10 Mountains in Armenia That You Should Climb
I have said many times that the magnificent nature of Armenia often allows us to become more generous, caring, and attentive toward our surroundings. Over time, you begin to give more space to the present and stop living in memories or empty thoughts.
I assure you, nature can awaken the real you within yourself. It will introduce you to the inner strength that is unique to you and that has been waiting for its moment of self-expression. And if, at this stage of your life, you have anxieties, hiking can help simplify your thoughts. But if mountaineering is your passion and you cannot imagine traveling without mountains, then I am sharing with you 10 mountains that will forever change your perception of nature.
Aragats
A four-peaked giant. If you know us Armenians, then you also know that Mount Aragats is our proud and majestic symbol. The highest point is the northern summit, which reaches an altitude of 4090.1 meters. Numerous volcanic cones are scattered around Aragats. As a result of volcanic eruptions, the mountain slopes are covered with lava over vast areas, extending all the way to the lower foothills.
I was afraid even to blink; any careless movement could have been disastrous. There are several legends about Aragats, and I will share only one of them.
Once upon a time, the mountains of Armenia were mighty and enormous brothers. Every morning, after waking up early, they would first tie their belts and then greet each other. Time passed. The brothers grew old and began waking up later. One day, after waking up, they forgot to tie their belts, contrary to their usual tradition, and greeted each other without doing so.
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 eternal springs.
Among these giants, Aragats is the fourth largest, after Great Masis, Sebelan, and Sipan.
Khustup
They say that Khustup is considered a sacred mountain, and people have given it the name of a hermit. According to one interpretation of the mountain’s name, its origin is connected to the Hurrian root khutu, which means prayer. Since ancient times, the mountain has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage.
On the slopes of Khustup, near the spring called Kozni, the remains of the Armenian national hero and military commander Garegin Nzhdeh are also buried.
After setting out from the foot of the mountain, it took us only four hours to reach the final hill, after which we only had to conquer the summit. The beauty of the peak opening before us took our breath away. It was difficult to tear my eyes away from the magnificent view, but we had to keep moving forward, toward the summit.
You will notice the uniqueness of the Syunik mountains — proud and inaccessible, standing tall in the distance like warriors lined up in formation. Majestic and magnificent, they will watch you and your every movement with a sense of pride.
How much immense and profound human history these mountains carry within themselves. How many people like us have they welcomed, listened to their stories, and silently sent them away, without arrogance.
The expression “to be blinded by beauty” can only truly be understood in Khustup.
We were guests of the mountain, and it welcomed us. It began to enchant and captivate us. From the various exclamations of admiration, I understood that what I was seeing was not a vision, but reality.
The clouds surrounded us like cheerful children. The emotions we experienced were so vividly reflected on our faces that even nature seemed to celebrate with us. With silky delicacy, the white clouds came even closer, and the view became covered with a delicate veil.
I do not know how else to convey a piece of Khustup’s magnificence to you. Again and again, I search in my mind for colors and shades, but it is useless. This is one of those places that people speak about silently — through feeling.
Azhdahak
We move toward Azhdahak, the highest peak of the Geghama mountain range. Its height is 3597 meters. Adjacent to the summit, on the northwestern side, there is a crater filled with water.
For most of the year, this place is covered with snow, and even in August, you may encounter fog. During my visit, the fog arrived almost unnoticed. Slowly replacing the warmth and energy of the mountain with itself, it created an impressive scene.
The name Azhdahak is known in Armenian folklore as the name of the king of the Medes and a dragon. Azhdahak is the evil dragon Aži Dahaka from Iranian mythology.
Fearing the Armenian king Tigran, Azhdahak saw his downfall in a dream and, in order to prevent it, became related to Tigran by marrying his sister Tigranuhi. Nevertheless, Azhdahak plotted against Tigran.
Through Tigranuhi, the conspiracy was revealed. Tigran and Azhdahak went to war against each other with large armies. Tigran killed Azhdahak and freed his sister.
When I reached the final point, all the tension in my body completely disappeared. I began to enjoy the presence of small stones with reddish hues.
I was speechless from the view. I was standing on an imaginary straight line between happiness and difficulty.
Ara
In the 5th century, Movses Khorenatsi, in one of his historical narratives, tells the story of a woman blinded by passion. The tale of Ara the Beautiful and Shamiram is one of the beautiful legends recorded by Movses Khorenatsi.
At that time, Shamiram was the queen of the powerful Assyrian Empire. She had heard about the legendary beauty of the Armenian king Ara, fallen in love with him, and naturally desired to possess him.
Shamiram tried to seduce Ara with gifts, mutually beneficial offers, and agreements, but he rejected her. Shamiram was astonished, because men have always been attracted to confident, mysterious, and passionate women.
Consumed by desire and anger, the queen attacked the Armenian land with a large army. The Armenian king was killed on the battlefield. Blinded by her passion, Shamiram ordered Ara’s body to be placed in a high place and tried to bring him back to life by licking his wounds. However, nothing worked.
Then the clever Shamiram dressed one of her lovers in Ara’s clothes and announced to everyone that, by the will of the gods, the Armenian king had returned to life.
According to the historian, during the battle against the Assyrian queen Shamiram, Ara had positioned his army at the foot of Mount Ara, while the queen had taken her position on the slopes of Mount Hatis.
According to legend, Mount Ara itself is the body of Ara the Beautiful, who fell during the battle. From a distance, it truly resembles a lying human figure.
Among the mountain’s rocky formations, you will notice a cave called the Cave of Virgin Varvara or Tsaghkevank. There are also several legends connected to this place.
Arteni
The beauty of Aragatsotn Province. Remains of Stone Age settlements have been discovered on Mount Arteni.
Locals also call it Artin and Areg. The mountain’s elevation is 2047 meters, although the climb begins from 1500 meters.
From the summit, a beautiful view opens toward Aragats, Ararat, the Geghama Mountains, and the Armenian Highland. In clear weather, you can even see Ani, the city of a thousand and one churches.
Dimats
Mount Dimats is one of the most visited destinations in recent years, even among people who are far from mountaineering. It is a viewpoint where thousands of people come to take photographs.
Mount Dimats is located in Tavush Province, in the Ijevan Mountains. Its elevation is 2378 meters. The view from the summit toward the rocky walls of the Ijevan Mountains is especially impressive.
The summit can also be reached by an off-road vehicle.
Yeranos
We began the ascent from Ararat Province. At some point, you have nothing, and the next moment you have more than you can contain. I experienced a similar feeling while climbing the mountain, when the entire journey was accompanied by beautiful views.
Ahead lies Masis; to the east are the Yerakhi Mountains; to the west stretches the Voghjaberd mountain range; and below lies the Azat Reservoir.
Looking around from the summit of Yeranos, I realized that there is a misconception that humans are the most powerful creatures on the planet. Perhaps we created this myth ourselves to satisfy our own ego?
Nature is a very powerful driving force. It can become a source of inspiration for any person.
Gutanasar
Another mountain where many people go to take photographs is Gutanasar. It is an extinct volcanic mountain peak located in the central part of Kotayk Province, Armenia.
Its height is 2299.6 meters. People from almost every region gather here to take photos near the “Black Wall.”
You can also reach this place by car. And here is a little secret from me: instead of searching for Gutanasar on the map, search for “Black Wall.”
Vardablur (Wolf’s Ears)
Mount Vardablur, better known as Wolf’s Ears, is located in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor Province.
When you look at the mountain from a distance, its summit resembles the ears of a wolf, which is why it received this name.
The mountain’s elevation is 2455 meters. It is located approximately 142 km from Yerevan if you start the ascent from the village of Zedea.
There are roads leading close to the foot of the mountain, and it is possible to reach the area by car.
It is a beautiful mountain journey; I myself have climbed both “ears.”
Ughtasar
Ughtasar is a unique open-air museum. It is a place through which the traditions, lifestyle, and daily life of ancient Armenians are revealed.
To climb Ughtasar, you need to wake up early in the morning. I had been told that ice fragments remain on the lake during all seasons of the year, and the snow in this area never completely melts.
My discoveries of Ughtasar took place in June. At that time, it is possible to see carvings made with stone tools on black and gray volcanic rocks. Most of them are considered memorials dedicated to the lives of the deceased and heroic stories.
The stones depict people hunting, cultivating the land, participating in competitions, as well as scenes of battles and dances.
There are also numerous animal images: wild and domestic bison, goats, mouflons, gazelles, and deer.
We were on our way, and I was already imagining that soon I would see numerous prehistoric rock carvings dating back 4000–7000 years. But halfway through the journey, the driver told us that the road leading to Ughtasar was closed.
Mountain hiking is one of the best exercises for achieving your own goals.
Of course, halfway through the journey, you begin to “stone yourself” with doubts. Tempting images appear in your mind: sitting in a cool place with a glass of freshly squeezed juice in your hand — something that exists only as a vision.
Very often, you need to be able to look failure in the face, not in order to surrender, but to reach your goal.
