Sabalan

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For the Iranian Frigate Sabalan see: Iranian frigate Sabalan.

Sabalan
Mount Sabalan in July 2006
Elevation	4,811 m (15,784 ft)
Location	Ardabil, Iran
Prominence	3,283 m (10,771 ft)
Coordinates	38.25° N 47.92° E
Type	Stratovolcano
Age of rock	5.6–1.4 million years
Last eruption	unknown, possibly Holocene
Easiest route	hiking / scrambling

Sabalan (in Persian سبلان Sabalân ;also called Sāvālān in Azerbaijani) is an inactive stratovolcano in Ardabil province of northwestern Iran. Sabalan is the third highest mountain in Iran and a permanent crater lake has formed at the summit. Sabalan has a ski resort (Alvares) and different tourist areas such as the Sarein spa. The mountain is known for its beautiful vistas, including the Shirvan gorge, where few climbers ever venture.

Crater lake of Sabalan

Map of summit region and glaciers of Sabalan

1 Geology
2 Climbing
3 Surrounding area
4 Gallery
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geology

Sabalan is a large andesite stratovolcano, the second highest volcano in Iran after Mount Damavand. The volcano is quite old, as its rocks have been dated to 5.6–1.4 million years. Some references state that volcanic activity continued into the Holocene, less than 10,000 years ago.

The summit region has several peaks exceeding 4,500 metres (14,800 ft), primarily along a southwest-northeast trending ridge. The highest point 4,811 metres (15,784 ft) is at the northeast end of the ridge, and is separated from the 4,620 metres (15,160 ft)+ group of southwestern summits by a 4,190 m (13,750 ft) col.

The mountain is located in a continental climate with hot, dry summers and extremely cold, snowy winters. Precipitation falls primarily as snow in late autumn, winter, and spring, and is sufficient to sustain seven glaciers near the summit above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). The largest of these were more than 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) in length as of the 1970s. There are also extensive rock glaciers, several of which are more than 3 km (2 mi) in length.

[edit] Climbing

The climbing surface includes rocks of various sizes (Class 2 scrambling), and a moderate degree of fitness is required to climb it. The climb from the base camp starts easy, becomes challenging mid way, then eases in gradient near the top. The lake on the top remains frozen except for about four weeks in late July to early August.

Some climbers start by driving to hot springs of Meshkin Shehr, where they start their climb. This climb takes about two days, reaching to the base camp on the first day. Others take a taxi to base camp early in the morning, and climb the mountain in one day. In 2006, there was talk of improving the road to the base camp. If this is done, a regular car should be able to make it to the base camp during the climbing season. The road goes through multiple nomadic encampments of shepherds.

One or two days of acclimatization in Tehran or Ardabil may be advisable. Mountaineering has been popular among the youth in Iran. On a Friday during the climbing season (late June to mid August), one may find hundreds of people on the mountain. Guides can also be found in Ardabil. Adequate climbing equipment can be purchased in Ardabil or Tehran.

[edit] Surrounding area

The area around Sabalan, particularly near Meshkin and Dasht-eh Moghan produces large quantities of grain, including wheat. Thanks to the climate produced by the mountain, Ardabil remains pleasantly cool in the summers.