Oh, Artem and I suffered a lot on Damavand! The forecast did not quite come true, it was very harsh on the mountain. Gusts of wind constantly threw us off the path, but we dug in, endured and reached the summit! We were in the cloud the whole time, and so we returned to the shelter all covered in snow and ice. But our adventure did not end there, the cloudiness descended behind us, and we still had to go down from the shelter to the car in the blizzard and with flashlights in the dark. We were very tired, but happy with the impressions, such an ascent is remembered for a long time!

News from Iran. Today, in three and a half hours at a super-even pace, we gained a kilometer of altitude and reached the refuge at an altitude of 4200 meters. While we were walking, the wind didn't bother us much, we even walked half the way in fleece jackets. But at the shelter it was already blowing quite a bit, and although the sun was shining, it was still cold. We tried not to get scared and prepared for the assault. The departure was scheduled for 4:30.

Greetings from Iran! Unexpectedly for this mountain, Artem and I arrived at Damavand. Time is running out, but we flew according to the forecast. Well, as according to the forecast... the weather is walkable, but on the edge, windy. Today we arrived straight from the airport at 2200 and are resting in the hotel. So far, everything is going according to plan.

Actually, I arrived a day earlier than Artem. Yesterday, with my friend, the first Iranian with an international guide certificate, we climbed the local rocks not far from the capital.

Today we climbed Damavand - 5609m!!! On October 31 at 12:00 Iranian time, Ilya Gladkikh and I climbed the highest volcano in Asia. This is the second mountain from the "7 Volcanoes in 77 Days" project. The weather was not good at all, the climb was out of season. The wind was up to 60 km per hour. The temperature at the summit was minus 25. And there was already snow. I had three warm pants on. I have never put on so many! It was really hard to walk. But we managed.

Now we are urgently heading to Kilimanjaro!

Two volcanoes in 8 days - let's move on!

Greetings from Iran from the "X Group"! Today we reached our goal and climbed Mount Damavand. The day before there was a thunderstorm with snow all evening, so we postponed the start time several times. In the end, we finally waited for a weather window and successfully climbed to the top. On the descent, we were caught in a thunderstorm with snow again. But now we are already in the camp and resting.

Greetings from Iran from "Group X"! For greater acclimatization today we walked to an altitude of 4500 meters. The weather is not pleasing to us, there is always a thunderstorm with snow after lunch. But here they feed us enough to slaughter. Sheep, meats, whatever you want! Tonight we will start in the direction of the summit. We hope for success!

Greetings from Iran! Today the team of the 7 Summits Club "Group X" moved to the foot of Mount Damavand. In the Iranian Mountaineering Federation we received consultations and issued permits. In the hotel we sorted out our things, we are preparing to go to the base camp tomorrow. Well, and traditionally we eat delicious kebabs. Everything is fine with us, we continue to work according to plan.

Greetings from Iran! Yesterday, the participants of the new 7 Summits Club program - "Group X" arrived here. We checked into the hotel, had a briefing. Today we climbed Mount Tochal, looked at Tehran from above. Then we went down to the hotel, we will rest. We eat delicious kebabs and olives. And in general, Iranian cuisine is very tasty.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Andrey Selivanov.

Greetings from Iran! The group "Masha and the Lions" has reached the final part. Tomorrow early in the morning we are scheduled to go to the summit of Damavand. The day before, we climbed to the assault camp at 4200 m, at a good pace in 5 hours, which shows the good physical fitness of the participants. We were accommodated in the best "rooms" of the shelter, and delicious food and a pleasant time spent talking and playing Perudo create a favorable atmosphere. Today before lunch we made a short acclimatization hike to 4500 m. During the day we discussed organizational aspects of the upcoming ascent. The mood is the most decisive, wish us luck! Guides Andrey Selivanov and Valery Myasoedov.

 Hi from Iran! The group "Masha and the Lions" began the acclimatization part of the program on the second day of their stay in the country. In the early afternoon, we climbed the cable car to 3,600 m and checked into the cozy Hotel Tochal. The accommodations for a high-altitude hotel are luxurious. The good food, the comfortable rooms, the recreation area, all contribute to acclimatization and recovery. In the afternoon, we climbed to the top of Mount Shah Nesh, 3,800 meters, and enjoyed a panoramic view of Tehran. Suddenly, the Damavand, which is usually hidden in the mist, opened up. In the evening, Andrey Selivanov gave a lecture on hypoxic training in preparation for climbing. Our participants showed great interest and asked many questions. The guides are Andrey Selivanov and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Iran! The new group of the 7 Summits Club has started the program of climbing Damavand! Tehran greeted us with the usual heat, under +36. However, in the north of the city, at the foot of the mountain range, where our magnificent hotel Espinas Palace is located, it is more comfortable. The first day of the stay was devoted to getting to know the city. The program included lunch in the panoramic restaurant of the Milod Tower at an altitude of 280 m, a sightseeing tour of Tehran and a visit to the Golestan Palace, the residence of the Qajar dynasty. We managed to do everything, even left a couple of hours to relax in the hotel spa. The welcome dinner was held in the Diba restaurant, numerous appetizers, traditional Iranian kebabs and shashliks were appreciated by the group members. During the day we got to know each other better and wished each other a successful ascent. The name of the group will be announced in the next news item. Guides Andrey Selivanov and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Iran! "Ripe Peaches" has completed its program of stay in the country, this early morning the last participants flew home. What we saw during the three days of the excursion program, as they say... can't be described in a fairy tale or with a pen. The ancient capitals of Persia Shiraz, Persepolis, Pasargadae, Isfahan... touching this part of the cultural heritage of mankind takes your breath away. History is at every step here. 2500 years of construction used technologies that even now are impossible for modern man to understand. Centuries-old history, excellent cuisine, friendly and welcoming people await you in this hospitable country. Combining this exciting tour with climbing Damavand is the best gift to yourself! Plan and join us next season, recruitment for groups is already open.

Greetings from Iran! The "Ripe Peaches" group, or rather part of it, is still in the country and is making a sightseeing tour of the ancient capitals of Persia.

Yesterday, early in the morning, we flew to Shiraz, the capital of the province of Fars, and spent the whole day in this ancient city of poets, love and roses. So many magnificent gardens and parks, magnificent mosques... in this aspect Shiraz has no competitors. We visited the Narenjestan Garden, the Garden of Eden, the tomb of Hafez, the great poet of the 14th century, revered by all Iranians, then had lunch in a traditional restaurant near the Vakil Bazaar. The bazaar itself has 400 years of history, a walk through it is an obligatory part of the program of stay in Shiraz. In the evening we walked in the city center around the Karim Khan Fortress, where on weekends, and Thursday is a day off in Iran, like Saturday in our country, thousands of city dwellers gather, and tasted the famous Shiraz dessert faloodeh. A wonderful end to the day!

In the evening, we all gathered for a gala dinner in one of the best restaurants in Tehran with a stunning view. There, we presented awards and medals to our champions. We shared our impressions of the past trip and even made joint plans for the future!

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Kristina Putintseva.

The weather today was incredibly pleasing to us, and we still had plenty of strength, so we decided to continue the descent and get to Tehran. Everyone is alive and well, they haven't realized their feat yet, but we are already accepting congratulations!

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Kristina Putintseva.

We hope to return to you with news by lunch.

Super-guides Valery Myasoedov and Kristina Putintseva.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Kristina Putintseva.

The President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Iran:

Today, August 13, the ENTIRE TEAM of SuperGirls heroically climbed the highest volcano in Asia, Mount Damavand, 5610 meters high.

 All the girls are happy and are already making new plans!

The President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Iran:

Today was the final acclimatization day of the Supergirls group before the attempt to climb Damavand. We had a photo shoot, tried very hard to take great photos and videos. At night we go out to climb the highest volcano in Asia - Mount Damavand, 5609 meters.

The president of the 7 Summits Club Alex Abramov reports from Iran:

After spending a day of rest at the Larijan hot springs and receiving a permit to climb Damavand, the Supergirls team climbed to an excellent refuge. From here, the assault on the summit takes place. Today we have a photo shoot on the slopes, and at night we will go to the assault.

All the girls feel great!

The president of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Iran:

Today is a great day (August 9). The team climbed the summit of Tuchal 4950m. There was not enough space at the top for everyone! We celebrated the ascent with wild dancing. Now we are spending the night in a ski hotel not far from the Mount Tuchal.

The food here is good.

Hello everyone! Our new series of the charming Super Girls Damavand project has begun. We have all been waiting for this! Yesterday the Supergirls team arrived in Iran and was amazed at what a beautiful and historical country it is. Wonderful people. We visited the palace of King Golestan, got acquainted with the culture of ancient Persia. In the evening we had a traditional dinner on the TV tower with a panoramic view of Tehran.

Today is our first ascent. We are climbing to the top of Mount Tuchal.

The atmosphere in the city is normal, calm. Everyone is walking and laughing.

Your guide Alex Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club.

Alexander Abramov can be safely called the "godfather" of the Seven Volcanoes program. It was the president of the 7 Summits Club who conceived, and our company carried out, the historic expedition of 2011 to Mount Sidley. Since the scientific discovery of this highest volcano in Antarctica, no one had been there. As a result of the 2011 ascent, the first people to climb all seven volcanoes appeared. These were the participants of our expedition Mario Trimeri and Crina Popescu. And this was the real start of the Seven Volcanoes program. Russia, represented by our company, is the world leader in the number of climbers who have climbed all seven volcanoes of the project. At the moment, out of 46 who have completed the project, 14 represent our country. There is something to be proud of!

 10.07, 7th day. All salom from Iran!

The group of the 7 Summits Club "Partizans" devoted today to shopping and, no matter how much we would like it, there was again a gastronomic lunch in a wonderful restaurant.  This is certainly something special!

We completed the program with a festive dinner at the Sky Lounge restaurant on the 21st floor of our hotel!  The participants were also awarded certificates from the 7 Summits Club and from our Iranian partners, and medals were awarded for completing the Summits from the Seven Volcanoes program. Everyone is happy!

New horizons and ascents are ahead!

July 4th, the 1st day of the program. All salam from Iran! A new group of the 7 Summits Club called "Partisans" has arrived in Tehran to climb the highest volcano in Asia, Mount Damavand 5671m! A traditional sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the Golestan Palace, its mirrored halls and halls with gifts from the rulers of other countries, certainly impresses new guests of the country. Another tradition is lunch at the panoramic Milad restaurant of the capital's TV tower (an analogue of our "Seventh Heaven") at an altitude of 280m with a view of the entire valley of Tehran.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

The hot soup brought us to our senses after trekking, now we are resting and waiting for a delicious dinner, the menu of which will definitely be a surprise for the group.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

We slowly descended by cable car to Tehran and drove to the foot of Damavand. Already, almost in the native restaurant "Adam and Eve", we had lunch with a lot of kebabs.  It's very tasty, it's pointless to write, you need to try!

We received climbing permits from the local Mountaineering Federation and came to the Larijan thermal springs resort. This is "real mountaineering": kebabs, springs, swimming!

Dinner, as always, at the local wonderful kebab shop with seven types of kebabs. The real work begins tomorrow, we will climb to the hut of the assault camp at an altitude of 4250m.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

 Lunch at the national restaurant, where the main dish is "dizi", was appreciated by everyone. And a welcome dinner at the Milod Tower with a panorama of evening Tehran completed the first day of immersion in this incredible colorful culture of Iran. We decided to be called "'Persian lions", which shows the most determined attitude to the climb.

Guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Valery Myasoedov.

Early this morning, half of the group flew home, the other half to Shiraz, where they will continue their cultural excursion program around the country. We wish them bright impressions!

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

Fingers crossed and good luck!

On the way, we had lunch at our favorite Adam and Eve restaurant, tasting delicious kebabs and fresh salads. Then we visited the House of the Iranian Mountaineering Federation and issued the necessary permits for climbing Damavand.  On the way to Larijan, a local thermal spring resort, we stopped at the poppy meadow for a branded local photo shoot.

After staying at the hotel, we visited the pool with thermal waters and enjoyed seven types of kebabs at dinner in the local kebab shop, everything is very cool!

Well-fed and satisfied, we took an evening walk around Larijan, and then went to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day - climbing to the assault camp at 4200m.

Take care of yourself!

See you in the mountains!

All the weather and good luck!

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

The ascent was not difficult, as we used the "technical support" of the local cable car.

After lunch, the weather began to deteriorate, and we decided not to waste time and instead of the Shah Neshin mountain (3800m) go straight to the Peak of Tochal - 3964m. We managed, before the thunderstorm, which came as soon as we entered the hotel.

We went in “pole-pole”, in a very comfortable aerobic mode! After trekking, we did stretching and rest on the eve of dinner.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

Today there was a sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the mirrored halls of the Golestan Palace and lunch at a restaurant located in the ancient building of the first Tehran bank.

And in the evening, we had a welcome dinner in the panoramic restaurant of the Milad TV tower at an altitude of 280 meters. We met and discussed the name of our group.

Guides Valery Myasoedov and Evgeny Fedyunin.

 Salom from Iran! Yesterday, the group "Three by three" in full force made an ascent on the summit of Damavand.  In my memory, the most difficult climb, the most difficult weather conditions, all the most unusual… We went out to storm at 23.00, whereas before, all our groups went out at 4-5 in the morning. This was due to the thunderstorm front, which has been steadily covering the Damavand area for the past few days in the afternoon. Safety is always a priority for us, wherever it is, on any mountain. We spent more than a day on our feet, just a couple of hours of rest after dinner, the participants showed a full understanding of the situation and the mood to achieve the goal. As a result, at 6.45 am we were all standing at the top, very tired, but also very happy from this moment of being on the highest volcano in Asia. After almost 8 hours of work in difficult conditions, the snow was knee-deep in places, it was completely uncharacteristic for the June Damavand, in fact, it was like a winter ascent. The indomitable character and willpower of the band members are admired. The guys are great fellows, real fighters! Now we are already in Tehran, resting and recovering. There will be a gala dinner and an award ceremony in the evening.

 Salome from Iran from the group "Three by three"! For technical reasons, they could not send the news, now everything has been fixed. Yesterday we went up to the shelter, also known as the assault camp, at 4,200 m. Still, the bad weather got us, it turned out to be so harmful. In the second half of the climb, we were hit by hail turning into snow. And there was a lot of noise not far away. Driven by the blizzard, we ran in 4.5 hours, a record of sorts. We quickly came to our senses under the roof, had a delicious dinner and finally relaxed in warm sleeping bags. Today we went upstairs for acclimatization, tried on crampons and mastered the basic technique of using an ice axe. You have to be ready for anything. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the guides decided to go out at night to avoid a thunderstorm front that flies here in the afternoon.

It's a non-standard solution, but we believe in success. Wish us good luck!

Greetings from Iran! The group "Three by three" continues its climbing program on Damavand. Today was the third day, which we tentatively called Kebab Day the day before. Great name, fully justified. After breakfast at the Tochal Mountain Hotel, we took a cable car down to Tehran and started moving to the foot of Damavand. On the way, we had lunch planned at our favorite Adam and Eve restaurant. A non-Muslim name, say, but nevertheless…  And they also started celebrating Kebab Day there. Lamb on a bone, lamb kebab, several fresh salads and snacks with beer and doug, milk drink. A great start!

   Later we stopped at the House of the Iranian Mountaineering Federation to apply for permits. And how they would have been decorated. But, in fact, they did not get their hands on it, since the big boss was not in the office. We left copies of our passports, paid for them, and were formally given the go-ahead to move on. Thanks to the time saved, we then drove to the poppy meadow. We spent an hour there. This is some kind of poppy paradise... Look at the photo and you will understand.

Next, we reached Larijan, a hotel with thermal springs. We settled in, took a walk, rested, and finished the Kebab Day at a local kebab shop. Liver kebab, pork fat kebab, bone kebab were insanely tender and delicious, they even asked for an addition. Well-fed and satisfied, we took an evening walk around Larijan and went to bed. Tomorrow is a hard day, climbing to the camp at 4,200 m.

Salome from Iran from a group called "Three by three"! We have three participants with climbing experience, and three are beginners, hence the name. More experienced people share their experience with beginners, and guides also take an active part in this. Today, on the second day of the program, we took the cable car to the Tochal Hotel, located at 3,500 m. It is such an oasis of comfort in the middle of rocky and snow-covered slopes.

The weather is trying to nightmare us, but for now we are skillfully avoiding a meeting with a thunderstorm front that has surrounded Tehran and the surrounding area. For this reason, we went to the summit of Tochal, 3964 m, right after lunch. The right decision! In Tehran, as they say in Russia, there was a mega-downpour, but not a drop fell on the rocks during the ascent. We climbed at a good pace. We spent an hour at the top, had an interesting time, played the Ninja Strike game, this is a new game idea of our guide Hamid. It was a lot of fun!

We went down to the hotel, had a delicious dinner, now we are relaxing in the lobby, playing board games and waiting for the start of the European Football Championship. We hope we have enough strength at least for the first half.

Then, accompanied by our guide, the magnificent Mariam, we proceeded to the Golestan Palace, where we examined numerous expositions and artifacts of the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. We are very lucky that Mariam is our city guide again this season, she is already our mascot, sets a good positive mood for the whole program. In the evening, a welcome dinner was held in the panoramic restaurant of the Milod TV tower at an altitude of 280 m. We got to know each other better and came up with the name of our group. We are now called "Three by Three". Why? I will explain in the next news. Today we are going up to the alpine hotel Tochal for acclimatization.