Damavand Guestbook

Damawand Guestbook and Trip Report

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Mountaineers who have used our assistance to Climb Damavand Iran may send us their feedback and express their idea about our services. Feel free to make any recommendations and suggestion by sending a message by email. This will help us to improve our services in the future and will give a better idea to other incoming tourists.

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There are some bad news about Iran in western media, but Iran is wonderful country and the people are helpful and will make you feel welcome. Here you can read some comments from the climbers who have visited Iran recently. We hope this topic will help you to make your decision for travelling to Iran and ascending Mt Damavand.

Polish and Slovakian Ski Teams - April 2013

Dear Mr. Ardeshir,
Thank you for your professional service and helping with organization our skitouring on Damavand. I have a problem to put on your website my thanks and good opinion of your work. Please, put it yourself :

It's thanks to Mr. Ardeshir Soltani: In April of 2013 came a group of 11 skialpinists and two mountain guides from Poland and the Slovak Republic. After 3 days of acclimatization in Dizin and Shemshak we were able to climb on Damavand and skiing down from the top.

We were prepared well to this skitouring thanks to the very detailed information from the website Damavand-Tour. Mr. Ardeshir Soltani provided us with accomodation, transportation and meals. Everything was very well prepared. Very nice atmosphere, great kindness of the Iranians and good weather allowed us to spend a good holiday. Iran is a beautiful country, beautiful mountains and great people. We thank Mr. Ardeshir Soltani's professional service.

We still invite you to the Tatras, to  Poland and to Slovak Republic.

Best Regards
Zosia Bachleda and Peter Sperka

Italian Dream Team - August 2012

Avventure nel Mondo

My name is Alessandra Mariani and I was the tour leader of an Italian group of "Avventure nel Mondo" during a trekking trip to Iran last August 2012.

We had an unforgettable experience during the climbing days on Damavand Mountain guided by Mr. Ardeshir Soltani and his guide team. Reliable and precise. We couldn't have reached the peak without the help of such professional, helpful and friendly people like them..

Soltani is an expert. We were 13 people with different experiences and different attitudes. Some of us had never climbed a peak before but finally we got it. The way is hard because of the altitude, but Mr. Soltani team knows every single foot of that ascent.

We had everything in terms of food and assistance for all the stay and we really felt "at home". Furthermore Soltani gave me a great help to organize even the rest of the tour and I didn't need to contact any other correspondent in the country..

I recommend his services to everybody (and wish even my parents go soon!) He gave me an image of Iran that was confirmed during all the rest of my tour: of a great country, with a warm romantic hospitality.

Alessandra Mariani
VIAGGI AVVENTURE NEL MONDO

Dr. Roland and Dr. Eva Hogenschur From Germany - September 2012

Roland and Eva Hogenschurz
Germany
Appraisal for Mr. A. Soltani's support of our Damavand climb September 2012.
In September 2012 my wife and me travelled to Iran in order to climb Damavand, the highest
mountain in Iran. Despite all political tensions and warnings by almost everybody from our relatives and friends it proved to be a smooth and fascinating experience, to a high degree attributable to our liaison person in Iran, Mr. A. Soltani, who is the resource-person, when it comes to gather information about the mountain or to assist in organizing the ascent.

During the months before the actual trip, he was most helpful in organizing our visa in difficult times and was very flexible regarding our suggestions for an ideal itinerary in order to acclimatize properly and climb the mountain successfully. Having arrived at Teheran, he was very reliable and always willing to walk the extra mile to make our trip enjoyable and successful. He showed us around in Teheran, had organized hotel and transport to the mountain in a perfect manner. It was nice dining out with him to get to know local culture and cuisine.

Once at Damavand we were perfectly prepared to set our own pace and to climb that fascinating mountain at our usual swift speed. We have travelled and climbed (even much higher) mountains on all continents and have rarely met a mountain agent as committed and reliable as Mr. Soltani! We highly recommend his services!

Thank you, Mr. Soltani!
Roland and Eva Hogenschurz

Marianne and Stein from Bergen Norway - July 2011

To Mr. Ardeshir Soltani.

Thank you very much for your service, help and hospitality during our visit to Iran and Damanvand July 2011.

We are a couple from Norway who wanted to visit Iran summer 2011. It was a mix of mountaineering and cultural experience.

We arrived at IKA airport around midnight 02 july 2011. We were met by Soltani at the airport. After some shopping and money change, he drove us to Poulour camp at the foot of the mountain. We arrived at 03.am. We had a room for ourselves, and a bathroom. The next day we slept long. After a heavy Iranian breakfast, we drove to the place where the road to camp 2 took off from the main road to Reyneh. We wanted to walk to camp 2 as a part of our acclimatization. After a short while, Marianne threw up the breakfast. It helped and we reached camp 2. On the way up we could see goats, sheep, horses and honey bees. There was a magnificent view of Damavand and a great variety of flowers.

The next day we planned to move up to camp 3 at 4.200 masl. We drove all the way up to camp 2 by 4WD car, at 3.000 masl. The road was bumpy but it was no problem. At camp 2 there is a mosque and possible to buy water, tea and even stay overnight. We had a look at a cave that was in fact a house. Warm in winter, and cool in summer.
The path to camp 3 was not too steep, but due to altitude we went very slowly. On the way up there was a lot of natural sculptures made of volcanic rocks, amusing. The luggage was carried by mules.

There is an old camp 3 just below the new one, where we stayed. It was a rather big hut made of stone, quite new. It belongs to the Iranian Mountaineering Association. We had a small room for ourselves. There is no heating, but a solar powered light system.
The following night was bad. We both had severe headache and couldn't sleep. But it helped to hyperventilate quite often to saturate the blood with oxygen. Soltani recommended Diamox and Marianne decided to use it. Later that day the health condition improved and we went up to 4.600 masl. The evening was spent relaxing around the hut.

The next day was summit day. Soltani woke us up early in the morning at 05. am. The weather was good and we were optimistic. Soltani had taken with him a friend Mojtaba. Mojtaba had been to the summit 198 times. Soon to be the first known 200 times summiter!!!
We went very very slowly. Soltani set the pace. We stopped shortly now and then, drinking and eating snacks. Marianne and I brought two cans of cola which we drank before the last section of the climb.

As we came closer to the summit we could smell the sulphur gazes and we passed the big geysir of smoke just before the top. The summit was reached after 7 hours. It was a great satisfaction to have made it!!! We stayed at the summit for half an hour, to take pictures and look at the view. We felt we were at the top of the world!! As we started the descend we were surprised by a blizzard. But the down jackets kept us warm. It was a problem the sulphur crystallized on the sun glasses and it was hard to see. Shortly after the wind calmed down.
The descend took us 3 hours.
We spent the night in camp 3.

The next day was holyday in Iran and there was a huge amount of people coming up to scale the mountain. We realized we had been lucky to climb on weekdays. All the newcomers were smiling and exited to be on the mountain. As foreigners we were met with kind curiosity.
Well down at camp 2 we were driven to Poulour. After a short stop for shopping and eating Soltani took us to a hotel in Theran. And the first part of our trip was over.
The next part was a cultural tour to visit some of the places in Iran that could tell us something of the country´s rich history, culture and civilisation.

The route was Theran-Esfahan-Shiraz-Persepolis-Shiraz-Theran.
The people of Iran is very polite, curious and interested in talking to foreigners. It was absolutely no problem traveling in Iran. All we can say is. Pack your gear and go to Iran!!

Kindly Marianne and Stein
Bergen Norway.
Visit also Damavand Guestbook

Benjamin Aubert From France - June 2010

"I spent 2 weeks in Iran with Mr Soltani and it was an amazing trip. Everything was prepared and very well organized. I had to worry about anything. Mr Soltani is a Mt Damavand Expert, he has wonderful knowledge about the mountain and the region. He knows where to go when and everything is clear. It first my first trip/guide in the world and I really like the time we spent. I had the chance to go far north to Sabalan and to see another huge mountain.
Why choosing Mt Damavand Info:
- Serious
- Honest
- VERY PROFESSIONNAL!
and he will help you to discover Iran as you which with many traditions and cultural aspect.
It worth going to the mountain with Mr Soltani if you wish to reach the summit. It is also very useful to listen as Mr Soltani advice as he climbed the mountain few time ;-)

Allez les Verts"
Benjamin Aubert

Jaime Vinals From Guatemala - April 2010

My expedition to Mt. Damavand last April 13 and 14 was a wonderful experience, specially because who organizes for me was very professional and kind.
I did my trip thru Mr. Ardeshir Soltani... http://damavandmt.blogspot.com/
Since the moment Mr. Soltani waited for me at the airport until the end of the trip he was concern about myself.
I climbed to the summit of Mt. Damavand together with Soltani's guide Mr. Majid Droodgar.
We did an excellent team with good communication and will to reach the summit. He has been up there many times, but for me was my very first time, which was great.
In enjoyed a very clear summits, admiring the landscape, scenery, the beautiful crater on the top. I have really enjoyed.
Thank you so much to Mr. Soltani and Mr. Droodgar for help me to introduce myslef to the wonderful Iranian Mountains such as Mt. Damavand.
I recommend very much to anyone who wants to climb successfully Mt. Damavand go with Mr. Ardeshir Soltani, he is the best at Iran.

Sincerely,
Jaime Vinals
Guatemala
http://www.jaimevinals.com/

Gilad Stern from South Africa - October 2007

Climbing Damavand can be a bit tricky. It is a high mountain, and not to be underestimated, especially because the height gain is relatively quick. One goes from the low slopes to the 5671 metre high summit in two days, so there is not a great deal of time to acclimatise. So, I found that the best asset I had in climbing Damavand was the considerable experience of Mr Soltani.

It is unusual, maybe even unmatched, for one person to have such extensive experience of one seriously high mountain. Mr Soltani's literally hundreds of summits have given him unparalleled insight into Damavand, and he shares that insight with his client climbers. I benefited from his advice and judgement, and that made the experience both pleasant and fulfilling.

Damavand is a characterfull mountain, high, beautiful, and full of energy. My ascent was enhanced by a guide with character and energy in generous quantities.

Gilad Stern
Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.giladstern.co.za/


This page will be updated regularly and will be sorted by the trip date to Mt. Damavand Iran.

Gilad Stern on the top of Mt Damavand Iran
October 2007, Photo by Ali Najafi

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