Ride For Lut
FEBRUARY 2027
The journey will be carried out by Payam Mehnani, an experienced cyclist and member of the Nature Watchers team. Drawing on his practical experience in long-distance cycling and bikepacking, Payam will lead the expedition across the proposed Northern Lute route, bringing endurance, field discipline and a deep respect for fragile desert landscapes to the campaign.
Ride for Lut is a Nature Watchers field campaign that brings together cycling, conservation and environmental storytelling to celebrate and protect the exceptional landscapes of Iran’s Lut Desert.
Through a symbolic cycling journey across the wider Northern Lut landscape, the campaign aims to encourage a deeper public understanding of the desert as more than a destination for adventure. Lut is a living landscape shaped by wind, geology, climate, biodiversity, cultural memory and the communities connected to its wider region.Our purpose is to travel with care, document responsibly and create stories that strengthen respect for fragile desert ecosystems.The Lut Desert is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2016 for its exceptional natural beauty and geological significance. Shaped by powerful seasonal winds, extreme heat and time, this vast desert contains remarkable wind-carved landforms known as yardangs or kaluts, extensive dune fields and some of the highest land-surface temperatures recorded on Earth. More than a destination for adventure, Lut is a fragile natural heritage landscape that deserves informed access, respect and long-term protection.
