By Syma Sayyah
and Paul Sanford, Tehran
click on photos to see high resolution
Many people in Tehran like to go to the mountains for some fresh air and to get
away from the traffic and the pollution, and especially at a weekend will escape
to places such as Darband and Darakeh. The trails leading from these places are
busy and there is a steady stream of people moving up and down the mountain.
There are many tea shops and stalls along the way where you can buy all sorts of
refreshments and souvenirs.Early one Thursday morning, with friends we went on a walk to another part,
about an hour outside the city, where there were only a few walkers, no tea
shops or stalls but wonderful scenery and nature.
At about 7 in the morning, we
set off from the sleepy village of Ahar, which is off the Lavasan to Fashun
road, and walked along an easy and clear path northwards – the way was very
green and peaceful, with hardly any other walkers. We went through a wooded
valley, past cherry orchards and passing apple trees and pear trees, before
getting to a steep slope which was heavier going.
The views of the mountains
were very dramatic, and the highest peaks now have a light scattering of snow.
There is a route from here that will take you to Tochal. At the end of the
trail, we passed an imamzadeh (shrine) and a few hundred meters later sat and
had a well earned breakfast by a waterfall.
As we came back down the trail, we met several farmers with donkeys who were
taking loads up and down the path, and there were some groups walking up to the
shrine. The weather which had been so pleasant on the way up started to become
rather cloudier, and by the time we got back to Ahar it was just beginning to
rain. But we felt that we had a lovely walk.
Your place was empty (we missed you)!
... Payvand News - 10/07/09 ... --
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