Hayk Hayrapetyan: Mountains Give You Friends
Those who know Hayk personally know how much energy this person has, how his eyes light up and shine when discussing plans for climbing a new mountain. A mathematician by profession, a businessman, and a climber who has successfully completed three 7000+ meter peaks, Hayk Hayrapetyan shares his thoughts about mountaineering.
— Preparing for any climb is extremely important. You have to think through everything down to the smallest detail; otherwise, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. This applies to clothing and equipment as well. Physical preparation is also essential because challenging routes require great strength and determination. Before every expedition, I always train physically. For example, I climb Mount Aragats.
— My love for mountains was born very unexpectedly. It was 2010, and there was an advertisement on television about climbing Mount Ararat. I happened to hear about it and wanted to go. I was completely unprepared. I bought trekking poles after receiving advice because I did not know what was needed, and my clothing was actually for snowboarding. It was the most difficult climb. After that, I climbed Ararat every year, and later the mountains of neighboring countries appeared on my list—Damavand, Elbrus, Kazbek. It was not only my love for mountains that attracted me, but also my curiosity about how high my body was capable of going.
— If I talk about mountains, I should mention that Ararat was different. You see it every day, and for us it has a symbolic meaning. It is a symbol of Armenian identity, Christianity, and also a sporting challenge.
— Any 5000+ meter mountain has sporting value. I chose the mountains close to Armenia based on that logic. The first 7000+ meter peak I attempted was Khan Tengri. It is a very beautiful mountain. I climbed from the northern side, which is significantly more difficult but also considered safer. The southern route is conditionally easier, but more dangerous—you face what climbers call the “bottle” effect.
— In my mountaineering biography, I have three successful ascents of 7000+ meter peaks: Khan Tengri, Lenin Peak, and Korzhenevskaya Peak.
— Climbing mountains shapes us, corrects our character, and develops us as human beings. In Yerevan, you exist on one level; in the mountains, you are on another, and after descending from the mountains, you become someone different again.
— Alpinism symbolizes progress: you move forward and upward.
— 5000+ and 7000+ meter mountains are very different from each other. At 5000+ meters, you sleep around 4000 meters above sea level, where there is neither snow nor glaciers. At 7000 meters, the camp is located on a glacier. There is snow, and you have to spend around 10 nights at altitudes between 5400 and 6000 meters.
— Humanity has become very disconnected from nature. When you feel what nature is, when you experience its power, you begin trying to live in harmony with it. If all of us were mountaineers, our attitude toward nature would be different.
— Mountains teach discipline, which is extremely important. If you have to wake up at night, you have to get up, no matter what. Difficulties must be overcome. Didn’t sleep? It does not matter. If two people leave the tent and one is late, the other one will freeze. When making decisions, you must remain calm. Emotional reactions are not forgiven in the mountains; the wrong decision can have serious consequences.
— Very often, what I tell people is difficult for them to understand. They cannot understand how someone can replace a beach holiday with glaciers.
— Why do you climb a summit? Whom are you defeating? Yourself. Every time, you push your own limits higher. You want to understand the boundaries of your body’s capabilities. Measuring it through altitude is one of the best ways.
— Climbing all four peaks of Aragats in one day is one of the most beautiful challenges in Armenia. I personally started climbing Mount Aragats quite late. Today, many people who climb Ararat train on Aragats.
— I think the next destination will be what was previously called Communism Peak, in the Pamir Mountains. Perhaps also Manaslu.
— The “Winter Bars” program is not considered less valuable in mountaineering than climbing Everest. Why do 7000-meter mountains attract me? Because this is pure alpinism. Everest has become a tourist route for climbers.
— Mountains give you friends. It is true.
— I have not done anything unique. In Armenia, there are around 200 people like me. It is just that, for different reasons, our paths and directions change.
