Mazandaran Province To introduce Mazandaran one just has to mention that it is the number one province for tourism in Iran, with over 12 million

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1 Mountaineering Alam Kuh and Damavand peaks (Mazandaran-Iran) Duration: 9+2 Days operation by: farmis travel agency

2 Iran Welcome to Iran, the hidden side of the world! Iran: the amazing Islamic Middle Eastern country, with colorful bazaars and diverse climates and cultures, the ancient ruins of the Achaemenid Empire (one of the greatest empires there ever was), nomadic culture, scorching hot deserts, towering mountains and volcanoes, and the largest lake in the world. In your trip to Iran, you can have a first-hand experience of all these distinctive features. Iran is well-known for its extraordinary architectural designs such as mosques and windtowers, villages on mountain slopes, and ancient civilizations. Throughout history Iran was ruled by great empires and governments such as the Achaemenid and the Sassanian Empire and Alexander the Great, the Arabs, the Mongols, and the Safavid, all of which adding up to the current culture of Iran. Perhaps due to the negative media advertisement of the western world, the picture that has been formed of Iran in your mind is of an aggressive and repressive country, but in reality, Iranian people are extremely hospitable, kind and friendly. Iran is one of the top ten countries in terms of historical and cultural attractions.

3 Mazandaran Province To introduce Mazandaran one just has to mention that it is the number one province for tourism in Iran, with over 12 million Iranian and 100 thousand foreign tourists visiting it every year. Mazandaran is worldly-renowned for being home to one of the seven famous volcanoes in the world, Mount Damavand. With the discoveries made in Hotu and Kambarband caves, which gives evidence for human life as early as 75 thousand years ago, Mazandaran has become one of the most important archeological sites in the Middle East and the whole world. It possesses a diverse range of natural attractions such as the Caspian Sea, many lagoons and coasts, Hyrcanian and Caspian forests, high mountains, and various plant and animal species. Province of Mazandaran, with a surface area of square kilometers, is a verdurous province of the northern part of the Iranian Plateau and is located in the coast of the Caspian Sea. The northern landscape of the province is the azure, calm and beautiful Caspian Sea, and the southern landscape is covered with the dense forests of the slopes of the Alborz. The area neighboring to the coast of the Caspian Sea is covered with citrus orchards, rice fields, verdurous farmlands, and villas and accommodation centers, all of which have created eye-catching landscapes and views for the province.

4 Alborz Mountains Alborz mountain range is located across the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea and is divided into three parts of Eastern, Central, and Western Alborz. Functioning as dam, it separates the Iranian Plateau from the Caspian Sea. Its southern slopes have low rainfall, but its northern slopes have a high amount of rainfall, are verdurous and are mainly covered by Hyrcanian forests, which are of historical value and are home to a unique wildlife. This mountain range has numerous mountain peaks, most of which are located in the Central Alborz. Mount Damavand, being 5671 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East. Alborz mountain range is located in the northern part of Iran. Beginning at the borders of Azerbaijan, it is stretched all the way to Aladagh Mountains in Khorasan, neighboring the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in the middle. Western Alborz, which is also called Talesh Mountains, is located in the western coast of the Caspian Sea, and it is extended from the borders of Azerbaijan toward south and southeast. Central Alborz is located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, and the Eastern Alborz reaches the borders of Khorasan in Northeastern Iran. Mount Damavand, with a height of 5671 meters above sea level, is the highest peak of Alborz Mountains and also the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East, and is located in Central Alborz.

5 The mountain peaks of Alam Kuh (4850 m), Azad Kuh (4398 m), Kholeno (4375 m), Nazer the Great (4350 m), Palun Gardan (4250 m), Koloon Bastak (4200 m), and Sar Kachal (4150 m) are located in Central Alborz, while the Talesh Mountains are located in Western Alborz, and Mishineh Marg (4050 m), Pashoore (3856 m), and Binalud (3211 m) mountains are located in Eastern Alborz. The most important river of the northern slopes of Alborz is Sefīd-Rūd, which is located near the city of Rasht. The most important rivers of the southern slopes of Alborz are Karaj and Jajrood rivers. Alam Kuh Alam Kuh is a mountain with a height of 4850 meters above sea level and is located in Takht-e Suleyman Massif, Mazandaran. It is the second highest peak of Iran behind Damavand. It is mostly famous for its northern wall, which has one of the most technical and most difficult paths for rock climbing and wall climbing. This wall is about 550 meters high, and is composed of granite. In some sources 800 meters is reported and this is not a mistake since the Alamchal Glacier, with an approximate height of 4050 meters, joins the foot of this wall with in a rather steep slope, and the height of 800 meters is due to this glacier being taken into account.

6 Mount Damavand Damavand is a mountain in Northern Iran, and is the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East. This peak is located in the central part of Alborz mountain range and is located in Larjian, Amol, 66 kilometers from Tehran.Different sources have reported different heights for Mount Damavand. According to National Statistics website, its height is 5610 meters above sea level. Other sources such as NGDIR and NASA Earth Observatory have reported it to be 5670 and 5671 meters high, respectively. Damavand is a stratovolcano, which was mainly composed during the Pleistocene era, also known as the Holocene era, and is considered to be a young mountain. But it is a dormant volcano, and its reactivation is possible. In some instances, like in the year 2007, some smoke and steam has been emitted from it, which caused some witnesses to believe that it has become activated. The diameter of its caldera is about 400 meters. The central part of the caldera is covered with ice, and around it are fumaroles which have caused the covering ground to turn yellow. Aside from the main caldera, some remainders of older calderas can be witnessed as well. One of the older calderas is located in the southern side, 100 meters high, which currently operates as a fumarole. In the middle of the summer, the temperature of Mount Damavand is about minus 4 degrees Celsius at around noon to 4 PM. In springs, at an altitude range of 2000 to 3500 meters of Damavand s hillside, the whole area is covered by anemones.

7 Mountaineering Alam Kuh and Damavand peaks (Mazandaran-Iran) Duration: 9+2 Days Depart from / Return to: Tehran Day-by-Day Itinerary Day 1 * Depart Tehran for Rudbarak at 7:00 * Arrive in Rudbarak at around 11:30 * Rest and have lunch * Depart for Vandarbon at 14:00 * Check-in to tourist suites at 16:00 * Become familiar with mountain-climbing techniques in Vandarbon Mountain Complex Day 2 * Have breakfast at 6:00 * Hike from Vandarbon to Tang-Galoo, and then to Hesar- Chal (from early in the morning to 15:00) * Camp at 15:00

8 Day 3 * Wake up at 5:00 and have breakfast package * Hike toward mountain peak at 6:00 * Hike safely until 14:00 Return to the main camp ** One day will be counted as extra Day 4 * Wake up at 6:00 and have breakfast * Gather with the rest of the group and move toward Tang-Galoo * Arrive in Tang-Galoo ** If agreed upon by the tour leaders, the tour will visit the sea as well Day 5 * Visit the traditional marketplace and tour around the city * Move toward the city of Rineh at 11:00 * Check-in to tourist suites * Tour through the city and purchase handicrafts made by the local people as souvenir Day 6 * Hike toward Ma dan Crossroad and deliver your mountain-climbing gear to the attendants * Hike toward Gusfandsara, and have lunch at there

9 Day 7 * Wake up at 5:00 and have breakfast * Hike toward the mountain peak through the winter path Return to shelter Day 8 * Hike toward Ma dan Crossroad, then car-ride toward Rineh * Check-in to the tourist suites at Rineh * Enjoy the hot springs Day 9 * Depart Rineh for Tehran through Haraz Roard * Arrive in the airport, and receive souvenirs from tour managers ** The services provided during the tour (breakfast, lunch, dinner, transportation, accommodation, etc.) is provided by the mountaineering team of Shevar Tourism Agency. ** The mountaineering team will do their best to make ascension possible, but due to sudden weather changes in winter, there is no guarantee for ascension, especially for those who are not professional climbers.

10 Mohammad Jafar Ghasemi Milad Amanizade Professional leader in mountaineering skills in: Mountain climbing rock climbing Snow and ice Navigation with map and compass Path planning Mountain Medicine Rescue Organization Theory Tour Operator Expert