ARI Kids: When Children Go Hiking
During the Soviet era, children’s mountain tourism was a well-established sport. There were children’s hiking clubs, and every summer, youngsters would set off on hiking expeditions accompanied by specially trained instructors.
Today, children’s mountain tourism is sustained mainly by hiking clubs and enthusiastic parents. One such wonderful initiative came to life in 2020, when two mothers joined one of the ARI Hiking Club excursions together with their children.
Astghik could never have imagined that the “ARI Kids” project would grow into such a large and sought-after initiative. On the very first hike, the children walked from Parz Lake to Goshavank, visiting the Caucasian Red Deer Breeding Center along the way.
Over the years, the club has organized 88 hikes for children aged 6 to 14 and around 30 hikes for children between the ages of 3 and 6. In total, they have led more than 120 hikes for over 2,000 children.
“I want to introduce children to an extraordinary way of discovering the world—by overcoming challenges with a backpack on their shoulders,” says Astghik Harutyunyan, founder of the ARI Hiking Club.
In Nature, Where They Truly Belong
Children are in their natural environment when they are in nature. Their playfulness, their messiness, even running downhill after a strenuous climb—all of it blends naturally into the landscape. This is how they express their discovery of Armenia’s beauty.
One of the most heartwarming moments for me is hearing a nine- or thirteen-year-old Armenian boy exclaim, “Wow, this is so beautiful!” or “I’m going to take a picture and show it at home.”
Choosing the Routes
I choose hiking routes according to the season, both for children and adults. They are selected based on difficulty. Some routes I tend to overestimate or underestimate. There are also trails that work perfectly for adults but prove difficult for children—or, on the contrary, become surprisingly easy and enjoyable for them.
They Get Tired
Some children step out of the car already feeling tired. Others lack physical endurance because city life has made everything convenient for them. But over time, they change.
During our hikes, we encourage children not to associate the word “tired” with something negative. Instead, we remind them that at the end of the hike we will sit together, enjoy the moment, and create lasting memories.
When the climb becomes especially challenging and they are truly exhausted, we even replace the word with another phrase:
“Wow… this is so beautiful!”
This simple change helps transform the feeling of fatigue into a positive emotional experience, and gradually the meaning of the word itself changes in their minds.
Why Start Hiking at an Early Age?
Nature belongs to all of us. We are meant to be in it.
Children today spend most of their lives in urban environments. Years ago, many still had a connection to village life, but today that connection has largely disappeared. They are busy attending various extracurricular activities, yet when they spend time in nature, they truly relax—by getting tired, but relaxing at the same time.
The Evolution of Parents
At first, parents didn’t trust ARI Kids as an organization—they trusted Astghik as a person. The project’s credibility was closely tied to her personally. As the team expanded, that trust gradually shifted from one individual to the entire organization.
For many parents, letting their children join is still difficult. They admit they worry, while others try to hide their concerns—but you can still sense them during conversations.
I always reassure them: the children never go far away. They are simply enjoying nature.
A Bigger Project
In spring, we are launching a major project together with Georgia.
It will take place in Lori Province, bringing together Georgian and Armenian young hikers. We have designed the route so that both groups cover approximately the same distance before meeting each other.
The program is planned for the spring school holidays and will last two to three days.
Hiking for Children on the Autism Spectrum
Starting in April, children with autism spectrum disorders will also have the opportunity to join hiking trips.
This is a pilot program, with separate hikes led by professional specialists.
We have previously hiked with children on the autism spectrum, and that experience inspired the idea of “Nature Hiking Therapy.”
Therapeutic activities that are usually conducted inside buildings can also take place in the healing environment of nature.
Teenagers
I would like to create a separate group specifically for teenagers.
When most participants are under the age of ten, teenagers naturally become bored. During the hikes they still cooperate with the younger children, sometimes they keep to themselves, but very often they help one another.
A flexible age grouping would also benefit families, as siblings often participate together—the younger child joining alongside an older brother or sister.
What Children Learn Through Hiking
They learn self-expression, something I consider extremely important.
Unfortunately, in many Armenian families children are either overly restricted or given no boundaries at all.
When children are overcontrolled, they stop expressing themselves. If they want something, they simply stand there quietly instead of saying it.
I often tell them:
“Say what you want out loud.”
We teach them to express themselves freely, to speak their thoughts without hesitation.
They also learn interpersonal communication—one of the fundamental skills they will need throughout their lives and one of the cornerstones of building their future.
What I Learn
To love without limits. Patience—an ocean of patience.
Sometimes I wonder: am I giving more to them, or are they giving more to me?
I grow alongside the children. I become wiser. I have learned what it means to serve.
Don’t misunderstand me—we don’t give in to manipulation, and we don’t carry their backpacks for them.
But we hug them. We give them energy.
You know, during a hike every child feels like your own, and all you want is to help every single one of them.
Spend More Time in Nature
I always wish that, whenever possible, people spend more time in nature. I hope hiking will no longer be seen merely as entertainment, because it is a way of life. It changes the way we think. It encourages exploration and discovery. This is also a way of preserving our national identity it is much more than hiking. I want children to truly discover Armenia, because this country is endlessly beautiful, endlessly magical.
ARI Hiking Club
Every Sunday we organize hikes for adults as well.
Many of them are discovering Armenia for the first time, and for them, too, the appreciation that comes with discovery is especially rewarding. The joy of discovering something new is unlike anything else.
Photos by Astghik Harutyunyan and the ARI Kids hiking group.
