Mount Damavand Summit Guide: The Northeast Face

Ascend Iran’s +5000 summit through its most beautiful route! Need a summit guide? Here it is! As Asia’s highest volcano and Iran’s highest mountain, Mount Damavand showcases an incredible nature on its Northeastern Face. But the photos don’t do justice to the beauties of this part of Damavand Mountain and its lovely Nandel Village. Read on to find out more about ascending Mount Damavand’s Northeast Face…

The Charms of Mount Damavand’s Northeast Face

The northeast face is known for the beauty of its nature. It has rich water resources and a thick vegetation. Plus, it is less accessible than the other parts of Mount Damavand. Furthermore, its being sheltered from the hunters has created a safe place for rare animals. Together, these have made the northeastern face a pristine land.

The Camps on Mount Damavand’s Northeastern Face

1. Nandel’s Mountaineering house: It is a 2-floor house that includes a yard (used as a parking), 2 rooms, bathroom and WC. Nandel village doesn’t have access to city gas system. So, if you’d like to take a shower, tell the manager to turn on the diesel water heater.
2. Takht-e Fereydoun Hut: Built in 1976 at a 4388-meter altitude on the northeastern face.

Mount Damavand’s Northeastern Face Ascending Guidelines

1- Reaching Nandel (Day 1)

To summit Mount Damavand through the northeastern face, you’ll have to get to Nandel first. Make your way toward Amol and continue your trip on Haraz Road. After passing Polour, Gazanak, Vana Tunnel, Baijan and the police station, you can see the road that leads to Nandel village on the left. After Baijan police station and passing Tunnel 8, you can find a sign on the left that leads you to Nandel’s Mountaineering House. Follow that road until you reach the beautiful Nandel Village (2700m).

2-  Nandel Village (Day 1)

Nandel village is the starting point of mountaineers who want to summit Mount Damavand through the northern or northeastern face.

3- The Mountaineering House of Nandel (Day 1)

In the beginning of Nandel Village, you can find a 2-floor house that shelters mountaineers. The house can shelter up to 20 persons. But if you make arrangements with Mr. Salehi at the Mountaineering House of Nandel (find his phone no. at the end of the blog), you can reserve another house in the village for your entire team. The mountaineering house has an old cherry tree in its yard. If you are there in July, you can pick cherries off the tree for your team. If you don’t have an intensive plan, I recommend staying in Nandel the day before your ascent. You can both enjoy the charming beauties of Nandel and its surrounding fields, and give your body more time to adjust itself to the 2700m altitude of the village.

4- Nandel to Gardanehsar Gusfandsara

To get to Gardanehsar Gusfandsara (the beginning of the northeastern route), the Mountaineering House of Nandel or the villagers can make arrangements to give you a ride. This way, you can save your time and energy and get to Gusfandsara in about 1 hour. You can also hike through this part, get yourself to Gusfandsara on foot and from there make your way toward Tekht-e Fereydoun Shelter (this choice will add a full day to your schedule).

5- Gardanehsar Gusfandsara (Day 2)

Gardanehsar Gusfandsara (2870m) is the last place where you can get potable water. Take enough water for your whole ascent (about 3 days). If you make arrangements with the manager of Gusfandsara, you can get donkeys to carry your stuff. Each donkey can carry up to 3 backpacks, so if you want to economize, gather up all your heavy stuff (like water bottles) in a few backpacks and let the donkeys carry them for you. So, you can get to Takht-e Fereydoun Shelter with lighter backpacks. Take enough water for your ascent from Gusfandsara to the shelter.

6- Takht-e Fereydoun Shelter (Day 2)

After passing Gardanehsar and stepping on the northeastern face, most of the way is beaten. You’ll have 6 hours of hiking to get to Takht-e Fereydoun Shelter (4388m). The shelter is located next to Yakhar glacier and can shelter up to 20 persons. There is a camping area around the shelter. Also, on 2 points on the route, you can use the water of melted snow. But if you’re not used to drinking this kind of water, you’d better not. The last place you can get snow water is 50 meters to Takht-e Fereydoun shelter (on the slope that leads to the shelter).

7- Acclimatization (Day 2)

You’d better rest a bit after getting to the shelter. Then leave your stuff at the shelter and follow the beaten path toward Yakhar Face. Get yourself to a 4800-meter altitude and stay there for about an hour to adapt yourself to that altitude. Then get back to the shelter, eat a light dinner and get ready for tomorrow’s ascent.

8- Off to the Summit (Day 3)

Follow the beaten trail that goes up beside the shelter and step on Yakhar Glacier. The beaten trail passes through unstable rocks and falling stones and this has caused mountaineers damages. So stay close to the beaten trail as much as possible and be careful with the part of the route that neighbors Yakhar Glacier. After passing Yakhar glacier, you’ll get to the Snow Roof (a huge mass of ice and snow that stretches from the north to the east of Mount Damavand like an umbrella). The route gradually gets more sloping.

At the Snowy Roof, the northern face route and the northeastern route meet and the beaten trail leads you to the roof of Iran. At +5000 altitude, keep a rhythmic breathing pattern to ease your headache and dizziness.

Note 1: To have an easier summitting experience, work on your lung capacity before summitting mount Damavand.

Note 2: If wind blows, it carries sulfur gas toward you. So, you need to wear a mask or a scarf around your mouth.

9- Mount Damavand Summit (Day 3)

Slowly follow the steep route of the Snowy Roof until you reach the summit. Try to stay away from the sulfur crater of Mount Damavand. You had better not stay on the summit more than 30 minutes. Because the 570-meter altitude makes you tired and exposure to the sulfur gas of the volcano can poison you.

Very Important Note: If it’s past 2pm and you haven’t made it to the top yet, you’d better forget about summitting Mount Damavand today. You still have a long way down on the dangerous Yakhar Glacier and need to preserve your time and energy.

10- Return from the Summit (Day 3)

The northeastern face is known for its narrow ridge, unstable trail and falling stones. So, the group members should keep their proper distance from each other (less than 1 meter). Consider the altitude, the fatigue and the cold. These 3 factors can drain your energy. So try to keep focused during the descent and take strong steps. You’d better spend another night in the shelter. Also, 400 meters below the shelter, there is a green and small field where mountaineers camp and spend the night. You can give The Mountaineering House of Nandel a call to make arrangements for picking you up from the shelter.

The Best Time to Summit Mount Damavand’s Northern Face

The best time to summit damavand is usually mid-July to late August. Because the cold and the winds on the summit reduce in mid-summer, it’s the time when Mount Damavand becomes a host to a larger number of mountaineers.

Cell-Phone Signal Reception on Mount Damavand’s Northeastern Face:

You’ll have reception (Irancell and Hamrahe Avval) from Gardanehsar Gusfandsara to Takht-e Fereydoun Shelter.

Necessary Phone numbers on Mount Damavand’s Northeastern Face:

The Mountaineering House of Nandel: 01223422226

Hooshang Salehi: +989119181425

Esmaeel Ramezani (driver): +989119180618 and 01223422015

Ali Qanbari (the owner of the donkeys): +989119155088