Courage is required to drive to Mount Damāvand
Mount Damāvand is a stratovolcano located in Amol County, Mazandaran Province, in northern Iran. A gravel road south of the peak ends at an elevation of 3.025m (9,924ft) above the sea level. It's one of the highest roads of the country.
Located at the central part of the Alborz Mountain range, the road to the peak is totally unpaved. It’s very bumpy, steep and crowded in summers. Due to heavy snowfall in winters the gravel road is blocked and cars can not reach this place. At the summit there’s a parking lot, a mosque and a mountain hut. 4x4 recommended.
The road is pretty steep. Starting from Polur a village in Amol County, Mazandaran Province, the road is 19.8 km (12.30 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 815 meters. The average gradient is 4.11%.
Pic: Arek Pawłowski