Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14 LOCAL
Tuesday 9 May 2017
An Aruban at Mount Damavand in Iran

By Clyde Harms
The reopening of the fa-
mous Caminito del Rey in
Spain after years of major
repairs was extensively re-
ported in a Spanish maga-
zine.
At one time considered
one of the most dangerous
mountain passes, Caminito
del Rey was originally con-
structed to allow the work-
ers to cross the Gaitanes
Gorge in Malaga at about Snowcapped Mount Damavand in November 1969.
300 meters (984 ft) above
the river that formed the is the highest peak in the
abyss. Middle East. It is located 66
The pictures that accom- km (41 miles) north of Tehe-
panied the story showing ran, the capital of Iran.
tourists walking along the In 1969 while in Iran on a
pathway reminded me business trip, I visited my
of the day in 1969 when friends Vlado and Militsa
I climbed Mount Dama- Cvek who had lived in Trip-
vand in Iran with some Yu- oli until 1968.
goslav friends I had known From their home, Dama-
while Iwas with Esso Libya in vand looked very close by
Tripoli,but who had moved and Vlado suggested we
to Iran a year before. With take a ride to the base and
an elevation of 5610 me- climb part of the mountain.
ters (18,405 ft), Damavand “It’s easy”, he said, “you
won’t need any special
equipment. You can just
walk up on the pathways.
We can also visit the shores
of the Caspian Sea, the
world’s largest lake.”
I knew that from the Caspi-
an Sea came the best cav- Tourists on the walkway of Caminito del Rey in Spain 300 meters above the river that forms the
abyss.
iar of the world, from both
the Russian and the Iranian The first stage was indeed reached the next stop, Even so, the most difficult
side, so I became more fas- quite easy. After sipping a Camp Bargah, at an alti- part of the climb was mak-
cinated by Vlado’s sugges- cup of “chai” (Iranian tea) tude of about 4200 meters ing sure we stayed out of
tion. at the first stop, we looked (13,779 ft). Here we stopped the way of the zillions of
When we arrived at the up and saw more easy again to rest and enjoy an- cacti and their long and
base station and we could climbing and we decided other cup of “chai” before sharp spines.
not drive further, Vlado de- we would go to the next starting our descent. clydeharms@yahoo.com.
cided that he would stay in station. After almost two hours we q
the car while Militsa, their It did not take long before got back to the waiting car
At an altitude of more than daughter Nela and I would we noticed that slowly but and I remarked to Vlado
2500 meter (8200 ft), Militsa climb to the next station. surely the climbing was get- that it hadn’t been as easy
struggles with her dog while Since it was going to be ting more difficult and more as he had said it would be.
trying to climb the second easy, Militsa took her dog dangerous. “Clyde”, he answered, “I
phase of Mount Damavand. along for the walk. To cross a steep abyss on cannot believe that you

a very narrow walkway at were so foolish to climb
an altitude of about 2500 up to the next station”. I
meters (8200 ft), we had agreed with him that we
to hold on to a cable that had acted foolishly, but I
hung from spikes stuck was also proud of what
deep into the steep wall of Militsa, Nela and I had ac-
the mountain. complished.
My leather dress shoes kept By this time it was too late to
slipping on the loose sand visit the Caspian Sea, so we
so I had to constantly hold agreed to just head back
very tight to the cable. As home and have some
I was also shooting pictures strong Serbian šlivovitsa.
with my camera, I had That night I thought about
even more difficulties, and I the first time I climbed the
considered calling it a day, Hooiberg. What a different
but seeing how Militsa had climb! I was a student at
The “snack bar” at an altitude of some 2200 meters (7,200 ft) to manage her dog also, I the Juliana School and the
where we stopped to rest and have a cup of “chai” (Iranian kept on going. stairway to the top had not Militsa looks back to see how
tea). After a long struggle we yet been built. I am doing.