in the Haraz road and then road altitude becomes lower until reaches to coast city Amol along with Caspian sea, the important note is that Haraz road from all the paths from Wednesday to Friday in the summer is more traffic and crowded due to Iranian weekend holidays and you do not choose these day for mountain Damavand tour on summer.
The best day for movement to Mount Damavand especially in the summer is Saturday or Sunday. After 2.5 hours and tracking 85 km, we reached the small town of Pleur. Tony’s girlfriend remembered that she forgot to change the battery of headlight, well, Pluris the final place that we can buy the required general tools, after buying the battery, we separate from the Haraz road and move to Lar Dam road, after 3 km tracking, we reach to Plur mountain domicile for eating lunch.
What are the facilities for a Plur domicile?
Plur domicile or Damavand domicile, the camp base is located in the 2100 altitude from the sea surface that you can get the ascending authority to mount Damavand summit.
This domicile has four private rooms and three general rooms that totally, 150 beds are available, restaurant, general kitchen and one hall of rock climbing and bathrooms are the other base facilities of Mount Damavand camp, totally, it is a good environment for your resting and settlement.
After eating lunch and changing the clothes, we head to the second camp of Mount Damavand namely Gosfand Sara by 4*4 car that especially move in this path. Gosfand Sara or the second camp of Mount Damavand is located in the 3050 m altitude from the sea level and in fact, it is for delivery loads to the muleteers for carrying to the third camp of Mountain Damavand and it does not have the suitable facilities for settlement and of course it is not very neat due to rest of mules, although, it has the better condition than before. Anyway, only one public room is for settlement if Tony and his friends agree that before Damavand tour, we ascend to another high peak, we can ascend to third camp 1 day from the Tehran!
But we find the best solution for this problem Iran Horizon company, we encamp a little far away from the Gosfand Sara and chef start to cooking, I also bring the much amount of drinking water, we have the neat and private environment, after encamping, we head to higher elevation until we have the easier ascending tomorrow, almost, we ascent nearly to the 3500 m elevation and we came back to our camp again.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (Third day)
Ascending to the third camp Damavand mount (third location)
Before movement, we delivered the unnecessary tools at the route to the muleteers; they are always there at the summer. you should certainly have a solid duffle bag for packing loads, third location of mountain Damavand are in the 4170 m altitude and totally from the second camp until here 3200 m is the route length that completely, animal road is clearly seen, the maximum slope route is 25° , we reach to the third location after 6 hours mountain climbing.
What does the facility have the third camp of Mount Damavand (Bargah e sevom)?
The shelter of third camp (Bargah e sevom) has three private rooms and one great hall for sleeping totally has 100 bedrooms that these beds were booked by Iran tour operators formerly in the summer season through Persian website, I never suggest the public room for settlement. If you are going to Mountain Damavand tour, you do the necessary travelling measures to Iran from a few months ago.
It has one great restaurant and small kitchen where it sales the minimum foods such as soup, tea, mineral water. The power electricity was supply by solar panel for short time for charging cell phone and camera, a neat WC is also established a few years. This shelter does not have heating system of course its temperature is optimum if it is snowing, the weather becomes too cold and it is better do not settle at your tent, of course, we use the tents for high elevation in Iran Horizon company if it is required. That day we ascend to 4350 m elevation and spent night at the private room that we booked a few months ago.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (fourth day)
Acclimatization day
T oday is considered as one of the easy and important day in the Damavand Tour, we start to ascend along with Tony’s team in the morning, it is better to ascend slower and do not forget to drink many beverages, the best factor for controlling the water of body is urine. Its color should be light and its volume should be large, it is one of the my difficult work at the ascending to peak 8000 m, we ascent to 4750 m elevation that day, we busy to take photo and drinking tea the long time at this elevation. When we come back to the (Bargah e sevom) , the chef entertains us with the fresh and Iranian traditional food, we never use from tasteless food can in our tour, I suggest you that you do not eat before the hungry feel was removed but you can increase the number of meals, the soup consumption is a good idea.
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (fourth day)
Ascending day to Damavand peak
T oday is a difficult day for ascending to Damavand peak , Early in the morning at the 5 o’clock after eating a good breakfast that chef prepared it on the table; we left the shelter with little more cloth. I always ascend with low and continuous speed such that my breath was not cut during speaking. This is a good technique for all the mountains, after little ascending, it becomes light, we reach to 5000 elevation, the famous icy waterfall of Damavand was near us and all of us start to took photo with the highest middle east waterfall, with sunlight we get the more energy, the route to peak is specified in the clear air.
B ut its slope maybe reach to 35 °, totally, ascending to Damavand peak is a little more difficult than Kilimanjaro peak. We reach to 5200 m elevation, it was cold because of high elevation of course it is not irritable. we completely continue to our sulfur soil route from 5350 m elevation to over, I told to other team members that try your best do not touch the Sulfur stones if you touch it, do not touch on your face specially eye because you feel eye irritation, from this elevation the slope route becomes so low but a little oxygen feels slightly, generally, the issue of acclimatization is for the last 1 hour, Tony’s girlfriend Ena was tired, I told her, you ascend behind me, she said: I cannot, I said: there is one nearby, for encouraging her, I start to count her steps in Persian language from 5500 m elevation and she also repeat in Persian language. This way, she maybe learns a little Persian language. Well, it is not easy to pass from the great sulfur chimney of summit.
I said to all people that do not near to chimney because your clothes will have sulfur smells and also I encourage Ena by one cup of sweet tea and all of us were on the top of highest point in the middle east at 12 o'clock, our ascending was take 6.30 hour, all of us are taking photos, we can see everywhere but I mostly was caring for Ena, I gave her whatever cloth I had, the temperature of Mount Damavand summit was 0 ° C and negative 8 ° C in summer but generally it is variable. At the time of return back , the other team member was tired from the Ena slow speed and one by one fled from me to the (bargah e sevom) , I responsible one of my colleague who was there to turn back them and I came down slowly along with Ena. For we forgot our fatigue, I start to explain my memories of mountain climbing for years and sometimes I would sing Iranian song for her that has a good effect and I do not understand when we reach to shelter if Ena feels become worse i force to inject her some drug. Fortunately, that day likes most summer days, it was good and we turn back to shelter easily.
Tomorrow morning I ask from Ena, can you count the number 1 to 10 in Persian language? She only learned to numbers 1, 3 !
Iran mountain information, Mountain Damavand tour information
Mountain Damavand tour from south route (fifth day)
I f you have good physical fitness, you can go from peak to Gosfand Sara and you settle in the Plur domicile or Rineh city at night.
I delivered tools to the muleteer and we arrived to the Gosfand Sara during 3 hours. We directly went to the Larijan city from there and we enjoyed from taking bath in the spring hot spring pool which sulfurous water is derived from the Damavand volcano and we were exhausted fatigue of five days hiking and then returned to Tehran.
We hope to provide you useful information, if you have any question about the mountain Damavand tour or mountain climbing in all point of Iran, we will help you in Iran Horizon company willingly. Please read our customer reviews in Trip advisor
Prepared Iran horizon team