Step on the pedal to Karshahi Fortress(Matin Abad, Isfahan Province)

We always have a slogan that says the destination is an excuse, the departure is the arrival. A trip to Karshahi Castle and cycling from Matin Abad to Karshahi Castle was actually a trip to touch the whole route and enjoy cycling in the plains, and at the end to complete the trip by seeing Karshahi Castle. A beautiful fortress that has been severely damaged by the collapse of one of its towers these days, which I hope will be repaired as soon as possible..

Thursday, November 29, 2019: Not so early in the morning, in the cloudy weather of Tehran, ready to rain, we were ready to leave after tying the bikes on the rack. It took me some time to obsessively restrain the bikes from all directions and finally, it was almost 10 o'clock when we left. The destination of the night was Metin Abad Eco Camp, which was suitable for a peaceful trip from all points of view. We had already experienced Metin Abad Eco Camp and were very satisfied with its quality. After passing through Qom and Kashan, we passed the exit of Badroud and at around 14:00 on a cool autumn afternoon, we were facing the entrance door of Matin Abad Ecocamp.. The complex guard called the reception and the answer was negative. There was no empty tent available or it was reserved. We were not disappointed and we had lunch in front of the entrance of the complex and I was tying Sahand's child seat on my bike when one of the guards called me.. I went ahead and he said that the problem is solved and I can go to the office to get the tent. it was a good news. Because we liked to be in the area and it was much more attractive for our three-year-old son Sahand than to camp outside our complex.. Matin Abad complex has both suites and rooms and tents for accommodation. The tents are equipped with electric seats and heaters, which are essential for cold seasons.

After getting the tent and its special arrangements, we were ready to pedal. For the evening before, we had the destination of the sand dune near Eco Camp. A short road of two kilometers was our route. There was no one on the road. At the beginning, we traveled the road at a fast pace, but from the middle of it, it was very difficult or impossible to pedal because of the sand. In any case, we arrived a little later and left the bikes until we went to the top of the short hill, and it was very attractive for Sahand to ride both bikes and sand dunes..

It was completely dusk when we returned and we were enjoying the beautiful atmosphere of the area next to the desert. The beautiful decorations of Metin Abad collection and harmony with nature is one of the valuable points of the collection. The light of dim lanterns next to the bush showed the way and we had a starry night ahead of us.

Friday, November 30, 2019: After the Sahand game at the interesting playground of Eco Camp Matin Abad, it was eight o'clock when we went to the restaurant for breakfast, and it was around nine o'clock when we went to the village of Matin Abad.. Soon we traveled the sandy road from Eco Camp to the village and reached the village.

At the beginning of Matin Abad, we saw three cyclists on the side of the boulevard, who were having breakfast. I guessed that they also go to Kershahi. One of them rode and we went to the castle road together. Mr. Majid was a cyclist from Kashan. We chatted a bit and he returned to come with his friends. The energies that are close do not do what they do. We became close very soon. We heard from Mr. Majid that the children of Gestah Tour were also on their way from Tehran and a little later, at the beginning of the route, it was in Taghzars that their minibus with their bicycles on the barricade, which was coming from Tehran, overtook us.. They planned to ride the last 10 kilometers. In short, that day was a great day for everyone.

A dirt road in the middle of the hills, sometimes covered with sand and hard to walk, sometimes on foot until the hills are over and the sand is over.. The road was hard at the beginning. Despite being uphill, the pedaling was good, but the whole way up to the castle had a gentle slope, and the hard part was the pebbles that stopped the speed, and pedaling made it more difficult for me, who had Sahand in the crack, and more It took too much energy. Sahand and his chair weighed almost 17 kilos.

The weather was fine in the afternoon and as the day progressed, the sun's warming role decreased. Sahand's dress was too short and I was worried about it. With slow movement, it was around 13 o'clock that Kershahi fortress and its beautiful aqueduct appeared.

The tour kids and Kashani friends were all there and after having a good time, we took a tour of the pomegranate garden next to Kariz. Mahsa and Sahand had gone to the courtyard of Kershah fortress earlier and I joined them. At lunch, the weather became cloudy and cold. We rested for an hour and I was worried about going back, but the continuous flow was helpful in returning and we returned at full speed.. We stopped a few times on the way and chatted with friends from Kashan, until before Matin Abad, Sahand, who was quite cold, wanted to play sand.. We had a stop and were in Matin Abad before sunset. Mr. Majid and his friends were boiling water in a pot and we chatted again and drank tea together.. It was hard to say goodbye to each other, but the road to Tehran was putting pressure on us. Our car was in Metin Abad camp and we walked the last kilometers in the dark to reach the car. The silence and the cool breeze in the camp area did not let us relax. Mehsa and Sahand went inside and I was busy tying and fixing the bikes on the rack in the dark. Mr. Babaei, the kind and respected guard of the Metin Abad complex, helped me to see more easily with the flashlight of his phone. Although we arrived in Tehran late at night, it didn't matter at all. We went to the complex cafe and ordered a tea and sweets. With the start of the movement of the captive clouds of the Vulture Mountain, it started to rain heavily and we returned to Tehran with rain all the way..

Cycling navigation tips:

The road from Metin Abad village to Dej Karshahi is 25 km dirt and uphill, which rises 500 meters along the way.. The height at the beginning of the route is 980 meters and at the end of the route is 1480 meters above sea level.

To learn more about the route, follow the GPS file on Wikiloc.