The perfect cone of Mount Damavand soars above the Alborz Range of northern Iran, peaking at a whopping 5,609 meters above sea level, where it gathers snow plumes and mist the whole year round. The height makes it the single tallest volcanic mountain in Asia, and an increasingly enticing challenge for traveling mountaineers. 

You will need to engage a Mount Damavand tour guide to help you put together a trekking expedition to the summit. The journey can take any of 16 separate routes to the pinnacle above the clouds. They range from the ultra-challenging path through the Yakhar Valley – think glacier fields and sheer-cut drops – to the more accessible southern face, where steaming geysers mingle with resting camps at around the 4,000-meter mark.

Most walkers wait for the summer months to attempt the ascent, to hit the trails when they aren't caked in ice. Trips can take between three and five days in total, with a number of treks set aside for acclimatization along the way. An alternative is to enjoy the rugged Alborz that spread out below the mountain, hosting rare Iranian ski fields and dusty valleys peppered with traditional villages.