Sports tourism (climbing) and its optimal space location finding, with an emphasis on the use of solar radiation: Case study of Parav- Bistoon Mountains, Kermanshah

Today, sports tourism is not only the source of health but also profit and income and any country that can provide better conditions of this resource will enjoy from the blessings and benefits of it. The present study tries to identify areas prone to climbing in Parav highlands using morphological characteristics (elevation, slope and aspect). The main foundation of this research and the process of location finding for climbing is morphological characteristics such as topography, slope, aspect, etc. In order to provide the maps needed for the study using topography of 20000 areas, we applied Digital elevation maps (DEM), the triangular elevation model (TIN), slope and aspect. Then, logical terms in relation to climbing were defined. The innovation of the present study is including the factor of aspect and whereby using solar radiation in climbing in autumn, winter and spring due to high altitude and low temperature of highlands, as well as avoiding it in summer because of annoying heat and sun burning. Using latitude, elevation angle and solar radiation Azimuth in all four seasons for the area, the empirical formulas were calculated. The findings indicate that in case of aspect for different seasons in summer all directions are suitable for climbing, except the direction that receives the solar radiation, and suitable zone area for climbing is more than the 90% of the area. However, in winter, more than 80 percent of the area is unsuitable for climbing and its suitable zone is less than 20%. At Equinox, in the morning, only 23 percent of the area is suitable zone, still in the evening only 10% of the area is suitable zone. Eventually the final maps were generated using the weighted overlap method and indicated that the area of suitable zone in case of Azimuth radiation has dramatic difference with the favorable zone, without considering the direction of radiation. This difference includes 15% to 20% of the total area in some seasons.