Kaluts of Shahdad

The kaluts are a field of yardangs, ridges of consolidated silt and clay carved by wind over a very long period into parallel walls and corridors running north to south, some rising to about eighty metres, extending across roughly a hundred and fifty kilometres of the Lut Desert east of Shahdad. Driving between them feels like moving through a ruined city, which is the comparison everybody makes. The Lut is also where satellites have recorded some of the highest land surface temperatures anywhere on earth, above seventy degrees, and the central part of it is genuinely lifeless. Trips run from Kerman and Shahdad for sunset among the ridges and for overnight camping, which is when the light and the silence are worth the journey.

The landscape

• Yardang ridges up to eighty metres - wind-carved walls in parallel lines.
• Corridors between the ridges - driven and walked like streets.
• Sunset light on the silt - the hour the trips are timed for.
• Extreme surface temperatures - among the hottest ground recorded anywhere.

When to go

November to March only; the Lut in summer is genuinely dangerous and trips do not run. A day for sunset, overnight for the stars. Guides and four-wheel-drive are required, not optional.

Good to know

This is a serious desert environment: no water, no shade, no signal, and heat that kills. Do not go without a guide and a proper vehicle. Summer visits are not viable. Camping needs full self-sufficiency. Litter at the accessible edge is increasing.

Nearby

Shahdad is west; Kerman lies about two hours further.