Mountains rarely dominate headlines. They remain unchanged while empires rise and fall, borders move, and history reshapes nations. But Mount Damavand, Iran’s towering, snow-covered giant, refuses to remain merely a silent landmark.

Standing at 5,609 metres, Damavand is officially Asia’s tallest volcano. Unofficially, it represents far more: a geological mystery, a cultural symbol, a mountaineer’s challenge and, more recently, a backdrop to modern conflict. Few natural monuments combine poetry, politics, science and survival so seamlessly into a single silhouette.

A peak that is more than just a mountain

Rising from Iran’s Alborz mountain range near the southern edge of the Caspian Sea, Damavand commands the landscape with its almost perfect cone and permanent snowcap, making it one of West Asia’s most recognisable peaks.

It is Iran’s highest mountain, Asia’s tallest volcano and one of the world’s most prominent peaks. Yet its significance extends far beyond geography.

Its snow-covered summit appears in poetry, folklore and even on Iranian currency. In the epic Shahnameh, Damavand is described as the prison of Zahhak, the tyrant king whose defeat symbolised justice triumphing over cruelty. Other legends place the mythical Simorgh, the bird of wisdom, atop its peak.

For centuries, writers and poets have used Damavand as a symbol of resistance, endurance and national pride, a reputation so powerful that the mountain features on Iranian banknotes.

A volcano that never fully sleeps

From a scientific perspective, Damavand is classified as a dormant stratovolcano, inactive but not extinct. Its last known eruption occurred around 5300 BCE, yet sulphur-rich gases still escape from fumaroles near its summit.

The crater rim, about 150 metres wide, is coated with sulphur deposits that stain the snow yellow.

Seismic research suggests molten or semi-molten magma remains two to five kilometres beneath the surface. Hot springs at the mountain’s base, especially in Larijan, reveal ongoing geothermal activity and are believed to have therapeutic properties. These springs are closely monitored by scientists studying seismic movement in the region.

Several glaciers cling to Damavand’s upper slopes, including the well-known Yakhar Glacier. These ice reserves feed some of Iran’s few year-round rivers, making the mountain not only a national symbol but also a vital water source.

A mountain that challenges every climber

For mountaineers, Damavand offers a mix of accessibility and extreme hardship. While the climb is non-technical by elite standards, it is physically demanding due to altitude, volatile weather and volcanic gases near the summit.

Most ascents take around three days, with acclimatisation essential to prevent altitude sickness.

The southern route, beginning at Polour village, is the most popular due to established shelters such as Bargah-e Sevom at 4,220 metres.

The northern route is steeper, colder and more demanding, requiring overnight stays at high-altitude shelters. The western route, famous for its sunset views, carries the risk of rockfalls near the Simorgh shelter.

Weather remains the greatest danger. Even in summer, temperatures can plunge, winds can exceed 100 km per hour, and snowstorms can strike without warning.

Winter climbs are attempted only by highly experienced mountaineers, while mid-June to mid-September is considered the safest climbing window.

When adventure met war

In June 2025, Damavand’s image as a pure adventure destination was shattered.

Indian mountaineer Falguni Dey, an assistant professor from Kolkata, travelled to Iran with the goal of summiting Damavand after successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus.

He came within 400 metres of the summit before being forced to turn back due to a violent snowstorm.

What followed proved far more dangerous.

After returning to Tehran, Dey found himself in a city under attack. Israeli airstrikes lit up the night sky, smoke filled the streets, airports shut down, Iranian airspace was closed, banks stopped operating and evacuation routes disappeared. With his funds running low and no official rescue plan, Dey considered risky overland escapes through Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and even Pakistan in hopes of finding a flight home.

A nation in turmoil

Dey’s ordeal unfolded during one of Iran’s most turbulent periods of internal unrest. Nationwide protests driven by economic hardship and political repression escalated into violent confrontations with security forces.

Internet blackouts, mass arrests and deadly crackdowns followed, with thousands reportedly killed and tens of thousands detained. The government labelled protesters “terrorists”, while international organisations condemned what they described as mass killings.

As Tehran burned with tension, Damavand remained unmoved, a silent witness to the vulnerability of human systems beneath its ancient slopes.

Asia’s tallest volcano, or is it?

Even Damavand’s title as Asia’s highest volcano has faced debate. In 2008, volcano researcher and adventurer John Seach claimed that the Kunlun volcanic field in Tibet was taller.

The controversy centred on definitions. Kunlun is not a single volcano but a vast field of dozens of small cones spread across a high plateau, with little prominence. Damavand, however, rises sharply from its surroundings as a single stratovolcano, a distinction most geologists and climbers consider decisive.

That prominence has earned Damavand a place among the Volcanic Seven Summits, attracting climbers from around the world.

A biodiversity sanctuary on a volcanic giant

Despite its harsh environment, Damavand supports rich biodiversity.

Mammals found in the region include Persian leopards, Syrian brown bears, Armenian mouflon, wild goats, foxes and snow voles.

Birdlife is especially diverse, with golden eagles, Caspian snowcocks, griffon vultures, chukar partridges, snow finches and seasonal migrants such as nightingales and wheatears.

The area is also home to reptiles and amphibians including meadow vipers, blunt-nosed vipers, Caucasian agamas and marsh frogs along riverbanks.

Plant life changes dramatically with elevation. Foothills burst with red poppies in late spring, while pistachio, juniper, oak, beech and hazel forests cover the lower and northern slopes.

At higher elevations, cushion plants, alpine grasses, mountain tulips and the rare Iris barnumiae demawendica, named after the mountain, dominate the landscape.

How to reach Mount Damavand

Damavand lies about 66 kilometres northeast of Tehran. Most climbers travel by road to Polour village, the main base camp, accessible via Amol.

From there, vehicles can reach various trailheads depending on the chosen route. Permits, local guides and weather clearances are strongly advised, particularly given the region’s political instability.

A mountain that mirrors the world

Mount Damavand is many things at once: a dormant volcano, a national symbol, a mountaineer’s proving ground, a wildlife sanctuary and now an unwilling witness to modern warfare.

And long after today’s conflicts fade, it will still stand, watching quietly, breathing beneath its eternal snow.

#With inputs from NDTV