Club Members - Armenian Geographic - ArmGeo.am

Eduard Khachatryan

armeniangeographic — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 08:03:33 +0000

I am Eduard Khachatryan. I am a programmer specialized in the development of visual components of software. I am a big fan of movies and comics, and guitar is one of my most important hobbies.

Eduard Khachatryan

I was a freshman at the university and thanks to my friends I became a part of the Scout movement. My first hiking trip was with them. We went to Marmarashen Waterfall from Gyumri (I myself am from Gyumri). The hike was not difficult, but I was very happy. I felt like I was in one of the American movies that I had seen before. Scouting played an important role in making me fall deeply in love with nature and mountains. I lost contact with the Scout movement, but I still proudly keep my uniform.

Eduard Khachatryan

“Everything in life is like climbing a mountain…”

For me hiking is an opportunity to escape from an everyday boring life. It is a chance to walk and meditate, to gain energy and inspiration. And hikers are people who love nature and mountains, in spite of everything. They know how to be in harmony with the world around them.

Eduard Khachatryan

Firstly, the mountains provide an opportunity to believe in your own strength. If we draw parallels, we will understand that everything in life is like climbing a mountain. You need to believe in yourself and in people around you, and the result will be as impressive as the views opening from the mountains peaks.

For many members of our club Lake Tsaghkari is probably one of the most beloved mountain destinations, and I am no exception. I still get goosebumps when I remember those landscapes.

How I ended up in ArmGeo club

In the near future I plan to climb Elbrus. Let’s see how it goes. Climbing Fujiyama, Kilimanjaro and a 7-day trek to the Khan Tengri base camp are still a big dream for me.

Eduard Khachatryan

My first hike with ArmGeo was to Mount Bardogh (Koghbasar). After the university was army, then career, so I didn’t hike for about 5-6 years. I was supposed to go on a business trip, but it was cancelled. It made me really angry. One of my colleagues asked me to lend him my backpack to go on a trip to Western Armenia. Without hesitation, I told him that I will not give him my backpack, because I want to join them. I registered for this trip and ended up in ArmGeo club. I still don’t understand how they agreed to take me on such difficult hiking trip.

Eduard Khachatryan

I think that you should always give yourself a chance to try something new. So just do it. If possible, wear good hiking boots and do not forget sunscreen, regardless of the season.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Mery Antonyan

armeniangeographic — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 11:23:13 +0000

Art historian, graphic designer Mery Antonyan is a member of our hiking club. Mery first started hiking 3 years ago. After that, she often visits mountains.

Mery Antonyan

How it all started

“My first hike was to Herher waterfall. It was spring. On that day, the weather was especially chaotic: rain with snow, strong wind, muddy roads, and my clothing was not appropriate for hikes. My emotions were mixed, contradictory, but wonderful”, says Mery about her first hike.

Mery Antonyan

According to her, hikes give her the opportunity to be closer to nature. “I feel the “spirit” of nature more deeply. The best thoughts come to me in the mountains. There, I find new colors. What else do you need to be happy?”

What mountains give

Mery says that mountains teach, inspire, give energy, gift you with endless horizons, fantastic sunsets. “The mountains make you more persistent. The most difficult tasks are easily solved in the mountains. The mountains are honest, they have an amazing character. You enjoy the mountain from afar, and at the top, it allows you to enjoy the scenery that opens up around you. There is air in the mountains”.

Mery Antonyan

Speaking about the most memorable hikes, Mery singled out several hikes. “I will forever remember the unreal Lake Tsakkar, the warm sunrise on Mount Khustup, the mystical foggy landscapes of Ukhtasar, the discovery of Mount Katar snf its wild and rocky roads”.

Mery says that she still has many mountain roads to go. She has a big desire to hike in the mountains of Western Armenia and Artsakh. She thinks that hikers are free and emotional adventure seekers. “I can sense hikers from afar”.

Mery Antonyan

How I ended up in ArmGeo

Talking about how she ended up in our hiking club, Mery said: “I did not understand how I became a part of ArmGeo. After the universal quarantine, when our usual life stopped for a while, I worked from home. My balcony was the only way out for fresh air. I decided that once restrictions are gone, I will hike more often”.

Mery Antonyan

Mery advises everyone to go hiking at least once. “I myself have fears in the mountains, especially in the rocky parts. But I have to take risks, because the best views are just behind these rocks. To see beauty, you have to suffer a little, freeze, get wet, get scared, fall, and get dirty. Who said that it would be easy? I would advise you to try it at least once. If you feel the energy between you and the mountains, then you will definitely return”.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Anna Khachatryan

armeniangeographic — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:12:45 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am a hospitality specialist.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

It was July, and I realized that due to the coronavirus I locked myself at home for too long. I needed to communicate with people; I needed nature and fresh air. So on the 1st of August I joined the overnight hiking trip in Ukhtasar. The hike went well, I met new people, saw many new places. I was so impressed. On that day, I decided that I will go on hiking trips more often.

Anna Khachatryan

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

I think that after participating in hikes, I learned to be more in harmony with myself. Hiking relieve my thoughts and recharge me. After the hike, on the way home, I always think about my plans with motivation to implement them.

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

Mountains give colors. You can give this word many different meanings: impressions, memories, the most beautiful sunsets, people…

What am I looking for?.. I have a lot of fears. I am looking for a stronger Anna in the mountains.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men. Those who have seen the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” will probably understand why I associate this song with mountains.

Climbing Mount Katar / Anna Khachatryan

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

After every hike I feel like this hike was more impressive than the last one. However, I would like to highlight the hiking trip to Al Lakes and Mount Sandukhtasar: a long road, Al Lakes, a campfire, my first night in the Delica due to the unbearable cold, views from the top of Sandukhtasar, the sunset and, of course, people.

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

After several years of hiatus I am just starting to participate in hikes. Right now it will be easier to list the destinations I overcame than the other way around. However, I think that each next destination should be more difficult than the previous one. In the future I dream of climbing Mount Fuji in Japan.

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Recharge, discovery, harmony.

Anna Khachatryan

What do you think, who are hikers?

There is a word “wanderlust”, which expresses a strong desire to travel and discover the world. I think that hikers are people who search and discover the world.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

For more than three years I followed ArmGeo’s hikes, but for various reasons did not join them. In 2019, my brother joined ArmGeo, and then I did the same. Right after this hiking trip there was no question in my head whether to participate in the next hike or not? The answer was clear – yes!

Anna Khachatryan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

The most memorable moments in life often happen when we step out of our comfort zone.

If you are reading this and still having doubts then remember, that with every trip you skip, you miss out on a lot of memories.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Ruben Zaqoyan

armeniangeographic — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:59:16 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am an economist; I work in the field of banking.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

It is not like I just sat one day and decided that I will be a hiker. I always had this hiking spirit in me, and since childhood I had a dream to take my backpack and go to the mountains. My first conscious hike was many years ago – Southern peak of Mount Aragats. I had no experience and I didn’t know what to expect. The weather was bad, my clothing was inappropriate and the ascent was difficult. I was exhausted, but when I reached the top, I forgot about everything. At the top, I was greeted by magnificent landscapes, weather that was changing every second and indescribable colors of the crater.

Ruben Zaqoyan

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

I learned how to get to know people faster. In case of difficulties during hikes, it is easier to understand who is who. Hiking doesn’t tolerate selfishness and indifference. During the hike, we all become one, and our safety depends on each of us.

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

To be honest, I am not looking for anything, I just go hiking.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

I really love the soviet film “The Height”.

Ruben Zaqoyan

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

I am sure that my most memorable hike is still ahead: there are several peaks that I have not yet climbed. The most impressive hikes so far were the ascents of Sevazhayr, Khustup and Tsghuk.

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

There are several such destinations: Ararat, Kusanats.

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Freedom, carefreeness, energy.

Ruben Zaqoyan

What do you think, who are hikers?

I will quote Ani Mosyan: “Hikers are those lucky people who had the fortune to look at the world from the mountain peaks”.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

I am in ArmGeo club thanks to my good friend Lusine Arshakyan. My first hiking trip with them was to Mount Ayrikar. The interesting thing is that after second or third trip I already knew that these are my people. We immediately developed a warm relationship, which eventually grew into friendship.

Ruben Zaqoyan and Tigran Varag

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

I only have one advice: just go hiking and it will change your life.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

armeniangeographic — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 13:47:54 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am a philologist. I work as a translator and teach at the Russian-Armenian University.

Nare Mkrtchyan

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

My first hike was in May of 2011. We went to the Khosrov waterfalls. The emotions were unforgettable; at the end I almost cried and did not want to walk. After that, I realized what I was missing in my life.

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

I grew up in Russia, and when I came back to Armenia, I always felt like a foreigner, a bit of a stranger. But after participating in hikes I realized that all of Armenia is mine.

Nare Mkrtchyan

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

They give me the opportunity to feel like a child. I can be frivolous, spontaneous, a little bit silly and infinitely happy.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

Even as a student who did not participate in hiking trips, I was rewriting this poem by Byron on the first page of all my notebooks:

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:

I love not Man the less, but Nature more,

From these our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the Universe, and feel

What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.”

Nare Mkrtchyan

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

Discovery of Hell’s Canyon and Nare Waterfall. I think there is no need to explain why.

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

At the moment, my dream is Mount Kusanats. I also have a lifelong dream – Lake Kaputan.

Nare Mkrtchyan

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

It is difficult to choose only three words.

What do you think, who are hikers?

My kind of people.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

Even before the club was founded, I regularly went on hiking trips with Tigran. And when ArmGeo was created, I automatically became a member of the club.

Nare Mkrtchyan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

Hiking is not just an entertainment, during which you can spend your time as you want. This is a different lifestyle, more natural than our life in the city. Now life in city became more familiar to us, and in order to be in nature we need to make efforts, show courage. This is my subjective opinion, but I think that a person who doesn’t go on hikes misses something important, he does not see and does not perceive a big part of a rich and interesting life. Therefore I can advise one thing: go on a hike, find out what it is, and only after that make a decision whether you like hiking or not.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Hranush Vanesyan

armeniangeographic — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 06:56:35 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am a linguist by profession; I work in the field of education.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

I spent my childhood in the mountains, and reaching the top of the nearest hill was a part of our daily games. After moving to Yerevan, I began to have an urgent need for nature, which made me go to the mountains again. During the first hikes I returned to my childhood, without even noticing it. I began to realize the ideological background later, probably after my third hike, when you feel like you are confronting nature and yourself, when with your each step your heart begins to beat faster.

Hranush Vanesyan

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

You know, now I am better prepared for the trials of life, both mentally and physically. For example, when I go somewhere, I take a small bag and put only the essentials there. This affects other aspects of life as well: you stop carrying a heavy baggage with you, and it becomes easier to separate the important from the secondary.

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

I am not looking for anything in the mountains, although during our last hike we were looking for petroglyphs. You don’t need to look for anything; the mountains will give you what you need. Each mountain has something for you. It is possible that in a group of 20 people each person will perceive the same mountain in a completely different way. And who knows what or who you will find on your next trip.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

Pink Floyd song Learning to fly. Every time when I reach the top, it seems to me that I can spread my wings and go a little higher.

Hranush Vanesyan

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

Two years ago I taught in one of the Armenian villages, which is located on the mountain. Sometimes the transport did not work. In early March, it started to snow, and I found myself on the road leading up to the village. I was not in the mood for hiking, but I was sure that there will be no cars, so I decided to walk to the village through the forest. I walked for about two hours, alone with nature. I will never forget the feelings I experienced that day. I conquered nature, myself, and got rewarded with beautiful landscapes of blooming trees and snow.

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

A little “further” I talked about what guides me when choosing a hiking destination: I am more interested in lesser-known destinations. However, among well-known destinations, I am really interested in the mountains of the Armenian Highland, which are located outside of the Republic of Armenia. Most of all, I would like to climb Mount Koghbasar. I fell in love with it through pictures and now I am waiting for the opportunity to climb it. Traveling to the mountains of Western Armenia is my favorite project from ArmGeo.

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Harmony, freedom, connection.

Hranush Vanesyan

What do you think, who are hikers?

Hikers are people with whom you can always go on trips, no matter where.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

I have close friends among the members of ArmGeo, but I never went on hikes with them. I always thought that they are professionals and I would not be able to be on their level. One day one of my friends suggested to go on a three-day trip to Artsakh on his birthday. He said that we will not walk that much and I agreed to join him. To my surprise, for two days we hardly left the car and I waited eagerly for a moment when we would finally walk. That’s when I realized that ArmGeo is not only about walking. ArmGeo is about discovering Armenia and all its corners. During this trip we discovered caves that have turned into houses. No one from our group has been there before, they only heard about the existence of this place. These experiences are the main reason that I am connected to this club: every time you can discover a new Armenia and go to places far from “civilization”, where the nature is real.

Hranush Vanesyan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

If you have already thought about it, then do not hesitate any longer. However, be sure to start with an overnight hiking trip.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

armeniangeographic — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 06:47:52 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

Business consultant, Information Technology.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

In 2005 or 2006, I don’t remember exactly, I climbed the Southern peak of Aragats. It was hard and I was not prepared at all. During the ascent I experienced all the weather elements: at first it was sunny, then windy and cloudy, a light rain started and later turned into a small hail, then a heavy snowstorm began, and when I reached the top, the stones were covered with beautiful frost. I barely felt my hands, so I had to ask others to give me food from my backpack.

Hovhannes Nazaryan

As you may have guessed, nothing was visible at the top. But I still wanted to reach the top. I am sure that smart people would already give up. That is exactly what some of the guys did. But I didn’t give up and that’s how I began to love nature.

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

I have been in the nature for many years trying to become one with it, or, perhaps, a small part of it. It helped me to be less angry. I learned how to control my emotions. Sometimes close people who have not seen me for a long time ask “Is everything alright?”, and I say “Yes. I am just very calm”.

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

The mountains have given me everything I need to feel like a complete person, and it’s time for me to give them something in return. I was looking for harmony with the mountains, and I found it.

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

No.

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

Overcoming the summit of Elbrus. It is special because it was the most difficult ascent of my life. It was the first mountain that tried to make me surrender, but I am glad that I conquered my own self and reached the top.

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

Kazbek, Lenin Peak, Kilimanjaro… Ushba, Everest, K2.

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Calmness, harmony, joy.

What do you think, who are hikers?

Reliable and trustworthy people who can become your friends.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

I cannot answer, it just happened. Maybe it happened subconsciously, because for the first time all of us together reached the top of Mount Ararat.

Hovhannes Nazaryan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

You just need to try once. You will not lose anything and you will make many new discoveries. For example, when I hike, I go back to my comfort zone, especially if it’s an overnight hike with tents.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

armeniangeographic — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 06:32:43 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

My first profession is a lawyer, and the second is business management. My work is connected to my second profession.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

I don’t remember. As a child, I loved to walk in the village mountains and make discoveries. In school, during excursions in nature, I often separated from the group and climbed the nearest hill or mountain. I have always been drawn to the unknown and, of course, to beautiful landscapes.

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Then I started hiking on my own, sometimes with friends. The goal was mainly cognitive: abandoned castles, monasteries, natural monuments…

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

First of all, my attitude towards nature has changed. You cannot truly appreciate and take care of nature while sitting in the city. Until you spend the night in the forest, walk all day in the mountains and drink water from a stream, you will not realize that the nature is your true environment. Also, thanks to hiking, many wonderful people have appeared in my life.

Gevorg Harutyunyan

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

It is a difficult question. I guess I am not looking for anything, I just feel calmness and peace in the mountains.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

Of course. Whenever I reach the top, I remember the lines from the poem by Hamo Sahyan: “There are mountains on the mountains, gorges in the darkness of gorges…” This is not just a poem; it is a scenery that you can see in real life…

Gevorg Harutyunyan

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

In 2016, members of the ArmGeo club and I climbed Qajkar, which is the highest peak of Eastern Pontic Mountains. It was a real mountain adventure. Due to the lack of information, we didn’t have a clear plan of ascent. It was an undiscovered, cozy land full of historical and natural monuments. The ascent was quite difficult, with a powerful peak and magnificent views…

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

I want to go around the whole Armenia through the mountains and gorges.

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Freedom, peace, tranquility.

What do you think, who are hikers?

Hikers are the most ordinary not ordinary people who know where real life is.

Gevorg Harutyunyan

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

I was friends with Tigran before ArmGeo. We met in the mountains and went to many hikes together. When ArmGeo was founded, knowing Tigran’s approaches, I had no doubt that this will be my kind of hiking club. Then, new and bright people joined us, and the hiking club became a friends’ club as well.

Gevorg Harutyunyan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

I would say join us. I found my comfort zone while hiking.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

armeniangeographic — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 11:53:42 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

My first profession is a journalist, the second is a literary critic and a teacher. At the moment I work in Artsakh, in the field of education.

Narine Vardanyan

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

I was born in the mountains, in Tavush, or as we say in recent years, in Real Tavush – Shamshadin. My eyes are used to greenery and mountains. We even look up to see the fields. When I moved to Yerevan, my first big concern was the immense horizon. It seemed that I could not hold on to anything. So, I started to discover city parks, then I started looking for hiking opportunities. The first mountain, the name of which I remember, and remember the hike as well, is Mount Hatis. It was an easy hike. It was a long time ago, but I know that it was easy, because it felt like I am going back home. It seemed to me that we went to collect blackberries, and the mowers were about to pass by us. This feeling is still with me. To this day, I experience this thrill whenever I am in the mountains.

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

People have changed, and probably I myself have changed. I know people who go on difficult hikes to let out the aggression and negativity accumulated inside. I go on hikes to let out love.

My whole life I thought that I love Armenia. In recent years I realized that I love Armenia from afar, abstractly, without understanding why I love it. Now, when I have an opportunity to touch it and feel its warmness, I can say with confidence that my conscious love for Armenia has changed my life and changed my attitude towards all manifestations of love. I learned to discover, learn, admire and not ask anything in return. Just like with a loved one: to feel, touch, take care, to know by heart the direction of the veins on the arm… and not be able to live without all this.

Narine Vardanyan

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

I am looking for peace in the mountains. Mountains helped us achieve peace for our country thousands of times. With this in mind, in the mountains I restore peace in my soul every time.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

When I feel like too much time has passed since the last hike, I feel sad and remember William Saroyan’s creation “My heart’s in the highlands”. I think that if one day my legs would not want to go to the mountains, I will learn to play some instrument, probably Sring, sit on my rocking chair and play until people start asking me questions, and I will answer meaningfully: “My heart’s in the highlands, in the Armenian highlands”.

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

The most memorable hiking trip is probably the ascent of Mets Kirs. For a long time, I was afraid of heights, and before climbing Mets Kirs my legs would often tremble on the rocks and narrow paths. At the end of the Mets Kirs ascent there is a small area with cliffs. There was also snow and ice, and in order to overcome this part, I had to put my feet on the ground as firmly as possible. It was there that my trembling disappeared. At the top, looking at the “fist” of Kirs, I felt how proud I am for myself. I irretrievably fell in love with this mountain. When we went down, I made a promise to myself that I will come back. Now I am writing this, and Mets Kirs is visible from afar, and I feel a little ashamed that I have not returned there yet.

Narine Vardanyan and Tigran Varag

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

There are many mountain peaks from which I have not yet looked at the world: The Northern peak of Aragats, Ararat, Kusanats, Varag… I have no dream of climbing any peak. The only peak I am thinking about now, I will never climb, but I will wait for my return from there.

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Instead of three words I will say one small sentence: “Look, what a beautiful homeland!” This is what Karen kept saying throughout one of the hikes. Now when I travel, I always remember these words.

What do you think, who are hikers?

Hikers are people obsessed with life, and life is the mountains.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

My best and closest friends are from ArmGeo and are directly related to hikes. But I found them and became friends with them before I found ArmGeo.

The first hike was in Artsakh – a three-day off-road tour in my birthday. It was my first hike with ArmGeo, but I knew almost every participant.

It was a muddy hike. We got to know each other better. This hiking trip was about love, great love. On these days I saw the most beautiful sunset in my life – a sunset on Mount Dizapayt. We settled down with our sleeping bags on the wooden floor of the village school, and Hrach threw wood into the stove all night. Until now, the monotonous crackle of fire fills me with a sense of care. After that, it is impossible not to go hiking.

Narine Vardanyan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

When I first started hiking, I didn’t have the necessary clothes, I was getting wet and sick all the time. Then the mountains gave me strength and immunity. They saw that I would never give up on them and allowed me to become stronger. Trust the mountains, let them take care of you, let them change your life. Find peace in the mountains, find a formula for love, find people.

Members of ArmGeo Club

Eduard Khachatryan

Mery Antonyan

Anna Khachatryan

Ruben Zaqoyan

Nare Mkrtchyan

Hranush Vanesyan

Hovhannes Nazaryan

Gevorg Harutyunyan

Narine Vardanyan

Lianna Araqelyan

armeniangeographic — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 11:27:20 +0000

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am a translator. Now I work in the field of marketing.

Lianna Araqelyan

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? How your first hiking trip was and what kinds of emotions did you experience?

I have been interested in hiking for a long time. Back in school, we often traveled and organized hiking trips. For the first time, I decided to join ArmGeo because I noticed that they always choose unusual destinations and discover many unknown places. My first hike was in 2016, destination – Mount Tezhkar and Hell’s Canyon. I remember how we left the bus and all participants started to prepare their hiking equipment. They put on more comfortable shoes, opened their trekking poles and so on. For a moment I felt lost. I thought that I am not supposed to be here, and if I could I would sit in a bus and go back to the city. Then my mixed emotions were replaced by beautiful landscapes, tranquility and some other, completely new Armenia.

What has changed in your life since you started hiking?

I find balance in nature and in the mountains. The balance of noise and silence, action and peace, questions and answers. In the mountains everything is in harmony and balance, nothing bothers you. You only think about how to overcome your own strength and yourself.

In the mountains, I am not in a hurry, I am not tired, and I am not worried about minor problems that we artificially create for ourselves, when we live in the city.

Lianna Araqelyan

What do mountains give you, what are you looking for there?

Mountains become a territory that you cannot measure by space and time. There you can travel in your desired time and space and end up in your desired place. At any moment you can make important discoveries, at any second you can feel powerful, and the next second you can feel small and insignificant. But the most important thing is that in the mountains you feel like a part of the world, country, people, everything… This sense of integrity has a power that cannot be expressed with words.

Is there a creation that you associate with mountains or hikes?

There are many of them. However, there is one poem about mountains by Hovhannes Tumanyan that I really love. For me, it is a combination of mountains, childhood and simplicity.

What was your most memorable hiking trip and what made it special?

I remember all the trips without exception. During one hike, small white flowers spread out in front of you, and you try to find convenient paths so as not not trample “anyone”. On other hike, you look at cliffs and inaccessible mountains in the distance, and you think that one day you will climb them. During another hike you find good friends.

Lianna Araqelyan

Are there destinations that you haven’t climbed yet but have a desire to do it?

I never choose which mountains I need to climb. Sometimes I even think that mountains choose me. There, we understand each other very well: they know the right time and the right paths…

Which are those three words that can describe your feelings during hiking trips?

Calmness, happiness, and pride (when you reach some peaks, you look down at the path that you overcame, and you feel proud of yourself…)

What do you think, who are hikers?

People who seek and strive for more than they already have.

How did you appear in ArmGeo club?

One word – Ararat.

Lianna Araqelyan

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to get out of their comfort zone and do that?

Remember that you are always one step away from the top, and by taking this step, you will find yourself in a wonderful place with the most beautiful beautiful views. Do not think about the height of the peak, because the peak is always reachable if you take one step.

P.S. Or you can take your phone and call ArmGeo. One more advantage: you will have many cool photos for Instagram :)