Mount Vardenis

Vardenis Range

Length: 78 km

Highest summit: Mount Vardenis (3,552 m)

Coordinates: 40°0’40.75, 45°32’35.67

The Vardenis Mountain Range is located at the meeting point of the Ararat, Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor provinces, and bordered by Lake Sevan from the south. Over time, the mountains have shifted and new lava flows have covered them with a relatively young mantle of rock. The range begins at the southern summit of Mount Tsarasar, extending west to Mount Vardenis, southwest to Mount Mknasar, then west to Mount Gndasar and finally southwest to the Tukhmanu Pass. The mountains serve as a watershed between the Sevan concavity and the Arpa River Valley, and the slopes of the range are also home to the source of the Argitch River.

The range has an uneven appearance, with the northern side sloping gently towards Lake Sevan and the southern slopes being short, steep and broken up by river valleys. The extrusive cone of Mount Vardenis is located at the top of the mountain range, while the Al Lake occupies a closed concavity in the eastern part of the range, which is covered largely with alpine and sub-alpine meadows.

Mount Vardenis is located on the border between Vayots Dzor and Gegharkunik provinces, about 15 km south of the village of Artsvanist. There are several tributaries that flow from the mountain’s slopes. The terrain is rocky, with most plant coverage being alpine meadows. Mounds of stones and steep cliffs dot the landscape of the upper parts of the mountain, with the eastern slope featuring abundant cold water springs.