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Breakfast Above the Clouds
Mount Sabalan, Iran, September 6, 2014
Story and photograph by KLAUS THYMANNJ
ust after sunrise on Iran’s volcanic Mount
Sabalan, the minarets of a mosque peered out
over the expanse of clouds, and cups of hot
mint tea made their way around the huddle.
The mosque was originally built by American soldiers
during World War II, but now it serves as a base camp
for the intrepid mountaineers making their way up to
Sabalan’s summit at 15,784 feet.
We’d left Tehran on a Friday, prepared to camp out
overnight at the mosque and reach the peak on Sat-
urday. As is traditional, our mountain guide had tins of
food for the crew. But as we made our way up along the
winding roads, I noticed a handful of markets with bril-
liant tomatoes gleaming from behind fruit stands, and
heaps of ripe watermelons spilling out onto the dusty
ground. Dismayed at the prospect of eating dinner froma can in the presence of such abundant produce, I asked
our guide if he’d let me fix our dinner. We collected only
what we could comfortably carry: a chicken, some rice,
chiles, mushrooms, a bundle of fresh tarragon, and a pinch
of Iranian saffron. The canned foods might have been more
practical, but with a little ingenuity and a handy portable
stove, a hot, comforting stew was ready in no time.
The morning of our excursion we shared a breakfast of
leftovers, tucking the cold chicken and mushrooms into
Iranian flatbreads, and topping it with thick yogurt swirled
with herbs. We collected crystal clear water from a glacial
spring and boiled it for tea. A day before we’d been below
sea level, gazing east over the Caspian Sea. Now, seated
on blankets atop one of Iran’s several frozen glaciers, en-
ergized by the food and tea, and preparing for another
ascent, we were looking skyward. A MEAL TO REMEMBER