A wonderful route in order to accomplish some high altitude biking. Strictly an early summer ride, otherwise inclement weather would make things tough. In this trip we will be biking through the central part of Alborz mountain range. The biking terrain is mostly on dirt roads with some parts on age-old mule routes and a bit on paved roads. Starting from the west side we will cross to the east, covering a variety of different landscapes and ecosystems which include forests and orchards, beautiful streams, springs and lakes. There will be elevation gain starting with about 2000 meters and pedaling to close to 3300 meters above sea-level. There will be many spots for excellent views of a considerable portion of the mountain range which will have snowy peaks and sometimes spectacular weather. We will also encounter indigenous villagers and pass the slopes of Mt. Damaavand with an altitude of 5610 meters and finish our trip at the small and historical village of Aabe-Garm after pedaling for a total of about 200 kilometers.

We have carefully chosen a biking route that will offer a variety of spectacular valleys and mountain passages, glacial lakes and beautiful peaks. The type of terrain you will be riding on is mostly dirt roads combined with age old mule trade routes. We will start at a relatively high altitude of 2500 meters and will go as high as 3700 meters, but the route is not particularly strenuous and there is a lot of cruising and fairly even terrain. On average you will be pedaling between 20 to 30 Km per day. Plenty of time left to enjoy the views, take photographs and absorb the ambience. Along the way there will be a variety if interesting subjects to keep you well occupied including deep valleys to stir down, and many of the major peaks to look up; also you will be passing couple of pretty lakes, fruit orchards and picturesque villages.

We have designed this trip with 2 clear focuses: The first is a historical, cultural and architectural sojourn into Iran’s jewels of the desert: The cities of Yazd and its smaller neighbor, the town of Meybod. Yazd offers a collection of architectural gems and innovative design solutions for desert survival that illuminate for the visitor a clear picture of Persia’s considerable accomplishments in this matter. The second segment is the core of the trip and consists of off-road pedaling through Iran’s central desert (Dashte Kavir) covering some spectacular landscapes and sceneries of desert and salt formations and covers passing across desert mountain slopes and crossing through a few very interesting small towns and oasis villages. These include places such as Garmeh, Mesr, Aroosaan, Mehrjaan, Ordeeb and Aabe-Garm. We will also cover visiting some of the remains of ancient Persia and the ancestral spiritual practices of its people which is the way of the Zoroastrian religion. This includes a fire temple and place of pilgrimage for the present adherents of the faith. The biking route is part of the old and famous “Silk Road”. We have carefully chosen a part of this route that offers different eco-systems and changes in the landscape which simply are quite astonishing. We will come across mountain slopes and flowing rivers as well as the magical desert with its different colors and formations that together will make this journey enjoyable but more remarkably an adventure that will stay in the memory and grow as a wonderful experience along one’s life’s passage.