Aragats: 4 Summits in One Day

Those who have once breathed the freshness of the mountains and witnessed their untouched beauty will always return to the mountains. During the ascent, we slowly dissolved into the vastness and soon became a presence within that vast space.

The sounds of trekking poles, the movement of stones beneath my feet, ringing in my ears, accelerated breathing. I was thirsty for air; with dry lips, I tried to greedily grasp every drop of the thin mountain air.

The journey itself is the goal, and you must fight along the way. I assure you, the effort will not be in vain. Reaching the destination is difficult, but you must continue. You must continue too.

Following a goal changes not only that particular area of life but also your entire attitude toward life. Forever. That was the reason I decided to climb all four summits of Mount Aragats in one day.

To escape the swamp of thoughts, you need to hold on to something and pull yourself out with all your strength. To overcome myself, I decided to embark on a journey that seemed almost insane. I had a long road ahead of me with a heavy backpack… Along with water and necessary food, I carried my thoughts, memories, mistakes, and fragments of life that had fallen into my hands at that moment. Four summits of Aragats in one day — either I would “burn out” or I would be “reborn.”

Start: 06:33, Kari Lake

Route: The crater between the Western and Southern summits, followed by the Northern summit, then the Eastern summit, back through the crater to the Western summit, finally the Southern summit and return to the lake.

There are several legends about Aragats, and I will share only one of them. Once upon a time, the mountains of Armenia were strong and mighty brothers. Every morning, at dawn, they would wake up, first tie their belts, and then greet one another. Time passed.

The brothers grew old and began waking up later. One day, after waking up, they forgot to tie their belts as they had always done, and greeted each other. Seeing this, God became angry and punished the brothers. They turned into stone and became mountains, their belts became green fields, and the tears of the petrified brothers became immortal springs. The fourth largest of these giants is Aragats, after Great Ararat, Sebelan, and Sipan.

This mountain is truly a strong man; its real character can only be seen while accompanying it on the journey. Aragats “scorched” me, and throughout the entire climb, we were in dialogue. This ascent changed many things within me; it was a climb about resistance and acceptance.

Two completely opposite understandings, the combination of which can lead to spiritual harmony. Throughout the journey, I resisted the wildest desires; inside me, there was a bloody and crushing battle. My destruction felt very close, and every minute was decisive.

I was ready to give up, realizing that I might break. Whether I would ever again be able to accept myself as I am, or whether I would be ready in the future to change my life despite all my flaws, remained unknown. The Northern and Eastern summits of Aragats were jagged and steep, which made the ascent slower and more difficult. Only here did I understand that beauty can also be terrifying. Fear, alertness, joy, anxiety — these were the highest emotions on the summit. I hid my feelings from Aragats; perhaps it would have considered them arrogance and taken away the small achievement it had granted me.

The four summits were a journey of self-discovery: to know myself under different conditions, to understand my own nature, and to be amazed by my own strength.

I opened my backpack and decided to lighten my burden. I placed my thoughts, memories, mistakes, and fragments of life side by side. I walked silently, carefully watching every step beneath my feet.

Many volcanic cones are scattered around Aragats. As a result of volcanic eruptions, the mountain slopes, stretching across vast areas down to the lower foothills, are covered with lava formations. I was afraid even to blink; any careless movement could have been disastrous. In the mountains, you remain alone with yourself — within the vastness. The hike continued, and ahead lay a challenging path filled with large and massive stones.

Only when you place your foot on a stone do you understand whether it was the right choice or not. There are deceptive stones — they look stable but are actually uncertain. Only by continuing to walk can you learn to recognize and distinguish them. Along the way, there will be stones that make you fall; what matters is persistence, not losing hope, and getting back on your feet quickly.

Some larger stones are safer to overcome with the help of a trekking pole. It is an indescribable feeling to walk parallel to your own life. My entire life looked like a landscape of rocky cliffs, and the stones represented the decisions I had made and the people I had met.

At the fourth summit, my tears rolled freely down my cheeks, burned by the wind. My body was still trembling from the emotions I had experienced; I felt adrenaline restoring me. Crying, I was smiling…

Follow your goals, even when they seem impossibly crazy. “You won’t be able to do it” — this was the only sentence I heard for an entire month. I can share my own experience: do not allow others to convince you otherwise. Simply move forward, listen to your heart, and for every good idea, supporters will always appear.

Personal goals are endless. The moment you achieve one, you begin thinking about the next. Life itself resembles a mountain range, where while walking you can witness all four seasons of the year in their different shades.

Thank you to the mountain guides. Throughout the entire journey, they motivated me, and when my strength was leaving me, they helped me not to give up.

Finish: 20:34

Duration: 14 hours 1 minute

Northern Summit: 4090.1 meters

Eastern Summit: 3908.2 meters

Western Summit: 3995.3 meters

Southern Summit: 3887.8 meters

Mountain guides: Stepan Adamyan, Gurgen Kanetsyan