Mount Alam-kuh

Mount Alam-kuh complete guide: everything you need to know about AlamKuh mountain

Located in central Alborz mountain range and Takht-e Soleyman region, Mount Alam ( Alam Kuh ) is the second highest mountain in Iran and highest in the region with 4850 meters of Altitude .

This magnificent summit is located in Kelardasht village, northwest of Tehran and near Caspian Sea.

Alam Kuh is often called the paradise of mountaineers due to its steep foothills, beautiful glaciers and snowfields and challenging technical routes.

Although Mount Damavand, being the most prominent peak in Iran, has overshadowed Alam Kuh , this amazing summit has a lot to offer to those enthusiastic about mountains and trekking.

The 500 meters high granite wall in the northern face of Alam Kuh , known as Alam Kuh big wall, is one of the attractions of this beautiful summit . Mountaineers from all around the world such as France, Italy, Poland and etc. have opened routes in this wall. Each route is named after the nationality of the groups of mountaineers that opened it.

Weather Conditions

Alam Kuh has a rather humid climate due to its closeness to the Caspian Sea thus snowfall and rainfall is very often in this mountain. The trekking season in Mount Alam is between June to September and April and may are the best months for ski touring .The best time for climbing Mount Alam is in July and August due to the stable weather however; climbing this magnificent mountain in June gives mountaineers the opportunity to see snowfields and enjoy the green valleys. Between mid-September to mid-October the climate is rather dry and without rainfall/ snowfall. As winter approaches the weather in Mount Alam gets colder and heavy snowfall begins thus; No trekking tours are held after October.

Tang-e Galu (2800m), the end of the dirt road, Alamkuh South Face

Above Tang-e Galu at 3200m, on the way to Hesarchal camp, Alamkuh south face

Alamkuh Environment

Flora

Alam Kuh region has beautiful and rich vegetation as the climate is rather humid due to its closeness to the Caspian Sea. Kelardasht village is known as the green heart of Iran with its vast and delightful jungles. Trees such as pine, maple, beech, alder, cottonwood and different types of berries are mostly seen in the foothills and lower heights. As the height increases the green jungles are replaced by glaciers and snowfields. The high areas of Alam Kuh are covered by milkvetch and mountain tea.

Fauna

Located in central Alborz, Alam Kuh is the natural habitat of several species of carnivores, herbivores, birds and reptiles. Several species of lizards and a unique type of viper called the meadow viper are some of the reptiles found in Alam Kuh region. Birds such as Persian eagles, crows and hawks are also seen in high altitudes. Flocks of boars and mountain goats are also seen roaming in the area. Alam Kuh is also the habitat of leopards, wolves and foxes.

Alamkuh Bigwall, Alamchal Glacier, North face of Alamkuh

Trekking Routes

Alam Kuh has two main trekking routes, one on the south face and the other on the north face of the mountain. The southern route is the chosen route of most trekking tours as it is a normal trekking route without technical difficulties. Conquering Alam Kuh by the northern route is more difficult and requires higher mountain climbing skills due to its steep foothills thus; few tours are held in the north face.
Both southern and northern routes begin at Vandarbon village, one of the subordinate villages of Kelardasht. Kelardasht is a 5-6 hour drive away from Tehran and afterwards there’s another 2 hours left till Vandarbon Camp (2200 meters).

The northern route: The northern trekking route begins directly after Vandarbon camp. This route is also known as Alamchal route referring to Alamchal glacier, located near Alam Kuh big wall. The northern route goes on until Sarchal hut ( 3950m ) and after that to Alamchal camp ,located over Alamchal glacier (4200 m).This camp doesn’t have a hut or a shelter. Trekking up to Sarchal takes 4 to 5 hours and another 2 3 hours of trekking is left for reaching Alamchal camp. The route from Sarchal to Alamchal is not steep and the elevation gain is only 300 meters however; it’s long and covered in moraine. Several summits such as Takht-e Soleyman, Siah Kaman, Shatun are visible on the way up to Alamchal glacier. The rest of the route up to Alam Kuh summit is known as Siahsang ridge. This route passes by Siahsang summit and under Shakhak Peak. The name, meaning black stone, refers to the black stones seen on this ridge. Ascending to the summit from Alamchal takes 6 hours. Siahsang ridge is stony and steep however; using ropes is unnecessary.
German Flank route: This route is accessible via both Nandal and Gazane villages and passes by Takht E Fereydon shelter at 4350 meters of elevation. Yakahr Glacier and the valley can be seen at the leftside fo the route, adding to its the charm .Many mountaineers believe the northeastern route is the most beautiful of all.
Big wall route: It’s also possible to conquer Alam Kuh summit through routes passing over Alam Kuh big wall. Among the many routes that Iranians and teams of other nations have opened on this wall the Italian route (48), Polish route (52) and French route are the most famous.
Conquering Mount Alam through Alam Kuh big wall is a unique and amazing experience,however; it requires high level of fitness and sufficient experience in rock climbing and big wall climbing.
In addition to its height (50 m), Alam Kuh big wall is located in more than 400 meters of altitude where the functionality of the body reduces due to acclimatization issues thus only those with enough experience in multi-pitch climbing can handle this climb assuming that they’ve also had regular training.
Alam Kuh big wall is comparable with the big walls in the Alps and the climb is no less technical than technical climbs in the Alps. The climbing grade of ascending Alam Kuh big wall is variable and can be either Aid climbing, Trad climbing or a combination of the two, depending on the chosen route.
The southern route: The southern trekking route begins at Tang-e Galu (2800 m) after passing a 20km long dirt road. Afterwards, the route continues to Hersachal base camp (3750 m) with a gentle slope and passes above the beautiful snowfields. It’s possible to conquer other summits in Takht-e Soleyman region located near Hesrachal such as Lashgarak, GardunKuh, Setareh, Menar, South Khersan , North Khersan and Majikesh. All of these summits are over 4000 meters high and conquering them can help the acclimatization for climbing Mount Alam. The rest of the route to Alam Kuh summit is a normal trekking route and takes the mountaineers to the peak after 5 hours of trekking.
Other routes: There are also other routes available for conquering Alam Kuh and the summit is reachable via almost all of the other nearby mountains. However; these routes are rarely used due to lack of water supply and shelters. Most of these used are only used for special programs.

On the top of Alamkuh (4850m), the second highest peak in Iran

On the way to Alamkuh summit at 4300m, Alamkuh summit day

Shelters and huts

Several shelters and huts are available on the trekking routes of Mount Alamkuh to allow the mountaineers to rest. These huts and shelters are:

Rudbarak: Rudbarak mountain climbing station is located in Rudbarak village .(1800 m )
Vandarbon hut: This hut is located at the beginning of both the southern route and the northern route and at 2200 meters of altitude. Vandarbon hut belongs to the mountaineering federation and is equipped with rooms, beds and a dining room. Electricity and water are also available
Sarchal hut: This hut is located at 3900 meters of altitude and on the north face. Sarchal hut is also equipped with beds. The electricity supply is provided by solar cells and is available in the hut.
Siahsang shelter: This aluminum-made shelter is located at 4500 meters of altitude .Siahsang shelter is without any facilities and is only meant for bivouacking.
Khersan shelter: Khersan shelter is located 50 meters away from Alam Kuh summit. This shelter is without any facilities and is used in case of bad weather conditions and emergencies.
Gardunkuh shelter: Gardunkuh shelter is also located on the north face of Alam Kuh and at 4350 meter of altitude.
Hesarchal camp: Hesarchal camp is located on the south face and at 3750 meters of altitude. This camp doesn’t have any kind of shelter.
Alamchal camp: This camp is located on Alamchal glacier on the north face of Alam Kuh and at 4200 meters of altitude. Alamchal camp doesn’t have a shelter.

Hesarchal Camp (3800m), Alamkuh South Face

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Mount Alamkuh

Mount Alam-kuh

Weather Conditions

Alamkuh Environment

Trekking Routes

Shelters and huts

Alamkuh Tour Packages