4 seasons of life in the Alborz mountains This clip is about one and half years of photography and life in the Shemshak village after Coronavirus from February 2020 till August 2012. The photos and time lapse were taken with Canon EOS-R camera and a few of them recorded with Go pro. The original reason for this was to have an archive of photos from this amazing place and use it in the Adventure Iran website as the Shemshak photo gallery section. After a while when I saw that I have a good collection of photos from different aspects of the region like nature, landscape, people, night photography and the changing seasons, I made the decision to make a photo book for the region as well as making a short clip of the slides of my photos. I hope you enjoy it and would be useful for your information. Shemshak village and in it Shemshak Ski Resort which is one the main three ski resorts of Iran, is about 55 km away from the north east of Tehran. Darbandsar village and the ski resort are also nearby Shemshak which is 4 km away and it’s one of the other ski regions in the area. The third is Dizin ski resort which is Iran's largest ski resort and its 14 km away from Shemshak village. These three villages are located in the valley and many mountains above 4000m in the Central Alborz surround these regions. Shemshak village has an altitude between 2600-2800 m and As it was an important coal mine in the region (about a 100 years ago) which was about the beginning of 20 century, the majority of locals worked in the mine. Afterwards in the middle of 20 century (1949), skiing on Shemshak started. After 10 years in
4 seasons of life in the Alborz mountains This clip is about one and half years of photography and life in the Shemshak village after Coronavirus from February 2020 till August 2012. The photos and time lapse were taken with Canon EOS-R camera and a few of them recorded with Go pro. The original reason
Mount Sarak Chal in Iran Mount Sarak Chal (or Sarakchal) is one of the highest summits in the central Alborz Mountains in Iran, at 4210m above sea level. There are three Sarak Chal peaks which are located on the famous Kolon Bastak-Sarak Chal mountain ridge line. All three mountains are above 4000 m. The closest village to this mountain is Shemshak, the last one on the famous mountainous road of Tehran-Fasham. It is 60 km away from downtown Tehran. As a matter of interest, one of the most notable ski resorts in Iran for professional skiers is in Shemshak village. The altitude of the village is about 2700 m above sea level, which is the starting point of the trek to Sarak Chal peak. There is a shelter at 3492 m on the way to the peak, which is convenient as it is also the ideal location for acclimatization. There is a 15 km famous ridgeline above Shemshak village from west to east, which starts from Mount Koloon Bastak (4170m) in the west and ends at Mount Sarak Chal 3 (4210m) in the east. Between these two mountains, there are the two peaks of Sarak Chal 1 (4080m) and Sarak Chal 2 (4100m), making this ridgeline very challenging. From the peak, you have an excellent view of the immense Central Alborz mountains. In clear weather, you can see most of them, such as the Abak (3520m), Kholeno (4387m), Azadkuh (4350m), and Borj (4326m) mountains as well as the mighty Damavand (5610m), the roof of Iran. The season runs from mid-spring till the beginning of autumn. Summertime is the most popular period for ascending the mountain, as the weather is more stable for trekking. Mount Sarak Chal Ascend is the shortest hiking tour that we offer for this mountain. Hike in
Mount Sarak Chal in Iran Mount Sarak Chal (or Sarakchal) is one of the highest summits in the central Alborz Mountains in Iran, at 4210m above sea level. There are three Sarak Chal peaks which are located on the famous Kolon Bastak-Sarak Chal mountain ridge line. All three mountains are above 4000 m. The closest
Shemshak Village in Iran Shemshak village is one of the highest villages in Iran, situated in the heart of the Central Alborz Mountain, at 2,700 m altitude. It is only 65 km from the center of Tehran, about a 1 ½ hour drive to reach through a mountainous road. There is also a ski resort beside Shemshak village called Shemshak Ski resort. This ski resort is famous as it was the first to open in Iran in 1958, and is now the third largest ski resort in the country after Dizin and Darbandsar. Shemshak village is surrounded by numerous mountains above 3,000 m and 4,000 m, which makes the area ideal for hiking and mountain biking in Iran during spring, early summer, and summer. It is perfect for skiing in the winter. The 3,000m mountains are just right for easy and moderate hikes and are close to the village. For strenuous and challenging trekkers, the renowned mountains above 4,000 m. are perfect. There is a 15 Km mountain ridge above Shemshak village, stretching from Kolon Bastak (4,170m) in the west to Sarakchal (4,210m) in the east. Between the two peaks, there are even more mountains over 4,000m (Sarakchal 2 & Sarakchal 3), making this ridgeline very challenging. In the south, there is Mt Abak (3,520m) which is above Shemshak Ski Piste. If the weather is clear, you can view a number of Iran’s high mountains such as Kholeno (4,387m), Azadkuh (4,350m), Borj (4,326m), and the roof of Iran, Mt Damavand (5,610m). On the Adventure Iran website, we have a variety of hiking, mountain biking, and ski tours in this region, with different difficulty levels suitable for all travelers. We will briefly introduce some of these tours so that you can get a general idea. Shemshak Wall and Abak Mountain tour
Shemshak Village in Iran Shemshak village is one of the highest villages in Iran, situated in the heart of the Central Alborz Mountain, at 2,700 m altitude. It is only 65 km from the center of Tehran, about a 1 ½ hour drive to reach through a mountainous road. There is also a ski resort
Alborz-e Markazi Protected Area Alborz-e Markazi Protected Area is one of the biggest protected areas in Alborz Mountain Range observed by the Department of Environment of Iran. The area starts north of Tehran city and stretches to the Caspian Sea. It is situated in three provinces of Tehran, Alborz, and Mazandaran. The whole area is around 400,000 hectares and is home to 48 species of mammals, 156 species of birds, 1,400 different species of plants, and 26 species of reptiles who live in this area. It is one of the main sources of water as there are many rivers in this region. The most famous mountains of Central Alborz, above 4,000m, are located in this protected area. Mount AzadKuh 4,400m, Mount Kolonbastak 4,150 m, and Mount Sarakchal 4,250m are its most famous peaks. In addition, Abali Ski resort, the first ski resort in Iran, built around 60 years ago (1960), is located in Alborz-e Markazi protected area. The main ski resorts of Dizin, Shemshak, and Darbandsar are also found here. Adventure Iran is one of the pioneer tour operators focusing on this region to conduct and create action-packed tours in Iran. Short and long mountain trekking, Mountain biking, and Ski touring are a variety of Adventure Iran tours that are carried out during the most suitable period for each activity throughout the year. A couple of tours with fixed departure dates are included in Adventure Iran Group Tours too. Due to the high altitude, the temperature and climate vary in each season. We, therefore, arrange appropriate trips for each season. One of the most popular moderate treks is Hike in Iran through off the beaten tracks which is one-week trekking in the Central Alborz Mountains and includes several protected areas such as Alborz Markazi protected area. For Mountain Biking, we
Alborz-e Markazi Protected Area Alborz-e Markazi Protected Area is one of the biggest protected areas in Alborz Mountain Range observed by the Department of Environment of Iran. The area starts north of Tehran city and stretches to the Caspian Sea. It is situated in three provinces of Tehran, Alborz, and Mazandaran. The whole area is
Central Alborz Mountains The boundary between the Chalus and Haraaz Rivers in the Alborz mountain range is the Central Alborz Mountain. In Persian it’s called Reshte Kuh-hay Alborz Markazi. The two main highest peaks of Iran, (Mt Damavand and Alamkuh), are located in these mountains. Both are the most popular peaks for nearly all trekkers from around the world seeking a challenge. There is an abundance of mountains above 4,000 m located here. Around 20 of them are famous, attracting many local climbers who regularly ascend them. Mt Damavand 5,610m, Mt Alam Kuh 4,810m, Mt Kholeno 4,375m, Mt Azadkuh 4,355m, Mt Sarakchal 4,210m, Mt Kolonbastak 4,150m, and Mt Touchal 3,964 m are the most beautiful and important mountains in this region. There are rivers, protected areas, national parks, flora and fauna, wild animals, forests, a canyon, lakes, ski resorts and a nomadic region. Depending on your travel time, type of activity, level of experience, fitness and endurance, you can choose virtually any option available in the Central Alborz mountains. For the whole 12 months of the year, adventurous people are active in this region. You can opt for cycling, trekking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing, and ski touring in this mountainous area. Also, in this region, which is just a short slice of the whole Alborz Mountain Range, there are a couple of famous National Parks and Protected areas. Lar National Park, west of Mount Damavand, is located in central Alborz mountain. Adventure Iran has an annual Ultra Trail marathon in May in Lar National Park which is in the southern west side of the massive Damavand Mountain. Another place is the large Alborz Markazi protected area, containing a great array of wildlife, birds, and the famous Hyrcanian Forests. Varjin protected area is yet another region in
Central Alborz Mountains The boundary between the Chalus and Haraaz Rivers in the Alborz mountain range is the Central Alborz Mountain. In Persian it’s called Reshte Kuh-hay Alborz Markazi. The two main highest peaks of Iran, (Mt Damavand and Alamkuh), are located in these mountains. Both are the most popular peaks for nearly all trekkers
