9-DAYS SKI TOURING MOUNT DAMAVAND & DO BERAR MOUNTAIN RANGE

Duration	Grade*	Category	Group Size
9 Days	Moderate	Skitouring	Max 10, Avg 7

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Tehran International airport- Directly transfer to Shemshak ski resort (about 80 km,~2600 m) - Ski in the area – Overnight in hotel.

Day 2: By lift take up to Pinasoom col (3,050 m) – climb Pinasoom peak (3,300 m) – ski down Shemshak – Overnight in hotel.

Day 3: Transfer to Dizin pass (3220 m ) - climb Cooloon Basteh peak (4,200 m, about 4 hrs) – ski down Dizin –By lift up to Dizin pass then Transfer to Shemshak - Overnight in hotel.

Day 4: Transfer from Shemshak to Reyneh Village– Overnight in Rural House

Day 5: Climb Barghah-e-Sevom shelter (4,150 m, about 5 hrs climb) – Overnight in shelter or camp

Day 6: Acclimatization day or reserve day for Mt. Damavand – Overnight in shelter or camp

Day 7: Climb the summit of Mt. Damavand (5,671 m, about 6 hrs climb) – ski down Barghah-e-Sevom shelter – Overnight in shelter or camp

Day 8: Ski down Goosfand Sara, Transfer to Tehran – Overnight in Hotel

Day 9: Transfer to Airport for Final Departure.

DETAILS

A 9 days Mount Damavand skitouring trip that will give you an excellent skiing experience and new insights of a different culture.

PERMITS & VISAS

IRANIAN VISA

In order to apply and get your visa you must send us your visa support form at the time of your booking. After receiving your personal data , we apply with that form via our Iranian partner agency to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on your behalf. Your visa will then be authorized by the MFA and faxed to the Iranian Consulate near you. We will give you a visa authorization number with which you can refer to the consulate to get your visa . The visa authorization number, however, is valid only in the consulate you have asked them your visa to be issued in. The number they give you is just an "authorization". This reference number means that your visa has been authorized and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but it is not the visa itself.

After we announce you the visa authorization number you should first get a visa application form from the consulate and follow the requirements of the application form (you may either personally go to the consulate to get the application forms or - if the service available - download it from the web site of the Iranian embassy in your country). Then you should refer to the consulate to lodge your passports and application forms with the visa number we gave you (it can be either a physical presence or by post). Then it might take from one to five days for the consulate to issue your visa.

Normally, all tourist visas issued by Iranian consulates have a "3-month" validity. The visa allows you to stay in Iran for up to 30 days, although the duration of your visa is at the discretion of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Note: A visa cannot be issued for passports which have a validity of less than 6 months. Exit permits required by all (often included with visa).

Please download the visa support form and send us together with your booking form: http://www.anatolianadventures.com/eng/files/IRAN_VISA_SUPPORT.pdf

LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS IN IRAN

Islamic law is strictly enforced in Iran. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas.

Local Islamic codes of behaviour and dress are enforced by law in any public place e.g. hotels and restaurants men should wear long trousers and long-sleeve shirts and women must cover their heads with a headscarf, wear trousers (or a long skirt), and a long-sleeved tunic or coat that reaches to mid-thigh or knee. There are occasional crackdowns on dress particularly in the summer months and during times of religious commemoration. If you blatantly disregard these rules you may encounter difficulties or even face arrest. There are additional dress requirements at certain religious sites, where e.g. women may be asked to put on a chador (a garment which covers the whole body except the face) before entering. During the climb, women can wear western-style climbing clothes.

The import, sale, manufacture and consumption of alcohol in Iran is strictly forbidden on religious grounds, with exceptions only for certain recognised Iranian religious minorities (not foreigners). Penalties can be severe.

Photography near military and other government installations is strictly prohibited. Many such places are often difficult to identify and great care should be taken with photography in areas away from tourist locations, including urban areas. You may be arrested and detained on serious criminal charges, including espionage, which can carry the death penalty. It is better to ask before taking photographs of people.

You should carry some form of identification with you at all times.

Behaviour regarded as inoffensive elsewhere can lead to serious trouble in Iran, particularly with regard to sexual relations, alcohol and drugs. In general, it is best to err on the side of caution. Relationships between non-Muslim men and Muslim women are illegal. Unmarried partners and friends of the opposite sex travelling together should be discreet at all times in public. Iranian hotel managers could insist on seeing a marriage certificate before allowing any couple to share a double hotel room. During the holy month of Ramadan, you should in general observe the Muslim tradition of not eating, drinking or smoking in public from sunrise to sunset each day, though there are exemptions for travellers who will be able to eat in hotel restaurants.

You should also be aware that:

Homosexual behaviour, adultery and sex outside of marriage are illegal under Iranian law and can carry the death penalty.
Penalties for importing and possessing drugs are severe and enforced. Large numbers of convicted drug traffickers have been executed in recent years.
The importation of all alcohol and pork products is banned.
Women's magazines and DVDs/ videos depicting sexual relations are also forbidden. Although cultural restrictions have loosened, there are periodic clampdowns and satellite dishes and many Western CDs and films remain illegal.

DESTINATION GUIDE

About Mount Damavand
Mount Damavand also known as Donbavand, is a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Iran with a special place in the Persian mythology and folklore.
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