Alborz

Alborz
Alborz Mountain Range is located in northern Iran and is extending from west to east of the country, it is a natural barrier between the Caspian Sea and the central plateau of Iran.
Many peaks are given the name Alborz, such as Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, and Mount Elbariz (Albariz) in the Kerman, also there is a peak in the Hindu Kush, near Balkh, called Mount Elburz, these names come from Alborz mountains in Iran. This range is made of sedimentary series, it has a forests ecoregion on the northern slopes in the Caspian Sea zone.
The artificial images in this article are made by Views of the Earth by using computer rendering techniques.

Mount Damavand in the Alborz Mountains
See full size image by Views of the Earth

Due to the heavy snowfall in winters there are many ski resorts in Alborz, which some are among the best in the word for either on-piste or off-piste and wild ski mountaineering.

Major Ski Resorts in Alborz Mountains Iran
AbAli ski resort, piste, Haraz Road, Tehran
Darbandsar ski resort, piste, Karaj,Tehran
Dizin, grass ski piste,, Karaj,Tehran
Dizin ski resort, piste,, Karaj,Tehran
Lasem, off piste ski area
Mt Damavand, off piste ski zone, Mazandaran Province, Iran
Shahmirzad, Semnan Province
Shemshak ski resort, piste, Karaj,Tehran
Tochal ski resort, piste,Tehran Iran

Quick Facts
Lenght: about 1500 km long
Width: varies betwee 30 to 130 km
Highest Peak: Mount Damavand 5671 meters
Avarage height: about 3000 meters
With many peaks above 4000 meters

Famous peaks in Alborz Mountain Range
Central Alborz Range
Mt Damavand 5671m
Mt Azad Koh 4395m
Mt Kholenow 4375m
Mt Nazer (Leghas) Bozorg 4350m
Mt Palan Gardan (Paloon Gardan) 4250m
Mt Koloon Bastak 4200m
Mt Sarakchal 4150m
Mt Vorvasht 4100m
Mt Kharsang 4100m
Mt Tochal 3960m
Mt Mehrchal 3920m
Mt Atash Kouh 3850m
Mt Shahneshin 3850m

West Alborz Range
Mt Sialan 4250m
Mt Shah Alborz 4200m
Mt Khash e chal 4180m
Mt Kehar 4040m

Takht e Soliman (Soleyman) Range
Mt Alam 4850m
Mt Khersan Shomali (North Khersan) 4680m
Mt Khersan Jonobi (South Khersan) 4660m
Mt Takht e Soliman (Soleyman) 4660m
Mt Siasang 4610m
Mt Haft Khan 4540m
Mt Chaloon 4515m
Mt Siagook Jonobi (South Siagook) 4500m
Mt Siagook Shomali (North Siagook) 4445m
Mt Siakaman 4470m
Mt Shaneh Kouh 4465m
Mt Kolahoo 4410m
Mt Gardoon Kouh 4400m
Mt Mian Sechal 4350m
Mt Lashkarak 4255m
Mt Zarin Kouh 4200m
Mt Alanehsar 4050m
Mt Karma kouh 4020m
Mt Pasand Koh 4000m
Mt Sializ 3975m

Other Names and Spellings
Alborz in Farsi البرز, رشته کوه البرز , Alburz, Elburz and Elboroz.

Alborz Mountain Range, Caspian Sea and Mt Damavand
Fantastic work by Views of the Earth
See full size image by Views of the Earth

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Alborz MDG2JAN10A
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Acclimatization

Acclimatization
Mt Damavand difficulty and climbing grade is the same as Mt Kilimanjaro 5895 m, the highest peak of Africa in Tanzania and also similar to the Mt Everest base camp 5380m in Himalaya Ranges.
Generaly speaking, ascending to the summit is not technically difficult, but physically a tough climb and you should be fit enough to try this huge volcano.

The main challenge is acclimatization and the fact that as you gain altitude the air gets thinner with less oxygen, so to prevent or reduce the risk of AMS and increases you chance of success and to enjoy a safe ascend to the summit, it is essential to have a proper acclimatization before your attempt.
Remember that Camp 2 Base (also known as Goosfad Sara) is not a suitable place for accommodation and acclimatization in summer because it is too crowded and too dirty, you better use camp1 and Camp3 only.

How to Acclimatize ?
This is an ideal suggestion for acclimatization in summer season.
There are many different ways for a long term itinerary, but for a short form plan we suggest the following which has been tested successfully many times for our incoming tours and we believe it is quite good for foreign climbers who intend to attempt Mt Damavand in a short program.

Mt Damavand Camp 1 Polour Altitude 2270 m

Mt Damavand Camp3 New Hut 4250m

Mt. Damavand Camp3 Bargah Sevom and New Hut

Day 1 - Arrival Day + Acclimatization
The incoming tourists usually arrive early morning in Tehran, about 1 to 4 AM local time in IKA Airport Iran.
In the first day of your itinerary it is a good idea to go directly by car from airport to Camp 1 Polour altitude 2270m, you may just relax there and rest a day for acclimatization and sleep over night in the camp, no climbing or hard activity and no pollution of Tehran weather. Polour Camp in Polour village is the best starting point for Mt. Damavand calsic south route and the west route and a acomfortable accommodation place in the area.

Day 2 - Climb to Camp 3 New Hut + Acclimatization
In the second day of your programme you can go by car to Camp 2 Base 3050 m, this car transfer lasts about one hour and if you start 7 t0 8 AM in the morning you have plenty time to reach the 3rd camp, start your trek from base camp and by 4 to 6 hours slow walk go to Camp 3 New Hut 4250m, use the rest of the day for acclimatization, over night in the New Hut.

Day 3 - Summit Day
In the third day you are almost ready for a safe try to Mt Damavand summit, You better to start at about 5 AM.
See also Common Mistakes, How To Climb

Day 4 - Reserved Day
Always reserve a spare day for acclimatization and/or bad weather. If you need more time to acclimatize, in the 3rd day you can go up to nearby heights and go back to camp3 and stay one more night there and attempt to the summit in the 4th day.

IKA Airport Tehran Iran

IKA Airport Tehran Iran

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Acclimatization MDG1JAN10A
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Winter

Winter Climb
Mt Damavand is located in the northern hemisphere and is effected by the Climate of this half of the globe, the winter condition usually start from November or December and last till April or March, the quantity of snow is different each and every year, it is suggested to check the snow news and condition in advance before your challenge.

The climbing grade and Difficulty of Damavand in winter is very tough. There are many winter attempt to this Summit each year, mostly unsuccessful and only a few successful climb is done by very experienced climber. There has been some fatality events which resulted in death and loss of some famous Iranian climbers and guides in this mountain in winter condition.

Damavand Winter view from Polour
Photo by A. Soltani

Difficulty Factors in Winter
- You need more days in your itinerary compared to the summer.
- You need more daylight on the summit day but days are shorter.
- You hvae to spend more than twice energy eighter for climbing or for warming yourself.
- It is not possible to use mules, so you should carry all equipments yourself, or if you are lucky enough you may find and hire porters.
- You have to carry more equipments which is quite a big problem.
- Road to base camp is blocked by heavy snow and ice and cars are not able to go up to the base camp, so the starting point is the gravel road junction1 ( No 5 in GPS ) and not the Base Camp.

Recommendations
For a safe winter climb, all climbers should be experinced, and should have proper equipment to withstand the freezing temperatures in the harsh climate. You should consider spare days in your itinerary to allow safe retreat in case of bad weather or AMS.
- Do not attempt solo or individual, ascend only in a group.
- Good Timing and fine Weather is necessary.
- Be ready for any unexpected condition.
- Do not attempt winter climb as your first effort to the Mt Damavand,
- Only experienced climber who have the experience of winter climbing to 6000m or more may try their luck.
- In lack of appropriate whether no climb should be attmpted.

Gear
This is a brief equioment list, for more dtails see Winter Equipment .

Head:
- Wool or Pile Balaclava
- Silk Balaclava for sleeping
- Face Mask
- Glacier or Ski Goggles with side screens

Upper Body:
- Long Undershirts – polypropylene
- Shirt
- Wool, Polypropylene or Pile Shirt – medium weight
- Wool, Pile Sweater or Jacket – heavy
- Wind Jacket with Hood – 60/40, nylon, Goretex-will double as rain jacket

Hands:
- Glove Liners – synthetic, polypropylene
- Wool/Synthetic/Pile Mittens

Lower Body:
- Underwear – polypropylene – light to medium
- Wool/Pile Pants
- Wind Pants – nylon (Goretex-doubles as rain pants)

Feet:
- Liner Socks (thin) – polypropylene
- Wool/Pile Socks (heavy)
- Mountaineering double boots
- Gaiters – coated nylon

Shell Layer:
- Waterproof/Breathable Jacket – nylon, Goretex – must fit over stacked layers
- Rain Pants – nylon, Goretex – must fit over stacked layers

Pack & Packing:
- Large External Frame Pack – with frame extension or Large Internal Frame Pack
- Pack Raincover

Climb Equipment:
- poles – 1 pair
- Ice Axe
- Crampons

Sleeping Gear:
- Synthetic/Down Sleeping Bag – rated to -40 C
- Ensolite Foam Pad – 1-2 cm

Miscellaneous:
- GPS
- headlamp best
- Knife
- Whistle
- Sunglasses, Antifog
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- First Aid Kit, Personal Medications
- Camera, books, paper & pen, etc. (optional)

Mount Damavand South Route

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Winter Climb 2 MDG881008A
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Avalanche

Avalanche
Mt. Damavand South Route Avalanche
The most significant cause of an avalanche is the slope angle, Mount Damavand south face clasic route is well known for its moderate route angle and gentle trail slope, therefore there is not a major risk of snow and rock avalanches on this route, particularly on the footpaths the risk is the least possible.

If you follow the proper trails on the ridges and avoid unnecessary traverse, ascend or descends through valleys/canyons, there is no risk of snow or rocks avalanche. But there is a small risk of rocks falling rapidly down the mountainside, specially in summer if you miss your way and end up in a valleys/canyons.
See also Damavand Difficulty and climbing grade.

Damavand Winter view from Polour
Photo by A. Soltani

Road Avalanche
The most serious and common avalanche zones are the roads which lead to the mountain such as Haraz, Polour and Reyneh Roads, ( also the Lasem Road), actually before you reach to the Mt Damavand winter starting point (No 5 in GPS Landmark), there are powerful avalanches with the capability to carry a large amount of snow, ice, rocks, and other material to close the roads and block or delay the traffic towards the mountain.
Also there are some minor rock avalnches in other seasons on the mentioned roads. These avalanches typically occur and trigger from natural, cars or human activities.

Warning
- Please be advised that other faces of Damavand are not recommended for any winter climb, ski moutaineering or winter activity.
- Remember that any Mt Damavand ascends, in any season, should be done only in appropriate routes in suitable weather, otherwise it could be very tough and dangerous. See also warning in Winter Climb.
- Avoid any climb through Kafar Dareh Valley on the south route, because always there is a big risk of snow or rock avalanche.

FootnoteWhen you ascending from south route, Kafar Dareh Valley is located on your right hand side and Mt Damavand Icefall 5100m is located at the top of this huge valley/canyon.

Mount Damavand South Route

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Avalanche MDG880928A
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Climb

Climbing Damavand
Climbing Mount Damavand Iran is a lifetime memory, many of you may have dreamed of climbing to this peak, in this topic we share our experice to give you the opportunity to try your dream.
If you are planning for the first time, we recommend to read the abc of this mountain at first, go to the informative pages and read the basic magic of this beautiful volcano and for more info please follow the appropriate links.

General and Technical Info
Find helpful general and technical information and raise your climbing skill on Mt Damavand for a safe ascend to the summit , a good coach or a local guide is very helpful and increases you chance of success. Acclimatization , Camps, Info, Maps.

Mt Damavand Guide iran

Climbing
A summer climb to the summit is not technical and does not require major climbing skills but a good physical fitness is necessary, the main challenge is acclimatization and the fact that it gets tougher as you gain altitude. Read the most comprehensive info for Mt Damavand climbing in How to climb.

Guide
You may also be interested to use the experince of our mountain Guides, the most experienced ones in Iran, which are guarantee of safety and quality days in the mountains.

Proper Gear
To get pleasure of a safe climb to the Damavand summit, it is necessary to bring the proper mountain Equipment for a proper season, regular gear (plus some some food and drink) is adequate for a summer climb, but for other season it is quite different.

South Route
There are 16 Routes on Mount damavand, the most popular one is the south face, about 90% of climber prefer south face, it is the easiest and the best trail for newcomers, it is easily accessible from Tehran or north of Iran also a shorter way to the summit. Google Earth, GPS Landmark .

Timing
The most important factor for Mt Damavand ascends is Timing, you need a correct timing, when to start , when to rest , when to avoid this mountain. Climate, Weather Forecast .

MDG On line Help
MDG is the most informative site and the best online encyclopedia on the web for Mt Damavand climbing, design to help you to find technical info as quick as possible, if you have any question about climbing Damavand don't hesitate to drop us a note Contact Us, keep in touch and feel free to ask for more info to discover the magic of this beautiful volcano, we share our experience withyou and will reply to all emails with the subject Mt Damavand, be patient.

Mt Damavand Route Map

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Climbing Mt Damavand MDG880927C
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100-Damavand

100 Damavand Club
Think Less Climb More!
This topic belongs to those who have managed to climb 100 times or more to Mt Damavand summit !
There are great mountain climbers in Iran climbing society, such as mountaineering, alpine style climbing , speed climbing, rock climbing and other mountaineering activities. But there are only a few who can claim to be the member of "The 100 Damavand Club", because there is no reliable source and place to record such a information and facts for this mountain or for other Iran mountains, unfortunately Iran Mount Federation is the last organization to know about such data!

Mount DamavandIran

Despite lack of sufficient data we have decided and started to collect info in this regard, we are not sure how far we can go, but we know a great walk always starts with the first step! So we take the opportunely to say that MDG weblog and the website MDIC, the home of Damawand lovers, are the first and best place to publish such information! We will update this page when we find these guys. We welcome any info in this regard.

Mojtaba Saghian
He has climbed Mt Damavand 156 time till summer 2009 !!
He had plenty to celebrate in 2007, this climber added another record to his growing collection with his 106th damawand climb for the Iran mountaineerin society, but it is a better idea to rank him in another page , such asdamavand extraordinary climbers, without a doubt he is a super climber.
Joined "100 damawand club" Summer 2007.

Mojtaba Saghian 1oo th Climb to Mount Demavand
Photo by Ardeshir Soltani

Ardeshir Soltani
Started his first climb in 1988, personal best record 24 climbs to Damavand in 2007, it could be also a new record in Iran for a single year.
Cold and windy afternoon of 30 Sep 2008 was a great moment and magnificent day for Ardeshir Soltani, he managed his 100th climd to this enormous mountain it was unbelivable, he has done it in20 years!
Joined "100 damavand club" 30 Sep 2008.

Ardeshir Soltani 1oo th Climb to Mount Damawand 30 Sep 2008
Photo by Amir Farahani

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100 Damavand Club MDG880927A
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Events

Events Calendar 2010
1-4 August 2010, Shared Tour
South Route Mt Damavand Iran

This economy shared tour is offered to reduce the cost and expenses of incoming foreign climbers traveling to Iran and is based on a shared itinerary. we organize economy shared tours for foreign tourists each year to visit the beauties of Damavand and give them the opportunity to tackle the mount and try their experience in this magnificent 5671 meters volcano. We guide many teams and individuals to the summit in this category and we share our experience to give them the chance of success.

First steps of a Mount Damavand summer shared tour
Location: Base Camp, South Route, Photo by A.Soltani

All interested foreign group and individuals are welcome to join in this Mt Damavand summer shared tour, keep in touch for detailed info, let us know if need some info about this tour and let's work together to finalize all arrangements. We offer the best competitive quotations for this itinerary, do not forget to book and register your place in this tour in advance to get the benefit of this Damavand economy itinerary.

Booking and Registration
You may book any time before this Damavand tour, but it does not necessarily means a place in the tour before you complete the registeration procedure in time. To make sure of your palce in this tour all aplicants are requierd to registrer before 1 July 2010, and finish the registration procedure.

Mt Damavand Private Tours
If you prefer more privacy, we may recommend you our private tailor made tours for outdoor tourism activity and Mt Damavand with our excellent services and qualified teams to support groups and individuals in private custom designed categories.
Note, We do not publish our private tours in events calendar.

More info
• The date is set for 1-4 August 2010, it is not flexible.
• It is recommended to apply ASAP to be registered in MDG`s event calendar.
• Participants should be fit enough for such a Mt Damavand tour.
• This tour is based on for a min of 4 persons, but we may be a little flexible for the numbers.
• Contact for more details: Sherppa[at]gmail.com
• See also Terms of Payment .

4 Days Shared Tour Itinerary 2010
Mt Damavand south route summer tour
Recommended for foreign climbers visiting Iran .

Day 1 - Arrival Day 1 August 2010
Transfer from International IKA Airport or your hotel in Tehran to:
Camp 1 Polour Hut, 2270 m, just rest in the hut for acclimatization, no climbing or hard exercises and no pollution of Tehran weather , over night in Polour Hut.

Day 2 - Starting Day 2 August 2010
Transfer from Mt. Damavand Camp 1 toward Camp2 Base Camp, as far as car can go and then by 4 to 5 hours trekking to Camp 3 New Hut , over night in Camp 3 New Hut.

Day 3 - Summit Day 3 August 2010
Team start climbing at about 5 am towards Damavand Summit, and then return back to camp3, over night in New Hut.

Day 4 – Return Day 4 August 2010
After one night rest , we descend down to camp2 , drive to camp1 and then to Tehran, tour ends.

Included
• Permit fee for foreign climbers to Mt Damavand
• Accomedation in Camp1 Hut, which is a quite good lodge/hostel
• Accomedation in Camp3 New Hut, inestead of shelter/refuge
Camp3 New Hut is the best place for accomedation in the area
• All land transfers to and from Tehran
Transfer from IKA Airport or hotel to Camp 1 Polour Camp and back
Transfer from Camp 1 - Polour Camp to Camp 2 Base Camp and back
• Camp1 Hut & Camp3 New Hut charges
• Porters and mules to carry your equipments from
Camp 2 Base Camp to Camp3 New Hut
• High skilled experienced English speaking guide
• Hot meal in camps
Food: breakfast, lunch, dinner, soft drink & cooking gear
• Lunch box during the way
• Hotel reservation in Tehran
• Sleeping bag and tent if necessary

Not included
This is the land only itinerary, please make your own way to the tour starting point.
• Termal Spring - we may arrange it in Larijan
• Domestic Flights - we may buy your domestic tickets
• Hotel charges - we can book your hotel in Tehran

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Events Calendar 2010 MDG880926A
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