Oshtoran kooh , A mountain range in Zagros

Overview

Before talking about Oshtoran Kooh lets see where it is located at, in a major scope.
Iran has two main large mountain ranges Alborz and Zagros, Alborz includes the most higher peaks of the land and stands as a east-west strip at north, but Zagros mountains have a different profile and shape, a much more vast north-west to south-east mountain range that covers the whole west part of the country, any way as you can even see in the SP Alborz mountains are the most known and introduced. That’s probably because Alborz range is near the capital Tehran and under the Caspian shore, where more people, climbers and tourists travel.

The Zagros mountains are the major mountain system of western Iran. They consist of high parallel ranges with sheer rugged peaks, separated by steep canyons and gorges. Several summits rise to over 14,000 feet, the highest being Dena(sub-range)->Ghash-e-Mastan peak (14,920 ft./ 4548m) .
Heavy snow falls in Winter and remains on the higher summits for much of the year. One of the most spectacular areas of the Zagros is the area surrounding the headstreams of the Karun River and its tributaries. Here, the rivers tumble through rocky gorges, sheer mountain walls towering above them. Also of interest, in the center of the range, are the numerous salt domes, some rising up to 5,000 feet.

Oshtoran kooh

Oshtoran Kooh, Oshtoran-Kooh, Oshtoran Kouh, Oshtoran Kuh or Oshtoran Kouh is a massive sub range of Zagros located in Lorestan province about 500Km far from Tehran, about 18Km south-west to Azna city.Oshtoran Kooh is a long straight ridge line with the natural north-west to south-east orientation of Zagros range that expands to Chagha-Gorg area at south. Unlike the Alborz range that almost all of the ridges and sub ranges stick together at a high pass with a compact form seems like Zagros range ridge lines and sub ranges like Oshtoran kooh, Zard Kooh, Dena,… have a more discrete form, each being a massive block.

The highest point is a peak named San-Boran(4150m) or Oshtoran Kooh. Oshtoran Kooh has east and west faces that are totally walls, cliffs, rock routes and banded rock blocks which brings an impressive challenge, anyway the east face is easier and the route to San-Boran and nearby peaks is the easiest, the others peaks like Kool-e-Jennoo(3980m) are harder and need technical climbing knowledge. Another feature of the area that makes Oshtoran Kooh one of the favorites of Iranian mountain climbers is the beautiful south face with two lakes named Small Gahar and Big Gahar being great for camping.
The lakes, with a span of about 100 hectares, a length of 2500 meters, a width of 800 meters, and a depth of about 28 meters is situated 2400 meters above sea level.

There are more beautiful places for sightseeing around the Oshtoran Kooh, such as Negar valley(Dare-y-Negar), Bisheh Waterfall(Abshar Bisheh), Talezang waterfall(Abshar Talezang)… You can travel to these areas mostly by Tehran-Ahwaz train.

South face of Oshtoran kooh

Oshtoran Kooh Peaks

The Oshtoran Kooh  is almost a straight long north-west oriented to south-east ridge line with the following peaks on it:

north-west to south-east:

Peak Name	Height (m)
Kabood Spring (Cheshmeh-e-Kabood)	3403m
Choloride	3866m
Golgol (Pazan-Par)	4100m
Golgahar	3950m
Kooleh-Lauyo	4020m
San-Boran (Oshtoran Kooh)	4150m
Chal-Boroon	4080m
Mirzaee	4080m
Fialestoon	3800m
Leger	3700m
Shah-Takht	3900m
Piareh	3850m
Soozany-e-MehrJamal	3800m
Malreh	3700m
Aznadar (Takht-e-Shah)	3750m
Homailoon or Kooleh-Jonoon or Keft-e-Homayoun or Kool-e-Jennoo	3980m
Dareh-Daee	3400m
Kooh-e-Khalilabad	3400m

Objects

Glaciers

Each peak makes a curve line that vertically cuts the main Oshtoran Kooh ridge line, the pit spaces between these curves mostly on the north-east faces serve some small and large glaciers, these are the larger ones:

• Kherseh-Dar glacier – north-west to San-Boran peak and under Golgol peak
• Chal-Boran glacier – space between San-Boran and Mirzaee peaks at 3500m
• Chal-Kabood glacier – space between San-Boran and Golgol peaks at 3550m
• Fialestoon glacier – space between Mialestoon and Mirzaee peaks

Huts

• Golgol Shelter – on the San-Boran route between Tiyoon village and Chal-Kabood glacier
• Chal-Kabood metal hut at 3400m on Chal-Kabood glacier capacity of 15
• Kamran-Soleimani hut on the rout to Kool-e-Jennoo peak

Getting there

North face

Travel to Do-rood the nearest city to Oshtoran Kooh (about 503Km far from Tehran)

• Railway : Tehran-Ahwaz line
• Car : Tehran-Arak-Shazand-Azna drive 36Km to Do-rood

• From Do-rood take the road south direction to Tiyoun village
  The normal route starts from Tiyoun (south/ south-west) to Chal-Kabood shelter and to the tallest San-Boran peak, Golgol, Golgahar, Kooleh-Lauyo, Chal-Boroon, Mirzaee and Fialestoon peaks.
• Follow on the Do-rood road to Dareh-Takht village
  The advanced technical route to Shah-Takht glacier,  Shah-Takht(3900m) peak and all peaks of Oshtoran-Kooh south and north to Shah-Takht, (the routes on Oshtoran-Kooh ridge line between the peaks are hard and technical).
• Follow the road to Kamandoon village
  The normal route to Kool-e-Jennoo(3980m) and the blades start from this place. The route is marked normal but it is moderately hard and technical at winter for the higher points.Reaching the peaks between Kool-e-Jennoo and Shah-Takht needs technical work.

South face of Oshtoran kooh

Travel to Azna

• Railway : Tehran-Ahwaz line
• Car : Tehran-Arak-Shazand-Azna drive 24Km to AligoodarzTo the south face routes and Gahar lakes

Red Tapes and Regional Hints

Oshtoran Kooh mountain area (17800ha)  is one of the protected areas of Iran, hunting is prohibited and fishing is prohibited out of season, anything harm to the nature is prohibited. Entrance to Oshtoran Kooh and Gahar lake protected area needs a permission of The Department of Environment of Iran.

 The Department of Environment of Iran [See]