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Smbataberd in Wintertime

armeniangeographic — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 06:47:57 +0000

Some people do not consider winter to be a good hiking season. They think that the snow and cold would make their hiking impossible, but it is not true. Of course, when you choose a difficult destination or a mountain that is above 3000 meters, you will have some problems with snow and cold weather. However, Armenia has many interesting destinations and mountains that are below 3000 meters. These mountains are even more beautiful in wintertime. Winter Smbataberd is one of those places that will help you to be acquainted with winter miracles and will make you understand that winter is one of the best hiking seasons.

Winter Smbataberd

Smbataberd is one of the most-visited hiking destinations in summer and there is nothing quite as magical as experiencing the famous summer hike when it is covered with snow. Off-season hiking is a best way to see the trail in a completely new light and be surrounded by fewer people, which will make us feel like a part of nature.

We start our hike from the village of Yeghegis, and along a beautiful path, we reach the fortress. This hike is a combination of an easy road and a breathtaking view of the Vayots Dzor region.

Throughout its existence, the Smbataberd fortress was captured only once, because of a cunning plan. The horses were fed salt and released to graze around the fortress. Thirsty animals began to look for water and found a pipeline. They cut off the water supply to the fortress. Thus, the defenders were forced to surrender.

Winter Hikes

New Year hike in Armenia (6 days)

One Night in the Cave of Lastiver / Two Day Tour

Climbing Mount Artanish / One Day Tour

A Medieval Fortress Covered in White / One Day Tour

Winter Lastiver / One Day Tour

Explore the winter Armenia / 10 days

Andzavajur Gorge

armeniangeographic — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:29:46 +0000

The Andzavajur gorge is located in the Vayots Dzor region, near the Yelpin village. The gorge is particularly known for its seemingly impassable narrow cliffs and yellowish-red hues.

After visiting the Andzavajur gorge, hikers may continue their journey and make an ascent to Mount Kharanaler (1897 m) to enjoy a picturesque view of the Genut, Shresht, Karkatar, Dziasar and Tsakkar mountains.

Hiking and trekking tours in Armenia

Ascent to Mount Kalasar

Vahagn and Astghik waterfalls

Hike to Mount Mets Parakhadem

Three Hawks Trail

Hike to Mount Dimats

Climbing Mountain Aragats

One-day hike to the Lakes of Aragats

Ascent to the Northern summit of Mt Aragats

Climbing Volcano Azhdahak

Shaghot Waterfall

armeniangeographic — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:24:40 +0000

The Shaghot waterfall is located in Tavush region, on the territory of “Dilijan National Park”.

The waterfall is located 5 km north-east of Teghut village, in the crevices of the rocky walls of Ijevan Mountains. The height of the waterfall is 46 meters.

Not far from the Shaghot waterfall there is a beautiful path leading to Mount Dimats.

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Smbataberd in Wintertime

Andzavajur Gorge

Shaghot Waterfall

Mount Dimats

Azat Reservoir

Mount Sharayi

Mount Pahakasar

Mount Tezhkar

Mount Toghasar

Mount Dimats

armeniangeographic — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 08:43:06 +0000

Mount Dimats is located in the Tavush region of Armenia, in the Ijevan Mountains. The height of the mountain is 2378 meters. The mountain peak is located 5 km north in a straight line from Teghut village. The view from the top of the mountain to the rocky walls of the Ijevan Mountains is spectacular.

To the east of the mountain is the Shaghot waterfall. Mount Dimats is on the territory of the “Dilijan National Park”.

All the details about our hike to Mount Dimats you can find here.

Photos by Hrachuhi Ayvazyan

Mount Dimats

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Smbataberd in Wintertime

Andzavajur Gorge

Shaghot Waterfall

Mount Dimats

Azat Reservoir

Mount Sharayi

Mount Pahakasar

Mount Tezhkar

Mount Toghasar

Azat Reservoir

armeniangeographic — Fri, 21 May 2021 12:55:59 +0000

Azat reservoir is a reservoir in Armenia, which is located in Ararat region, at an altitude of 1050 meters above sea level. It was built near the Lanjazat village, on the Azat River. The reservoir is used for irrigation of the Ararat valley, where the irrigated agriculture is developed. The Azat reservoir has been put into operation since 1976. Its volume is 70 million cubic meters.

The territory of the reservoir is very beautiful. The sky and clouds are reflected in the water and, depending on the time of day, they give the reservoir a unique look. The Yeranos Mountains rise around the reservoir.

Not far from the Azat reservoir are some of the most popular tourist destinations in Armenia.

Yeranos Mountains, Azat Reservoir

Azat River

The Azat River, on which the reservoir is built, begins on the southwestern slope of Mount Spitakasar in the Geghama Mountains. Azat is a left tributary of the Araks River. The length of the Azat River is 55 km. On the right bank is Garni village. In the gorge of the Goght River, which is the right tributary of the Azat River, there is one of the most famous monastic complexes in Armenia – Geghard. This monastery and the upper reaches of the Azat River are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Symphony of Stones

Not far from the village of Garni there is the gorge of the Azat River, which is also called the Garni Gorge. It is famous for its natural monument called “Symphony of Stones”. These are big pentagonal and hexagonal columns, which look like a huge musical instrument – organ. This is where the name “Symphony of Stones” comes from. At first glance, they may seem man-made, but these columns were actually created by nature itself as a result of the collapse of the volcanic rocks. They have a scientific name – columnar jointing.

Symphony of Stones

All these places are located very close to each other and are must-see, because they are an important part of the history and culture of Armenia. They are also located not far from the capital of Armenia – Yerevan. There are several options to visit these places.

Trip to Azat Gorge

The Azat reservoir and gorge are a convenient and interesting destination for cycling. If you are an experienced cyclist, then you will definitely enjoy this option. You will ride through rocky obstacles, interesting route and beautiful landscapes.

You can also go on a small hike in this area. You can visit the famous Geghard Monastery, Garni Temple, and then walk down to the Azat Gorge and see the “Symphony of stones” with your own eyes.

Another great option would be paddleboarding, which is rapidly gaining popularity in Armenia. The Azat reservoir is a very convenient and beautiful place for SUP boarding.

Paddleboarding on Azat Reservoir

You need to be prepared for the weather conditions that may await you in the Azat reservoir. Since there is almost no vegetation and trees in the territory of the reservoir, there will be nowhere to hide from the sun in hot weather. Therefore, take a small tent with you when going there. Do not forget to apply sunscreen. There are also no sources of drinking water in the territory of the reservoir, so be sure to bring enough water with you. If you want to spend some time by the reservoir, do it away from the shore, as the ground close to the shore is soft and muddy, even in dry weather. And of course, leave no trace behind.

The copyright of this article is owned by armgeo.am. The content of the article may be cited or used on other websites only with an active link to the source.

Blog about Armenia

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Damavand: Ascent of the Year

Museum of Ancient Manuscripts Matenadaran

Sabalan / A Story of the Climb

Top 5 Autumn Destinations in Armenia

Top 5 most visited hiking destinations in Armenia

Must-do adventure activities in Armenia

Mount Sharayi

armeniangeographic — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 10:55:22 +0000

Mount Sharayi or Surb Hovhannes is located in the Shirak region of Armenia, between Aragats and Pambak mountain ranges. The height of the mountain is 2475 m; the perimeter of the base is about 5 km. It consists of anthropogenic lavas, slags, glaciofluvial deposits. The landscape is mountain-steppe.

According to the legend, the name of the mountain is associated with the name Shara, the ruler of Shirak.

Photos by Hrachuhi Ayvazyan

Blog about Armenia

Top 5 spring hikes in Armenia

Armenia on ancient maps

“The Mountainous Island” / 10 years in a book

Damavand: Ascent of the Year

Museum of Ancient Manuscripts Matenadaran

Sabalan / A Story of the Climb

Top 5 Autumn Destinations in Armenia

Top 5 most visited hiking destinations in Armenia

Must-do adventure activities in Armenia

Mount Pahakasar

armeniangeographic — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 14:36:19 +0000

There are several mountains in Armenia called Pahakasar. Below are photos from the hike to Mount Pahakasar in Vayots Dzor region.

Mount Pahakasar

Pahakasar is located 3 km southeast of Herher village in Vayots Dzor region. The height of the mountain is 2004 meters. The summit looks like three rocks from afar, that is why the locals also call this mountain “Three rocks”.

The part close to the summit is rocky. It takes some effort to get to the top.

Chiqi Monastery

While climbing Mount Pahakasar, you can also visit the Chiqi Monastery. To do this, you just need to turn from the main path a little.

Mount Pahakasar

Photos by Ani Baghdasaryan

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Smbataberd in Wintertime

Andzavajur Gorge

Shaghot Waterfall

Mount Dimats

Azat Reservoir

Mount Sharayi

Mount Pahakasar

Mount Tezhkar

Mount Toghasar

Mount Tezhkar

armeniangeographic — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:33:53 +0000

Mount Tezhkar is located in the Ararat region, between the Lanjar and Aratsoget rivers, not far from the Tigranashen village. The height of the mountain is 1735 meters. From the top of the mountain there is a view of the Ararat valley, lakes of Armash village, the Big Masis and the Small Masis, Urts Mountains. From the top you can also see the Azerbaijani village Sadarak, which is located in Nakhichevan.

From the east, Mount Tezhkar is framed by the Aratso Canyon, better known as the Hell’s Canyon.

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Smbataberd in Wintertime

Andzavajur Gorge

Shaghot Waterfall

Mount Dimats

Azat Reservoir

Mount Sharayi

Mount Pahakasar

Mount Tezhkar

Mount Toghasar

armeniangeographic — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 10:22:31 +0000

Mount Toghasar is located in the Hadrut region of Artsakh. The height is 1471 m. Slopes are covered with forests. The mountain is surrounded on all sides by ancient historical villages (Tumi, Mets Tagher, Togh, Mokhrenes). On the slope of Mount Toghasar is the Gtchavank (Gtich) Monastery. The ruins of the Gtich Monastery and Tezh Church are located on top of the mountain and are still preserved.

Hadrut region is now completely occupied by Azerbaijan.

Mount Toghasar

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Smbataberd in Wintertime

Andzavajur Gorge

Shaghot Waterfall

Mount Dimats

Azat Reservoir

Mount Sharayi

Mount Pahakasar

Mount Tezhkar

Mount Toghasar

Mysteries of Astghashen

armeniangeographic — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 14:43:00 +0000

Astghashen village is located in the Askeran region of Artsakh. The village is famous for its star-shaped fossils, which were discovered as a result of studies carried out in that region.

Millions of years ago, the Tethys Ocean was here. Over time, as a result of the rise of the Earth’s crust, the ocean began to retreat, and land areas were formed. As a result of the decrease in water space, giant dwellers of the ocean began to adapt to new conditions and, therefore, became smaller.

Later the fossil remains of these animals accumulated and were covered with land sediments.

Stars of Astghashen

The famous “stars” of Astghashen have nothing to do with starfish. Many people think that these small fossils were sea lilies, which are not plants. These are small marine animals that only look like water lilies.

In addition to star-shaped fossils, there are many other fossils in this area: nummulites, gastropods, ammonoids, seashells. There are also round fossils in the form of sea urchins that lived about 150 million years ago.

Astghashen

The locals have a beautiful legend about the stars of Astghashen. It says that after a heavy rain the ground was filled with stars, as if they fell from the sky along with the rain.

During our visit to Astghashen we tried to find some fossils, but it was not so easy. Over time, people took away everything they could find in this area. Therefore, it is now difficult to find any samples here.

The copyright of this article is owned by armgeo.am. The content of the article may be cited or used on other websites only with an active link to the source.