Mount Taftan

Mount Taftan rises south of Khash in the mountains of Baluchestan, in south-eastern Iran, to a height of about 3,940 metres. It is a stratovolcano, a cone built up from layers of lava and ash, and although it has not erupted in recorded history it is still active in its own way: near the summit, vents called fumaroles hiss out steam and sulphurous gas, and on a still day a plume can be seen rising from the peak.

The mountain has two main summits. Local names call one Narkuh, “the male mountain”, and the other Madarkuh, “the mother mountain”. The active vents lie near the higher summit, where the rocks are stained bright yellow by sulphur deposits and the smell of the gas carries on the wind. The name Taftan itself is often linked with the Persian verb taftan, “to heat” or “to burn”.

Taftan is the highest peak in the region, and in winter it is often snow-capped, a white cone visible from far across the dry plains of Baluchestan. Its slopes are home to Baluch villages and to orchards watered by springs and qanats, underground channels, and the mountain is part of the traditional landscape of the Baluch people, who have lived in these mountains and plains for many centuries.

Climbers come to Taftan for one of the most unusual ascents in Iran, usually from the village of Tamin or other settlements on its flanks. The route crosses volcanic ground to the summit area, where, standing among the steaming vents, they can look out over the mountains towards Pakistan and the deserts of the south-east.