I really hope so. depends on my knee (ACL)

Most people have heard about the southern face of Damavand. Since 2015, there is another possible route to climb Damavand and that is the north east route. A company has built two camps on that side and provides accommodation and transfer to that site. The base camp (12 tents) in Nandal Village and the upper camp (10 tents) at 4300. They also offer meals.

Here's the website:
http://www.damavandcamp.com/

The camp is privately owned and can be reserved in advance, while the southern route has no such possibility. The hut on the southern face is managed by the Iraninan Mountaineering Federation and does not offer reservations. It works on a basis of first come first served.


As for visa, except the nationals of Canada, US and UK, anyone can get a visa on arrival in IKA or some other airport in Iran. Americans and Brits should book a tour through and agent an will thus be accompanied by a tour guide during their visit to Iran. Iranians, as has been previously mentioned, are very welcoming and hospitable towards foreigners.

Hi guys,

I am new to mountaineering and joined a gang heading for Damavand summit in early October 2016.

So 2 questions:

1. Am I nuts?

2. Could anybody share some personal experience on Autumn conditions on Damavand (probably from late September till end of October)

Thanks

bachristus wrote:Hi guys,

I am new to mountaineering and joined a gang heading for Damavand summit in early October 2016.

So 2 questions:

1. Am I nuts?

2. Could anybody share some personal experience on Autumn conditions on Damavand (probably from late September till end of October)

Thanks

Just returned from Damavand last week. We had great sunny weather. Have been told visibility can be a problem at the summit ( clouds) ... but we had a bluebird day at the top, I thought it was a very enjoyable trip. FYI, take a buff or something to cover our mouth/nose for the sulphur plume near the top!
If your not tenting at the "high" camp there is a large "hut" you can stay in, was very crowded when we were here for the night so pre book/arrive early...

Enjoy Iran, fantastic place, will be going back....

Hi guys, not much activity here so I will leave some notes on our tracking on Damavand summit using the easiest Southern trail.

On 2nd of October 2016 we arrived to Reineh village near the volcano and stayed in Iranian mountaineering federation base (2000 meters above sea level ) Comfortably sleeped there and had shower. Next day we paid $50 permision fee and took a ride to Goosfand Sara (3000 m) and then continued up to Camp 3 New Hut at 4200 m.

This took me probably 5 hours slowly going up with a backpack 19 kg and I was exhausted in the end so you may choose to use mules to get your staff up. I was very short of breath approaching the New Hut. Other guys felt different symptoms too mostly headache.

We stayed there for a night in a small room we rented upstairs. It was from -5 to -9 at night on this location, shelter has no heating and toilet is a smelly outdoor adventure.

The next morning we had acclimatization climb to 4900-5100 m (some people were more fit than the others and got to Frozen Waterfall) The path was not always clear and visible sometimes it's like handful of trails going up in different directions.
Again we felt like sh*t because of height and returned to the shelter.

The next morning 5th of October was to get up early and go to the summit. We started 4:40 a.m. and it was much easier to ascend comparing to the previous day. But starting from 5K the path became harder we had lost and found the right way just after half an hour of climbind bad terrain. Also I suffered problems with my vision. Tears started to drop from one eye then another causing me to stop and mop the glasses and regain sight. Short of breath we approached 5350 m rock near the trail for the last stop before summit.

Approximately there we met some people from the other groups who did not make it to the summit (the last 300 m) because of altitude sickness. They were resting or descending.

The top of Damavand was covered with yellowish sulfuric deposites, small stinky smokes coming from under the surface and blood-sweat-and-tears of mountaineers making the last efforts to rich the summit. It was hard to breath so we put on simple face masks. It appeared to have no signifficant effect on sulfur smell whatsoever. 8 hours ascending and we were on top, that was far worse comparing to 6 hours our Iranian collegues had told us it should take but nevertheless we all made it no one left behind Crater was cover with glacier but no snow on the trail so we never had to use crampons. The sun was warming us almost all the way and with no strong wind it could have been quite comfortable there if you somehow forget strong headaches and stuff. We made a few pictures and video of smoking new small "exhaust pipe" of Damavand and started descent. It took us 3 hours to get to New Hut and rest.

I think we were lucky to have nice weather but closer to the noon clouds start to form and surround the summit so I would recommend to start ascend earlier maybe at 3 a.m. if you want to have nice view down to the valley.

That's ignoring all guidelines on proper acclimatization. Sleeping at 4200 m after one night at 2000 m? No wonder you felt bad.

Yes that was stupid. Near 3200 m just above Goosefand Sara there were couple of prepared plain places for camping on the sides of the trail. Probably we had better stay there in tents for a one night sleep but we had no tents and bravely decided to go to Camp 3 New Hut

I wouldn't go as far as saying it was stupid; assuming that you never felt the effects of poor acclimatization before, I call it a good learning experience. And I've made enough decisions on my climbing trips that I can admit that I've learned a lot. I just try to remember the things I did wrong, so I don't make the same mistake again.

i might go to damavand this summer., if any body want to come join me..

I'm thinking of doing a solo climb of Damavand, via West Route, probably in July. Does anybody know if gas for cook stove is available in Polour or the Climber's lodge?

We wanted to play safe and so we bought gaz on auto parts market in Tehran and I should say it was quite a quest to explain Iranians what we need and how it looks like. Nobody understood English and we knew no Farsi also.
I am not 100% sure but New hut on Damavand must sell these (of course the price is tripled or something)

any one looking to go DAMAVAN or come to iran could contact me , try to help..
my skype : ali.moharamnejad1