Filband

Filband sits at about 2,600 metres in the Alborz above Babol, and its reputation rests on a reliable weather effect: humid air from the Caspian rises against the mountains and condenses at a level below the village, so on many mornings and evenings the valleys are filled with unbroken cloud while the village stands in clear sun above it, and the ridges appear as islands. Locals call it the roof of Mazandaran. There is not much else: a small settlement of stone and timber houses used mainly in summer, grazing land, and a growing number of visitors camping on the ridge for sunrise. Access is by a mountain road that deteriorates near the top and is impassable in snow for much of the year.

What you actually see

• A sea of cloud below the village - Caspian air condensing at a lower level.
• Ridges standing as islands - peaks above the cloud layer.
• Summer grazing settlement - stone and timber houses used seasonally.
• Sunrise from the ridge - the hour most visitors come for.

When to go

May to October; snow closes the road the rest of the year. A day trip works but overnight camping gets sunrise, which is the point. The cloud effect is most reliable in spring and autumn.

Honest expectations

The cloud is weather-dependent and often absent, which leaves an ordinary mountain village. The final road is rough and needs a capable vehicle. There are no facilities and camping litter is a growing problem. Nights are cold at altitude.

Nearby

Babol is north on the plain; Badab-e Surt lies east in the mountains.