This expedition was conceived initially as a botanical survey of the Elburz Mountains, an ecologically diverse but poorly documented region of northern Iran. Financial constraints and logistical considerations led to the expedition being reorganized into a four‑person, multi‑disciplinary team with expertise in botany, engineering geology, chemistry, and mechanics. A motorised overland approach was chosen to reduce costs and increase scientific capability.
The team travelled from London to Tehran via Istanbul and established its base camp in the Kalardasht Valley, a high‑altitude region (~7,000 ft) characterised by limestone geology, steep forested slopes, and varied climatic zones. The area receives heavy summer rainfall due to Caspian Sea winds, creating lush deciduous forests at lower elevations and alpine meadows in the Takht‑e‑Sulaiman group near peaks such as Alum Kuh (16,300 ft). Local communities were largely self‑sufficient, relying on traditional agriculture, charcoal‑burning, and pastoralism. Wildlife included ibex, wild boar, brown bear, and—more distantly—the protected Caspian tiger.
Despite persistent mist and rain, the team carried out scientific work in botany, engineering geology, surveying, and environmental observation. Though the report’s scientific sections appear incomplete in the surviving text, the introduction indicates the goal of collecting plant specimens, describing vegetation zones, and conducting structural geological studies in a geologically complex alpine setting.