Mount Damavand

Everything about Damavand Mountain, Facts & Informations, Weather conditions, Trekking Routes, Climbing Tours, Required Equipment & …

Damavand Mountain

Mount Damavand, located in the north of Iran, is the most prominent peak in Iran and the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia.

This potentially active volcano is 5610 meters higher than the sea level. This number is measured by special altitude measurement devices such as GPS. Some People falsely believe that Mount Damavand is 5671 meters high but the exact number is 5610 meters. Its relative height, determined by comparing the height of the peak to the lowest valley between Damavand and the nearest higher peak, is 4661 meters, placing it on the 12 spot between world’s highest peaks. Mount Damāvand is the second most topographically prominent in Asia after Mount Everest. It is part of the Volcanic Seven Summits mountaineering challenge [The Volcanic Seven Summits are the highest volcanoes on each of the seven continents, just as the Seven Summits are the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Summiting all seven is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such in 1999].

The exact Damavand Height is 5610 meters, measured by special altitude measurement devices such as GPS; but it is falsely said that Damavand is 5670 meters high.

Five rivers run in the area: Haraz in the south and in the east, Lar and Div in the west, Panj Ab in the east and Tineh in the north of the mountain.

The minimum real-feel temperature, considering the effect of the wind is -60 degrees during winter. In other seasons especially months like July and August the temperature is around zero in the highlands of Damavand and normally stays between 5 to -5 degrees.

The RealFeel Temperature is an index that describes what the temperature really feels like. It is a unique composite of the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation and elevation on the human body–everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels.

Mount Damavand Facts

Damavand mountain general information at a glance

Age	1.78 million years old
Elevation	5610m (18405ft)
Relative Height	4661m (15291ft)
Elevation Gain	2609m (8559ft)
Popular Routes	1-The northern route 2-The northeastern route 3-The western route 4-The southern route
Easiest Trekking Route	The southern route
Hardest Trekking Route	The northern route
Best Trekking Season	Mid-June to September
Highlights	The 12th most topographically prominent peak in the world The second most topographically prominent in Asia after Mount Everest Part of the Volcanic Seven Summits mountaineering challenge Highest Volcano in Asia
Damavand Volcano Activity status	Limited to emitting sulfuric gas
Symbolism and mythology	Symbol of Iranian resistance against despotism and foreign rule in Persian poetry and literature

Damavand Weather Conditions

During winter and early spring (December to late March), high altitude equipment is essential for climbing Damavand due to its extremely cold weather.

Early in the spring especially late February and March, weather is unstable and finding a suitable weather window is challenging.

Damavand climbing season

The best time to climb Mount Damavand, regarding safety, ease and the length of weather window periods, is mid-June to September.

During this period the weather is more stable, however the climbing season may begin 2 to 3 weeks earlier or end later depending on the amount of rain/snow fall and the previous winter and spring weather.

In addition to the pleasant weather, June is the most beautiful month of Mount Damavand. During this month Tulips and Poppies can be seen in Lar plain and the plains around Goosfandsara. In June, the remaining snow around Bargah E Sevom melts, causing water to run down stream and creating a beautiful view.

If you choose to conquer the Damavand summit in June instead of August and July (high season) you get to enjoy the magnificent landscape and amazing weather without having to deal with the crowd.

As we get closer to September, snow melts, the weather gets warmer and mountain climbing gets easier, therefore motivating a lot of mountain climbing enthusiasts to conquer Mount Damavand in July and August. Mount Damavand welcomes the maximum number of mountaineers in these two months. Bargah e Sevom and the main camp seem like a small town during the weekends of July and August (Iranian off days are Thursday and Friday).

Come October, weather temperature decreases and snow falls more frequently as we get closer to winter. Freezing level also decreases during this time and it can get as low as zero degrees in areas near 1500 high.

Damavand Trekking tours are not normally available during this period. However in case you have enough experience, suitable winter equipment and you’re in an appropriate physical shape, it’s possible to climb mount Damavand summit safely, accompanied by our certified and experienced guides. Here at Cheetah Adventures we have celebrated multiple successful mount Damavand climb tours in winter.

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Damavand Environment

Flora

Between mid-May to mid-June the foothills of Damavand are covered in red poppies .This unique type of poppy, growing in areas between 2000 to 3500 meters high, is mentioned as Lar poppy or Rineh poppy in valid botany books. (Rineh and Lar are villages located in the foothills of Damavand).

Fauna

Damavand is the natural habitat of various animals such as: foxes, hyraxes, dogs; goats, wolves, jackals, ewes, rams and bores.

Birds like Golden eagles, partridges, quails and bats form the majority of the wildlife in this mountain however other animals such as 5 species of snakes, various types of mice, lizards, scorpions and badgers can be found in the area.

If you’re lucky you get to see groups of partridges and boars in low altitudes, flocks of mountain goats near Bargah E Sevom, flocks of sheep grazing near Goosfandsara and the mighty Golden Eagle at high altitudes on your way up to the summit.

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Damavand Volcanic activities

Mount Damavand is a potentially active volcano. This tall cone of fire last erupted 38500 years ago and has been resting ever since. Currently this mountain’s volcanic activity is limited to emitting sulfuric gas.

Ascending to the summit, you can see extrusive igneous rocks. These rocks are formed when magma cools down rapidly. In areas higher than 5300 meters sulfuric rocks with a yellowish green color can be found.

The volcanic crater of Mount Damavand is 400 meters wide – almost as wide as a football field- and is covered with a frozen lake. There are also signs of old craters in the northern and southern sides of the mountain.

The 1-2 meters wide hole, located 50 meters southeast of the summit, emitting large amounts of sulfuric gas, turns Mount Damavand into a Tobacco pipe smoking old man. Several other small holes can be found near the sulfuric hill though they emit small amounts of gas.

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Damavand Trekking Routes

There are 16 ridges available to conquer the summit, four of which are most frequently used and the others are secondary. The main routes are as follows:

The northern route: This route begins near Nandal village and passes between two glaciers named Siole (on the right) and Dobi Sel (on the left). Two shelters are available on this route with the first one (known as Chahar Hezar) at 4700 meters of altitude and the second one, called Panj Hezar ,at 4600 meters.
The northeastern 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.
The western route: This route is accessible via Polour village and a long dirt road (2 hours) above Lar plain. This route passes by Simorgh shelter (4250 meters high). Lar Lake and the symmetric shadow of Mount Damavand at sunrise are a few of the beauties in this route.
The southern route: This route is accessible via both Rineh and Polour villages. This route connects to Goosfandsara or the main basecamp (3000 meters high) through a dirt road. Bargah e Sevom, located near this route, is the best equipped hut in Damavand. This hut offers facilities such as services staff, beds, toilets, electricity, dining room etc. Due to the cold winter weather from late November to late February, it’s necessary to make sure the hut is open and usable during this time by contacting the mountaineering federation or a travel agency like Cheetah Adventures.

Bargah E Sevom was built 10 years ago and before that time this route only had a shelter like the other routes.

Because of ease of ascending, facilities and easy access, the southern route is considered the easiest one. The hardest route is the northern route due to its steepness and lack of facilities such as mules and huts.

Factors like the long dirt road and the probability of rock fall from above Simorgh shelter increase the risk of climbing Mount Damavand by the western route, therefore this route is rarely chosen for tours.

Damavand Trekking Route Map

Mount Damavand Topographic Trekking Route Map

Mount Damavand Trekking Routes map- Damavand Mountain North Eastern Route

Mount Damavand Trekking North Eastern Route map

Mount Damavand Trekking Routes map- Damavand Mountain Western Route

Mount Damavand Trekking Western Route map

Mount Damavand Trekking Routes map- Damavand Mountain Southern Route

Mount Damavand Trekking Southern Route map

Mount Damavand Trekking Routes map- Damavand Mountain Northern Route

Mount Damavand Trekking Northern Route map

Trip Map

Ascending Trip map from the south ridge to Damavand summit

Mount Damavand Difficulty

The high elevation of mount Damavand can be a little challenging for some mountain climbers; however, is fixable with proper acclimatization. Regarding other factors, Damavand trek is not generally a technical one therefore, those that are in good physical shape can enjoy a great mount Damavand trekking tour with and successfully conquer Damavand peak accompanied by a certified Iranian mountain guide.
It’s important to note that this article is written about Damavand trek in the trekking season and through normal Damavand trekking routes. It’s obvious that Damavand difficulty level changes in case of choosing technical routes or climbing Damavand another time.

Read more about Damavand Difficulty Level.

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Damavand Equipment List

Backpack (30-40 liters)
Base layers
Wind stoppers (polar jacket)
Warm trekking pants (preferably waterproof)
Light down jacket
Gore-tex jacket (waterproof)
Warm hat
Sun cream
Headlights
Sticks, poles
Mattress
Trekking boots (waterproof)
Sleeping bag with the comfort level of +10 to +5
Warm gloves
Sunglasses

Tents/beds, meals, drinks, and cooking equipment will be provided by Cheetah-Adventures Agency in our Damavand Tour.

Note: If you do not have one or any of this equipment you can rent from us.

Damavand Shelters and huts

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

Goosfandsara or the Mosque basecamp located on the southern route 3000 higher than the sea level
Bargah E Sevom shelter and hut located on the southern route at 4200 meters of altitude
Simorgh shelter located on the western route at 4200 meters of altitude
Chahar Hezar shelter at 4000 meters of altitude and Panj Hezar at 4600 meters of altitude on the northern route
Takht e Fereydon hut located at 4350 meters of altitude on the northeastern route

Mount Damavand Glaciers

The 7 glaciers of Mount Damavand add to the charm of this beautiful volcano. These glaciers are:

1. Siole ( located near the northern route)
2. Dobi sel (located near the northern route)
3. Aroosak ha (located near the northern route)
4. Dare Bokhar ( located near the northeastern route )
5. Khor Tab Sar
6. The northwestern glacier
7. The western glacier

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Mount Damavand Difficulty

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Mount Damavand (5610 m) is the first natural attraction in Iran to be declared a national heritage. The unique Mount Damavand is the tallest mountain in Iran, the tallest volcano in Asia and the tallest conical mountain in the world. If you’re…

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Standing on Mount Damavand summit, you may realize several frozen sheep carcasses resembling mummies next to the signs marking Damavand summit. The remains of these sheep have been perfectly preserved due to the existence of sulfur and the low…

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Mount Damavand FAQ

How old is Mount Damavand?

Mount Damavand first erupted in the Pleistocene almost 1.78 million years ago.

How tall is Mount Damavand?

It is 5610 meters high, making it the most prominent peak in Iran and the Middle East.

What country is Mount Damavand?

Mount Damavand is located in Iran, Middle-East, Asia. You can read complete information here on the Damavand Mountain page.

Where is the tallest volcano in Asia?

Mount Damavand is the highest volcano in Asia and one of the volcanos in Volcanic Seven Summits challenge. It is 5610 meters high, making it the most prominent peak in Iran and the Middle East.

where is mount damavand located?

Mount Damavand is located in Iran, Middle-East, Asia. It is the highest volcano in Asia, second-most topographically prominent peak in Asia after Mount Everest. It is also part of seven volcanic summits challenge. You can read complete information here on the Damavand Mountain page. Or take a look at Cheetah-Adventures Damavand Tours.

Mount Damavand

Damavand Mountain

Mount Damavand Facts

Damavand Weather Conditions

Damavand climbing season

On the way to Goosfandsara basecamp in winter

Damavand Mosque in Goosfandsara Basecamp in June (3000m)

Damavand Environment

Flora

Fauna

Damavand Puppies in June, around Goosfandsara basecamp (3000m)

Goats and Sheeps in Goosfandsara (3000m), Damavand South BC

Damavand Volcanic activities

Damavand Smoke Hole at 5550m

Sulfuric Rocks at the beginning of the sulfur hill (5350m), South face of Damavand

Damavand Trekking Routes

Damavand Trekking Route Map

Trip Map

Mount Damavand Difficulty

Abshar Yakhi (Damavand frozen waterfall)

Damavand South Face in winter from Polour-Rineh Road

Damavand Equipment List

Damavand Shelters and huts

Mount Damavand Glaciers

Bargah-e Sevom Hut at 4200m

Damavand and the Mosque from Goosfandsara basecamp (3000m)

Damavand Mountain Simorgh shelter

Damavand Mountain Takht-e Fereidoun Shelter (4350m)

Damavand Mountain Articles

Damavand Tour Packages

ALAM KUH & DAMAVAND TREKKING TOUR (10 DAYS)

DAMAVAND SKI TOURING TOUR (8 DAYS)

DAMAVAND EXPEDITION TOUR (7 DAYS)

TOCHAL & DAMAVAND TREKKING TOUR (6 DAYS)

DAMAVAND TREKKING TOUR (4 DAYS)

DAMAVAND TREKKING TOUR NORTH EASTERN ROUTE (4 DAYS)

Mount Damavand FAQ

How old is Mount Damavand?

How tall is Mount Damavand?

What country is Mount Damavand?

Where is the tallest volcano in Asia?

where is mount damavand located?

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