'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎121v] (247/416)

* For Ardal to Kala B-izuft, vide route 38B, page 201.
198
No. 38.
Isfahan to Shustar, via Ardal
and Sh<i lit .
No. of
stage.
Distance, in
miles.
Names of stages.
Jnter- T » ,
mediate. 10ta1,
Remakes.
ascent up Gardan-i-Pasaondeh (7,150'), whence d
practicable for carriages. Village; water; supplies.
Road good at
4
Ardal* . .
14
85
6,350'.
Dopulan .
9
94
5,900'.
Shalil
17
111
6,725'.
In one hour pass village of Chaghakhor, whence
road good to the Gardan-i-Chalarzuna (8,350')
where the ascent is difficult, and would require
improvement to make it practicable for c trriagee.
On the Ardal side the hill is steep and precipitous, but the road goes by easy gradient alono
sides and is here practicable. The road is soft after rain. Village ; water ; supplies. Also
see Route No. 35 for alternative route up to this point.
The road passes over good but undulating ground
for 4 miles, when reach Kotal Gul Mirza, where
there is a steep descent of 1,000'to 5,350' to a
fine stream, feeder of Karun river. The road then
follows the course of this through a very narrow valley with high precipitous mountains on
either side. Road passable for mules, but requires making for carriages, especially on Kotal
Gul Mirza. Village ; water; no supplies.
The road crosses bridge at Dopulan, and imme
diately after another, over a feeder of the Karun
and proceeds due W. for 2| miles along a good
road to a small village on the river at the foot of
a steep hill. This march is very arduous from constant ascents and descents, but the road
is good. The ascents are—(1) ascent to 6,450', descent, 5,050'; (2) ascent, 7,350', descent
to 6,050'; (3) ascent to 6,650', descent, 5,050'; (4) ascent to 6,950', descent to 5,55C'. At
7\ hours village of Sakhun is passed, which would make a better halting place. Village;
water; few supplies.
Road descends sharply to a small stream, about
6' wide and a foot deep. At 6 miles arrive im
mediately above the Pul-i-Amarat, by which the
Bazuft or Rudbar river is crossed. The river
flows down a narrow gorge between very steep slopes. The old bridge was destroyed by a
landslip and the river is now crossed by a wooden bridge of about 20' span. The approaches
from each side are difficult and dangerous, steps in places having been cut in the rock which
is smooth and slippery. It is usual to blindfold and lead each mule over. In flood time
the water often mounts sufficiently high to carry the bridge awa} 7 , but as wood is plentiful
it is easily repaired. This road is only used in the earlier mouths of the year, later on the
river is fordable lower down and thus this bridge and the pass beyond it are avoided. The
ascent on other side is very bad ; for of the way, about 100 feet, steps have been cut in the
rock, in other places the road leads across the bare rock and is slippery and dangerous. At
the top of this slope is a spring called the Chashma-i-Mawarid, and immediately beyond it
a ruined castle. The summit of the pass is reached 2^ hours later. Altitude 5,900'. From
here the road which is good and broad descends by an easy gradient for about 1,750', the
last few hundred feet being steep. From here the ford of the stream, above referred to, is
seen, and the two roads join soon after. The road now rises by a steep ascent to the Cheft-i-
Dehdiz (altitude 6,450') and is bad in places. The road now descends by an easy gradient
to the village of Dehdiz, the last 300' being steeper. There are 2 villages, one on the hill
side and the other about | a mile away in the valley. 200 houses, 1,000 inhabitants. Grain
and provender abundant. From here to Shustar, see below, page 202.
Dehdiz
14
125
5,150'.