Damavand Ahead

Everyone who has ever seen the sunset at the foot of Damavand says they’ve never witnessed anything more beautiful. The beauty and greatness of Damavand are both expressed in numerous myths and poems, but the best way to experience the sunset is at the top of the volcano, itself – and Olga Rumyantseva is going to do it!

With the support of Kaspersky Lab, Olga is set to climb the highest volcanoes on each continent – she has already conquered Sidley and Kilimanjaro and now it is Damavand’s turn.

Olga will travel from Tehran, the capital of Iran, which occupies the territory of Persia. Tehran inherits its splendor from ancient society and is a country with rich cultural traditions and architectural monuments. But these sightseeing highlights are not Olga’s goal. She’s set out to conquer the highest summit of Asia and one of the world’s highest volcanoes: Damavand.

There are 4 routes to Damavand’s top, each one varying in difficulty. In fact, due to its shape, Damavand can be climbed from any side so there are dozens of routes to the summit. We asked Olga about her chosen route and her plans for climbing the volcano.

– What route have you chosen? Why?

– I’ve chosen the easiest and the most beautiful – the South route, mostly for safety reasons.

– What’s the climbing plan?

– June 17 – I arrive in Tehran. June 18 – transfer to Polur village, which rests at the foot of Damavand, climb to the shelter at an altitude of 4200 meters. June 19 – climb to the summit and descend back to Polur, finally returning to Tehran.

– Is any special training needed to climb Damavand?

– No, it isn’t. The route is not technically complicated, only the altitude matters.

– Will you visit the famous Iranian thermal springs? 🙂

– Sure. I’ll be visiting them on my way back to Tehran. This is the best way to relax and recover after climbing.

– Can you recall an amusing story from your previous Damavand climb?

– Amusing stories about climbing, hmmm… 🙂

We were covered with snow and the volcano had woken up throwing out a fountain of stinky air in front of us. But we needed to reach the summit no matter what! Amusing enough? 🙂

Thank God the way back was easy: we sat down and rode the snow on our butts. It took us almost halfway back.

– Any memories regarding other aspects of your previous trips here?

– There are separate cars in the Tehran subway: for women and men. We entered the male one and all the men stood up immediately giving me a place to sit. I started saying, “No, thank you…” but our guide said: “Could you please take your seat? They will stand until you sit!”

Today Olga is arriving to Tehran and tomorrow she will head off towards Damavand. Let’s wish Olga good luck! We hope she will safely conquer the volcano and share her positive experience with us!

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