UKH

I'm planning a trip to Iran this may/june and would like to include as much climbing as possible.
However I'm having trouble finding reliable information on the internet.

We're mainly interested in trad climbing or sport climbing and maybe some easier multipitch.

Has anybody been there and knows where it's best suited to climbing in Iran that time of year?
The only information I can get seems to come from http://www.iranclimbingguide.com/ and it's hard to get an idea of the different crags and quality of rock / routes on that website.
I find no climbing guides covering the area, or am I wrong?

We're very tempted for going to Bisotun but being quite close to the Iraqi (/ISIS?) border we're not sure it's a good time to go..

Has anybody any experience driving a car in Iran btw? Or how should we get to those desolated climbing areas - private taxi? hitchhiking? public transport?

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/iran_-_the_undiscovered_ad...

There are a reasonable number of articles and helpful posts on Iran on here, it would be worth your time to do a search. I can't help much more than that I'm afraid. I take it you know about the visa situation, assuming you are a UK national.

Best wishes for your trip.

A climbing guide on Iran has recently been published. Apparently it is bilingual in English and German. http://geoquest-verlag.de/?q=en/node/634 

In recent years, the Iranian climbing federation has held international meets in Bisotun, and what I hear from participants, there has been no safety issues. https://www.thebmc.co.uk/iran-holds-second-international-rock-climbing-meet

I was in Iran with my son last February. We did a hike near Khor and a little ice climbing near Kalva, plus sightseeing in Tehran and Isfahan. One of my more memorable vacations.

I want to go to Iran, as well, because of the old history, archaeology and art. The latter includes a lot of good western art from the Shah's time, including apparently, one of the best Jackson-Pollock paintings. So between climbing venues, you could possibly see some of these things.

Rob

Went Christmas 2016 / 17, arranging it through www.iranclimbingguide.com.  The plan was a big hill (up in the NW, on the site)  which didn't happen because conditions were reportedly a bit baltic, & ice-climbing, which somewhat worked & yielded a few good days despite variable  early season conditions.  On the other hand we got in a few days rock climbing, some of it very good.  May is apparently the right time for Bisotun, which looks good, also for the big hill in the NW the name of which I still can't remember.  Hamid (who is the eponymous iranclimbingguide) was very solicitous of our welfare & very flexible in adapting the schedule to suit us & the conditions.  Were I to go again I would arrange it through him, probably asking for an unaccompanied package (i.e. give us the beta, drop us off, hook us up with whoever is doing the cooking & providing a bed & come back in a week).  I think he'd be amenable to that approach.  Driving in Tehran is horrible - as bad as anything I've seen - I wouldn't consider it.  Pollution in Tehran is also something special (& I live in HK!) but the hills to the north are well worth a visit, & I though the day-trip bolted alpine rock at 3,000 metres was pretty cool.  Overall a worthwhile destination - I went with a set of positive preconceptions which were largely confirmed, & I would go back.

I can't believe I didn't find the guide looking online - thanks for the tip!

Thanks for all the tips, really helpful