Iran, the cradle of one of the great civilizations of humanity, is perhaps best known by its unique history. But the natural attractions in this land, which over time have witnessed this magnificent history, generously continue to show four beautiful seasons to everyone and comfort their mind and refresh their bodies. To see these natural attractions, all you have to do is pack your bags and walk on the unique trekking and hiking trails of the ancient land of Persia.
Trekking
Iran, the cradle of one of the great civilizations of humanity, is perhaps best known by its unique history. But the natural attractions in this land, which over time have witnessed this magnificent history, generously continue to show four beautiful seasons to everyone and comfort their mind and refresh their bodies. To see these natural attractions, all you have to do is pack your bags and walk on the unique trekking and hiking trails of the ancient land of Persia.
Many health professionals believe being in nature is the best medicine to relieve stress and walking is the least harmful type of activity. Hiking or walking in nature is one of the hassle-free, inexpensive, and popular activities for adventurous tourists which is done in a specific time and trail in the nature to have fun, relax, discover wildlife, hang out with old friends, make new friends and stay healthy.
Hiking trails, according to their degree of difficulty, require a certain amount of physical and mental fitness and usually the participants in this activity start their adventure from a certain point, go to a specific point and return to the starting point.
National parks and forests, wildlife areas, protected parks, provincial parks, cities and urban areas (where nature and wildlife can be experienced) are some of the interesting areas for hikers.
What is backpacking?
When hiking is accompanied by an overnight stay, it is called backpacking. These trips usually last 3 to 10 days which require careful and organized planning, food, supplies and equipment for the stay. On these types of trips, you walk on narrow trails and set up your tent in a safe place before the sunset and then prepare food for yourself. During backpacking, you need to be prepared for any incidents and be able to manage it on your own.
The difference between hiking and trekking in terms of time
Trekking usually means a long and challenging walk. Trekking is a relatively long walk that lasts for several days, often in remote, rural and sometimes mountainous areas. In Trekking, you not only pass through nature but also through remote villages which not many people have passed through them. So in trekking (and also backpacking), in addition to exploring the nature, you will also communicate with the residents of those areas, through which you will get information about the culture and clothing of the people living there. In some cases, if you stay in a house, you will get to know their lifestyle too.
If you pay attention to the preparation and planning required for these different travel categories, you will easily understand the difference between hiking, trekking, backpacking, and mountaineering. Depending on the route you take for trekking, you may often be away from your urban life up to 22 days!
As you are away from your hometown during the travel, try to take whatever you think you need, otherwise you may have to continue trekking without them. Trekking tours are often planned and organized by an agency on behalf of the participants, which this will save their time, money and energy. On a trekking tour you will usually be accompanied by a guide and on longer trips by a local.Also, a chef will be with you when you want to camp somewhere and do not have a stop in midway houses.Another major difference between trekking, hiking, backpacking and mountaineering is that in trekking, instead of camping, you often stay in midway houses or eco-lodges, with bed and breakfast and perhaps with a host family. In this case, you can rest better and food will be prepared for you. This means that you do not have to carry most of the necessary tools and equipment with you.
Last but not least, the trekking trips do not end at the same starting point and you may finish your trekking hundreds of miles away. It can also take weeks to traverse a part of the trekking route.
To enjoy the benefits of hiking, we do not have to walk on tortuous roads which are difficult to pass. But hiking can also be considered a simple mountaineering in nature. Walk as fast as you like. Choose the height and slope yourself. You will choose the route and the pace, yourself. Regardless of the difficulty of the route, different types of mountaineering have their own advantages. An ordinary one hour walk can burn about 350 calories.
The most important thing is that we do not need anything special to start hiking, depending on weather conditions and route. Other outdoor sports, such as rock climbing and skiing, have their own equipment and if you want to do them, you must take part in some training classes. But there is no obstacle in front of you to start hiking. You can choose the right route using GPS-enabled routing applications.
Some of essential supplies are as the following:
Carrying proper food
Wearing appropriate clothing and shoes based on season and route
Having information about the weather conditions
Having an updated map of the area
Having GPS and suitable gadgets
Having a camera to record your adventure
Talish Mountains
This route, in addition to beautiful nature, shows the harmony of culture and nature and includes parts of Gilan, Ardabil and Zanjan. In this route, explorers of Persia see the tides of the world's largest lake, the wonder of the Middle East. Passing through the forests in beautiful meadows, hikers will be accompanied by the sound of shepherds' reeds, and from the flower-filled summer of Soubatan to Abbas Yordi and the foothills of the Baghru Mountains, they will be on the same route with the nomads.
Mahar waterfall in the heights of Lisar is another route in these amazing areas.
Sabalan
By hiking on the route of dormant volcano of Sabalan to Ardabil, you can enjoy the hot springs of Qutorsui and Shabil and prepare yourself for the more difficult and challenging routes of this region.
Alborz Mountain Range
An hour and a half hiking in the flat areas of Hesarchal, which is covered with grass and yellow flowers and is surrounded by peaks and icy lakes, gives the explorers the opportunity to discover some of the beauty of the Alborz mountain range.
Alamut
If you are interested in historical narratives and stories, visiting the attractions and scattered villages of western and eastern Alamut in the Alborz mountain range or along the famous valley of assassins to the vicinity of Gazorkhan village, recalling the famous assassins’ creed and Prince of Persia games, can be the most exciting hiking experience of Persian explorers up to now.
Damavand
Hiking trails in south of Damavand with hot springs and also the scenic route of Daq plain, which from Tehran leads to Haraz Road, Lar Dam and Simorgh Shelter, are among the best hiking routes in the highest mountain in Iran and the tallest volcano in Asia and the Middle East.
ZardKooh
Start the vernal hiking in Zard Kooh mountain from Shahrekord route and enjoy the pristine nature by moving towards Farzan and Chelgerd and get acquainted with the heroic people of Bakhtiari, one of the main tribal communities in Iran.
Tochal
If you want to go hiking near Tehran, stations 2 and 3 of Tochal are one of the most suitable trails, which prepare explorers for more difficult and challenging routes.