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Tips for climbing mount Damavand

Tips for climbing Damavand

There are fewer people these days who have never heard the name of Iran as one of the best and most attractive destinations for their trip.

Meanwhile, Mount Damavand, as Iran’s highest peak is one of the most important Iran adventure destinations for tourists. It is also part of Seven Volcanic Summits of each continent. (Kilimanjaro, Ojos del Salado, Pico de Orizaba, Giluwe, Elbrus, Damavand, and Mount Sidley).

But there is not complete information to know how to climb it? what’s the best period for trekking Damavand?  How long does it take to reach the summit? Can I hike on Damavand? What is the best Damavand climbing tour? and how to book a tour at the best price?

To find these answers, continue reading the following sentences.

Hike Damavand? Trek Damavand or Damavand Climbing Tour? Which one can I consider this trip?

Mount Damavand, this cone shape dormant volcano, with over 18405 feet height (5609.8 m).  Not a technical mountain, but categorizes in high mountains that need skills, equipment, mountaineering experience and acclimatization with altitude. So the best word to call it is CLIMBING DAMAVAND or TREKKING DAMAVAND.

However, it is still an interesting destination for adventurous travelers and beginner mountaineers who like to hike Damavand foothills.

What is the best time & season for Damavand climbing tour?

This great huge mountain has no limitation for climbers depends on their fitness, equipment and, the purpose of their tour. This means it has a huge potential to host every kind of traveler’s desires.

  • Winter Climbing season starts from the middle of December till March. Due to heavy snowfall, coolness and high altitude, it could be a complete Expedition.
  • Damavand skiing deep, ski touring & freeride Damavand start from March to the middle of May.
  • The trekking tours run from late May to the end of November.
  • Hike foothills, Camping and Family tours run from beginning June to the middle of September.

So this huge mountain is accessible four seasons during the year depends on climber skills and desires.

How many days takes to have a safe Damavand climbing tour?

Necessary time for trekking, climbing or hiking on this mountain, completely depends on your fitness. Hiking routes, tour season and weather condition is effective as well. Some of the climbers and Sky Runners climb the summit from the asphalt road (2450 m) only on one day. But many others do it while 3 to 7 days.

The best and safest trek to the Damavand summit, need at least 5 days to climb camp by camp. It is necessary for acclimatizing well and enjoy the successful tour.

How to hike Damavand? Is it possible to do it by myself?

For sure, hiking on Damavand is possible and allowed for tourists, even without a mountain guide. You can start your hike from Polour village or Raineh town on the southern side. Gazaneh village, to hike in the northeast side or Nandal village in the north are start points.

Nevertheless, it’s not recommended to do it by yourself. Because of quick weather changing even on sunny days. In 2017 a group of hikers lost in foggy weather. They found after three days in very bad conditions and fighting with hypothermia.

Although there are not too many hiking tour packages. But you can easily contact our staff to design your desired tour according to your wishes, time, fitness, etc.

Undoubtedly, Damavand Hiking Tour at a 3000-meter altitude from north to the south could be much interesting for beginners, hikers, family groups or old age clients.

How to book the best deal Damavand trekking tour?

Like any field of shopping life, it’s your right to find the cheapest available tours and save your money. So IranExploration is here to guarantee the Damavand tour prices. As one of the best and expert tour operators in Iran with more than 12 years of experience in organizing trekking tours.

We have a huge variety of climbing tours from 5 days to 17 days, on different guaranteed prices. (NEVER RECOMMENDED LESS TIME FOR SAFE CLIMB).

What is this mean?

We are guaranteed our tour prices with a HOT DEALS offer per month in addition to our special discounts. This means if you are budget considering, and searching for Damavand cheap tours, by keeping its quality and safety. You can book your tour in one of the HOT DEALS. Pay the less in exchange for the same high-quality services on your tour. Don’t miss out on these HOT DEALS and Damavand cheap tours.

Can I use local guides for the Damavand trekking tour?

One of the necessaries of each trip is to read and know your destination rules and etiquettes. Traveling to Iran is not excepted and for sure you need to know related rules of your trip to prevent future problems.

The importance of the issue shows where that due to insufficient access of tourists to the related rules of their travel to Iran. On the other hand, the importance of paying attention to these rules, considering different types of Iran adventure trips and local communities. It is highlighted by booking your tour by the consultation of the IRAN CERTIFIED TOUR OPERATOR & TRAVEL AGENCY.

Simply put, if you don’t contract with a certified travel agency and tour operator in Iran, even if you use a certified mountain guide or a local one, there is no liability, insurance, responsibility. Maybe putting your climbing tour on the risk of stopping it by police. Losing your money, time and chance of climb are the results.

UNLIKE MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, LOCAL GUIDES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE AND ORGANIZE ANY KIND OF TOURS IN IRAN. EVEN THEY ARE CERTIFIED BY IRAN MOUNTAINEERING FEDERATION OR MINISTRY OF TOURISM

What is the Damavand climbing permit? How much is it?

Like many other famous summits of the world, that you must pay the special amount as climbing permit, or tax. In Iran, I.R Mountaineering Federation sets a climbing permit for some of the Iran mountains. Like Mount Damavand, Mount Alamkouh (4850 m second highest mountain of Iran), and Mount Sabalan (4811 m third highest mountain of Iran) you should pay the permit.

In this way, every climber who wants to enter to these mountain areas, regardless of the climbing summit or not, should pay 50 $ as a climbing permit.

This is a rule and includes hiking Damavand as well as trekking on it.

You can request to pay “Damavand Climbing Permit” online on our website, then our team will organize it with I.R Mountain Federation, so you can get your permit receipt at Polur camp or Raineh camp upon arrival.

Climbing Certificate, How can I prove my successful ascent?

Many climbers like to have an official certificate of their successful climb on the summits in addition to their summit pictures. On the other hand, sometimes, due to the weather conditions, fog or snow, lack of camera or dead of batteries, it’s really difficult to recognize from their pictures that if the climbers reached the summit or not? It’s is one more reason to choose IranExploration for organizing your tour as a reliable Iran Tour Operator.

In these situations, our guides who accompany you to the summit and on the way back to the camps will confirm your statement and the company will issue Damavand Climbing Certificate for you freely.

Besides, the I.R Mountaineering Federation climbing certificate is available in 30 $ that you can request the company to organize it for you as well.

Also, IranExploration Tour Operator can issue the climbing certificate for solo climbers who topped the summit by their self without a guide, but in exchange of receiving at least three clear summit photo by the different background of the summit, pay 30 EUR (or USD), and after check photos originality by our professional guides.

Camps & Altitude

There are general questions for all the climbers that how high is Mount Damavand? How many camps need I pass to climb the summit? What is the camp’s altitude and how many meters should I climb every day?

This question answers are completely depending on your climbing routes. Totally could say that it has three camps in different heights.

  • Damavand Base Camps are placed on asphalt roads and villages around this cone mountain with an average altitude of 2400 to 2600 m above sea level.
  • Camp one, that is placed around 3000 m above sea level.
  • The second camp, that are in 4000 m to 4500 m line of Damavand.

So to have a reasonable hike, you need to spend overnights at least three camps at 2400 m, 3000 m and over 4000 m.

While climbing from the south route, you can sleep one night at Damavand hostel in Polour (IranExploration Hostel), hike to 3000 m camp that called Goosfandsara, and last stop at Bargah-e-Sevom camp at 4250 m.

Exact Damavand Elevation

After much debate among climbers about Damavand’s elevation, examining the altitude recorded by handheld GPS, the altitude announced by NASA, and the Iranian Geological Survey, undoubtedly, today we can say that the exact height of Damavand is 5610 meters above free sea level, although many peoples, websites or mountaineers still insisting on 5671 m.

Facilities on Damavand huts & camps

As explained in the above sentences, the normal route for climbing the summit is a southern ridge. Although it’s more steep, but much safer and short distance to the peak, Damavand hut (new building) in 4250 m altitude, local camps, detectable route, mule service to carry stuff up to the shelter, and lake of passing through glaciers, make it most common and best option for climber who want to top summit by their self.

The southern hut is equipped with beds, dining hall, small kitchen, and shop, that you can buy or order primary foods like soup, unlike other huts and shelters. Also, hot water, drinking water, and tea are available in its small shop.

Except for the south camp, you are not able to buy anything on the other routes. The shelters on the north side and northeast side, are only mental cabins, like bivaque, that can only save your life in bad weather conditions. Also, no facilities nor equipment are in two-floors stone made building on the west route.

How much is Damavand’s priced reasonably?

This question answer is completely depending on you, your budget, and how do you want to climb it. In any case, for sure every foreign climber should pay 50 EUR or USD to get permission for climbing (compare it with more than 10,000 $ permits for 8000 m summits of Nepal).

So nobody could not go to the top without this permit that available in Polour I.R Mountaineering Federation guesthouse, as well as Raineh town, in Federation camp, and it will check in higher camps by the staff and if somebody didn’t pay, forced to descent or pay the fee there (in worse condition, police call and passport seizure may occur).

Except for this fee, you need to transfer Tehran or other cities to the base of the route, that needs 4WD cars as well. Carrying too much food, water, stuff to the camps. Pay for mule or porters, accommodation in the hut, or camping around the shelter, buying bottles of water, hot water and searching for a guide as well, will be added to your Damavand price. It cost between 60 to 100 EUR per day with a regular calculation. So if you try it by yourself, you spend 300 to 500 EUR, regardless of guiding cost (100 to 150 EUR daily).

So if you search for Damavand economy tours, with good quality standard services, using the skillful guides, climb safely, and enjoy the trip, we strongly offer you to book a group tour by checking out our Damavand economy packages and prices that help you to save remarkable sum and pay a reasonable cost for this climb. Don’t forget all of our tour packages are guided tour, full board full services, including accommodation in the hut, or tent with free sleeping bag and mattress, so you will climb like a king & queen.

Have more questions regarding Iran Trekking tours, Hiking adventures, Outdoor family tours, or best camping areas, CONTACT US.

Author: IranExploration Content Providers Team

2 Comments

  1. suzi says:

    Tips for climb damavand, really best title

  2. Nordic says:

    Excellent blog here! Also your website a lot up very fast!
    What host are you using? Can I am getting your associate
    link to your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

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