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“The Mountainous Island” / 10 years in a book

armeniangeographic — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 13:37:25 +0000

“The Mountainous Island” is a unique bilingual book, containing accurate information about the Armenian Highland and the mountains of Armenia.

Tigran Varag, the author, points out that “The Mountainous Island” is not the type of book that should be read from cover to cover and then put away, but rather one that should be opened, inspected and consulted on a regular basis.

All of the mountains described in the book were climbed by the ArmGeo team over 10 years. The book also contains information and images concerning such mountains that were only found in archives.

“The Mountainous Island”

The book “The Mountainous Island” is printed on high quality-paper, with a tangible topographic image of Ararat on the cover. The book is 300 pages long and bilingual (Armenian and English).

30 cm in length
24 cm in width
1.6 kg in weight

Price: 28 000 AMD

The book contains exact information on all of the mountains climbed by the ArmGeo team including the coordinates and locations, as well as images and maps. All of the photos in the book were taken during the ArmGeo expeditions.

The book is divided into two sections:

Armenian Highland
The first section depicts Armenia on ancient global maps, as well as general characteristics of the Armenian Highlands, historical geography, and many studies.
Republic of Armenia and Artsakh
This section provides information on all of the Armenian mountain ranges and high peaks conquered within the “Ours” project.

The book “The Mountainous Island” was presented on December 16, 2022, at the Elite Plaza business complex.

To order the book contact us on Facebook or call 043 00 5165.

Our events

"The Mountainous Island" / 10 years in a book

ArmGeo is 10 years old: “The Mountainous Island” book

Mountain guides’ training courses

The Everest of Irena Kharazova

Conclusion of the Year / We are 7 years old

Presentation of the Book "Mountains of Armenia"

Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present

Conclusion of the Year / We are 6 Years Old

International Mountain Day: The Year in Review

ArmGeo is 10 years old: “The Mountainous Island” book

armeniangeographic — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 08:21:33 +0000

A presentation of the “The Mountainous Island” book by Tigran Varag took place at the Elite Plaza business center on December 16, 2022. It was also summarizing the results of the 10-year activities of the Armenian Geographic project.

According to tradition, the opening speech was made by Suren Danielyan, the President of the Federation of Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism of Armenia. He summed up the year, spoke about the latest achievements and successes in the field of mountain hiking.

President of the Federation of Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism of Armenia Suren Danielyan

Members of the Armenian Geographic team shared their experiences and impressions at the meeting, as well as discussed a number of ascents to mountain peaks (Ararat, Kazbek, Sabalan, Damavand), which they have made over the past 10 years. Presentations on ArmGeo expeditionary campaigns in Armenia and Artsakh were given. In addition, guests of the event were provided with some details about tourist and mountain destinations that have become popular thanks to our team’s efforts.

“The Mountainous Island” book

“The Mountainous Island” is a unique bilingual (in Armenian and English) book that contains detailed information about the mountainous terrain of Armenia, as well as photographs and historical maps of the Armenian Highlands.

Tigran Varag, the author of the book “The Mountainous Island.”

7 big projects

A large number of projects was implemented in10 years, but we would like to especially highlight the following ones:

Geographical Project “Ours”

As part of the “Ours” project a series of ascents were made to the highest points of Armenia that are the tops of mountain ranges, chains and plateaus. Many of them were unknown and there was no information on the Internet, so our mountain hikes were also of a research nature

Tsovu Bolor

As part of this project, we climbed 6 peaks of the historically significant mountains that border Lake Van: Sipan (4058 m), Varag (3200 m), Artos (3550 m), Kaputkoh (Enzakisar) (3074 m), Grgur (2478 m) and Nemrut (2935 m). The project is given this name due to the fact that the areas around Lake Van, which were the provinces of Turuberan and Vaspurakan in the Middle Ages, were known as under the common name “Tsovu Bolor” (Around the sea).

Kids club

The Armenian Geographic children’s hiking club was created to organize leisure time and improve the health of children. During the existence of the club, tent camps were set up and mountain hikes were organized, thanks to which its little participants were able to learn something new and gain an initial understanding of the world around them.

ArmGeo Lori

Many people from Lori take part in the Armenian Geographic hikes so it was decided to create the “ArmGeo Lori” project. The project is dedicated to the development of mountain hike culture in Lori region.

SUP surfing

SUP surfing is a water sport that has recently become very popular and fashionable. Karen Sargsyan, a member of our team, coach and guide, was the first to go SUP surfing in Armenia.

Mountain guides’ training courses

As the popularity of mountain tourism increases annually, the need for mountain guides’ services increases too. Armenian Geographic has been organizing two-month training courses for mountain guides since 2022.

“Volcanic Seven Summits”

As part of this project, we plan to complete ascents to the highest volcanoes of each of the seven continents: Ojos del Salado (6893 m) in South America, Kilimanjaro (5895 m) in Africa, Elbrus (5642 m) in Europe, Orizaba (5636 m) in North America, Damavand (5610 m) in Asia, Giluwe (4368 m) in Australia, Sidley (4181 m) in Antarctica.

Additionally, on the evening of December 16, 2022:

the results over 10 years were summed up;
people who had completed ascents to Ararat, Damavand and Kazbek received their certificates;
every person who wished to take part in a mountain hike to Ararat and registered for it on December 16, got a discount card;
short films about the most notable ascents made by the Armenian Geographic team over 10 years were shown.

Ararat

The ascent to Ararat is the most significant result of ArmGeo’s work over the past years. Since 2014, people have been coming to us to make their dreams of the mountains come true, and 2022 has become an unprecedented year in terms of the number of new participants. More than 100 participants climbed to the top of Ararat with us, which became a unique achievement on the scale of Armenia.

Trekking tour to Ararat

Ascent to Ararat

Damavand and Sabalan

We climbed the peaks of Sabalan (4811 m) and Damavand (5610 m) in Iran. We are sure that these events will be the beginning of a new stage in the history of ArmGeo. Of course, we couldn’t help but climb Sabalan, the second highest peak of the Armenian Highlands, where the highest lake on this plateau is located.

Sabalan: the story of the ascent

After the ascent to Sabalan, we planned to climb Damavand, the highest volcano in Asia. You should remember that we completed the ascent to the top of Elbrus before, which was considered the highest volcano in Europe. The ascent to Damavand contributed to the promotion of our “Volcanic Seven Summits” project and determined plans and goals for the next 10 years.

Volcanic Seven Summits

“Volcanic Seven Summits” project

The ascents to Sabalan and Damavand are truly unforgettable events for the ArmGeo team. We completed the ascent to the top of Sabalan, the second highest among the mountains of the Armenian Highlands, and then to the top of Damavand, the highest volcano in Asia.

Damavand: Ascent of the Year

Damavand: Ascent of the Year

Georgia

We appreciate geographical diversity, so that’s the reason why we went to Georgia in 2022 to discover three new regions: Chaukhi, Tushet and Racha. We had already visited Svaneti, the Birtvisi canyon, completed the ascent to Mount Kazbek, as well as to Mets Abul and Samsar in Javakhk.

Chaukhi: a journey in the Caucasus Mountains

Chaukhi: a journey in the Caucasus Mountains

Artsakh

For 10 years we visited Artsakh several times, each time learning something new. Mountains Mets Kirs, Kusanac, Trasar and Tovmasar are simply beautiful. But unfortunately, these places have become inaccessible to visitors due to circumstances beyond our control.

Mount Kusanats / Artsakh

We had a good tradition of celebrating the New Year in Shushi, established during a hike along the Hunot gorge back in 2013.

To summarize, let’s say that over the 10 years of Armenian Geographic’s existence, we have acquired many friends, implemented a number of programs and projects, organized more than 10,000 expeditions and accompanied more than 15,000 participants.

The best achievement of Armenian Geographic is still the people, and the best summary is the book “The Mountainous Island”․

To purchase a book “The Mountainous Island”, write to us on Facebook or call 043 00 5165.

Photographer Sipan Grig

One Day Hiking in Armenia

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

Yeranos Mountains

Mountain guides’ training courses

armeniangeographic — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:12:19 +0000

As the popularity of mountain tourism increases annually, the need for mountain guides’ services increases too.

Armenian Geographic has been organizing two-month training courses for mountain guides since 2022.

There are three key reasons to pass our courses:

Learning theory from experts;
Boosting your practical skills during real outdoor activities (hikes);
If you complete the course with honors, you may work as a mountain guide in Armenian Geographic.

You will have theoretical and practical classes during your two-month course.

During theoretical classes you will study the geographical location of the Armenian Highland mountains, learn how to plan a walking route, choose the right equipment for hiking. Besides, you will acquire skills of working with GPS, targeting areas in a mountainous landscape and providing first aid.

During practical classes (hikes) you will apply the acquired knowledge in practice, develop skills and abilities. You may also accompany the group as an assistant or as a trailing guide if you want.

Course lecturers: Tigran Varag – founder of the Armenian Geographic company, author of the books “Mountains of Armenia” and “The Mountainous Island“; Rafik Zhamakochyan – doctor; Ashot Davtyan – a tourism and trail building specialist; Hrachuhi Ayvazyan – manager of ArmGeo and others.

What we offer

During the course you will have the opportunity to use your knowledge for practical matters. Moreover you will make some acquaintances and find new friends.

And most importantly – you will master a new profession in 2 months only, a fact proved by a special certificate by the Armenian Geographic company.

Our events

"The Mountainous Island" / 10 years in a book

ArmGeo is 10 years old: “The Mountainous Island” book

Mountain guides’ training courses

The Everest of Irena Kharazova

Conclusion of the Year / We are 7 years old

Presentation of the Book "Mountains of Armenia"

Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present

Conclusion of the Year / We are 6 Years Old

International Mountain Day: The Year in Review

The Everest of Irena Kharazova

armeniangeographic — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:59:41 +0000

We all have our own Everest in life: we set ourselves a goal and achieve it. These words belong to Irena Kharazova – the first Armenian woman in the world to climb the world’s highest peak in 2016. Irena overcame the height of 8848 meters and now proudly talks about her journey, about the fears she experienced during the ascent, and about the difficulties she overcame.

Meeting-seminar with Armenian hikers

Recently, by our initiative, Irena held a meeting-seminar with a group of hikers in Armenia. On that day, she talked to us about her experience on Everest and about mountaineering in general. She looks at ascents as goals that need to be achieved.

“Why are you doing this?”

“In mountaineering, everyone has their own motivation: some are attracted to beautiful landscapes, some do it because of their love for hiking life. Personally for me, this is a goal that I must achieve, because the feeling of victory that you experience when you reach the top is irreplaceable”, says Irena.

Irena Kharazova in the camp of Everest ascent

Talking about Everest, Irena notes that all 45 days of climbing were about fear. “At least I had it that way. You always hear conversations about death. For a moment you feel that you are going crazy. Then you feel proud of yourself. Then you see dead bodies and start to think about them and how they died. You are constantly in that atmosphere. You talk to your family, who sit carefree in some cafe, while you are struggling in Everest. You start to think, why do I need all this?”

Irena Kharazova

She noted that after 4500 meters, the human body is no longer able to recover. “You start to curse yourself for being there. You think it would be better if you stayed home. The problem is that you do not know how the brain will work at such a height. Up there, I almost did not admire the beautiful landscapes, because that was the last thing on my mind at that moment”.

Ascent of Everest

“I did not want my body to stay on Everest”

The first Armenian woman to climb the peak of Everest, told us about the four-stage climbing plan. She said that sometimes people set a goal to climb not to the top, but to a certain height. The final stage is only for those who are confident in their abilities, since at this altitude no one can help you, and even if you die, no one can get you out of there. That is why mountaineers saw many dead bodies of the people, who at some point could not reach the top and died. Irena says that sometimes she even saw the faces of the victims, because in such conditions the skin does not change much over time.

Ascent of Everest

“I told to my Sherpa: “Let’s discuss an action plan if I suddenly die”. I did not want my body to stay there, and people to pass and look at me. I told him that my family will make him rich if he will take me down from the mountain and not leave me there. He said that he was not sure if he could do it. Then I told him: “If something happens to me, then take off my hat, so that my hair flutters in the wind, and I will die like a queen” “, says Irena.

Irena Kharazova with Sherpa

The first Armenian woman on the top of Everest

Irena notes that she managed to reach the summit of Everest thanks to the leader of their group, Alexander Abramov. She says that she often experienced fears, but Abramov always managed to motivate them to keep walking. Irena noted that Abramov instructed them to descend to an altitude below 7000 m immediately after reaching the summit. He said that if you rest for too long, then it is possible that you will no longer be able to continue walking. Irena noted that many people died because of this. Therefore, the group reached the top, congratulated each other, took pictures and immediately began to descent.

On top of Everest

“Having reached the top, increases the desire to live. You want to live in order to come back and tell people about all this”, – said Irena and noted that she descended so quickly that she was the first to reach the camp.

After the ascent of Everest

“The road to Everest is about a dream”

After all this, Irena is sure that the ascent to the highest point in the world is worth it. “The road to Everest is about a dream… We all have our own Everest in life: we set ourselves a goal and achieve it”.

Ascent of Everest

The first mountain that Irena climbed was Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m). There, she heard about Everest for the first time and set a goal to overcome this peak. She says that before that she had not even spent a night in a tent, and five years later she climbed Everest.

Life after the war

The first Armenian woman on the top of Everest said that during the ascent she met people with different problems. She noted that she came to Armenia to meet and inspire the guys who are in rehabilitation centers after the war. She told us that in the group of people climbing Mount Everest, there was also a young American who lost his leg during the Iraq war. He managed to reach the top. Among those who climbed Everest was the famous Argentine actor Facundo Arana, who went to Everest a year after completing a course of chemotherapy.

On top of Everest

“I want to talk to the guys about how you can live after the war. People who have become disabled often set a goal to climb Mount Everest. And they climb it. After everything they have been through, they find strength and do something amazing”, says Irena. She plans to go hiking with the guys who participated in the war and were injured. Irena didn’t climb Armenian mountains yet, but she told us that she climbed Mount Ararat and plans to climb Mount Aragats.

Ascent of Everest

During the seminar, the founder and head of Armenian Geographic Tigran Varag presented Irena Kharazova with his bilingual book “Mountains of Armenia”.

Armenian woman, who climbed the world’s highest peak, thinks that mountaineering is the best and most expensive drug that allows the human brain to recharge.

Photos were provided by Irena Kharazova.

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.

Hiking and Trekking in Armenia

Conclusion of the Year / We are 7 years old

armeniangeographic — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:41:01 +0000

On the 17th of December 2019, our annual event “Conclusion of the Year” took place in “Elite Plaza” business center. We are 7 years old.

Again we were concluding our year, which was unique and full of new ascents and discoveries.

This year’s event was dedicated to mount Ararat, as the central topic of our event were the people who ascended Ararat with us. By the way the number of the participants who had made an ascent to Ararat with Armenian Geographic was bigger than in any other groups. During the event we’ve also presented the program of the ascents to Ararat for 2020.

Vice President of “Armenian Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism Federation” – Suren Danielyan

The opening speech of the event was given to the vice president of “Armenian Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism Federation” Suren Danielyan. It has been already 7 years that Armenian Geographic is partnering with the Federation.

This year Armenian Geographic was presented with a certificate from The Ministry of culture, youth affairs and tourism of The Republic of Artsakh for the care and protection of historical and cultural heritage. We are very grateful for your appreciation.

Delica Tour to Hadrut Region

After the opening speech we started to sum up our year. We’ve started from the first and most interesting hike of the year. We came up with a new name for our off-road tours and named them “Delica Tours”. On the frames of these tours we visited Khandzadzor village in Hadrut region of Artsakh. This hike differed from the previous ones, as our aim wasn’t reaching a peak of the mountain, as we have already climbed the highest mountain of that territory – Dizapayt. This time we were aiming to discover this remote village, communicate with villagers and children living there. In short, we wanted to become a part of their everyday life. Afterward we watched a small video about our journey to Khandzadzor made by Sipan Grig.

Real Tavush

The next significant hike that we spoke about was our hike to Movses village in Tavush region. Movses village is one of the frontier villages of Armenia, but the people living there say that it is not just a village on the border, but it’s a guide of the border. When our friend Andranik Poladyan invited us to their village we’ve got the idea to organize a hiking trip there. For the idea of this unforgettable hike we gave Andranik Tigran Varag’s book “Mountains of Armenia”. Afterward we’ve watched Sipan Grig’s video that was made during our hike in Real Tavush.

“Mountainous Island”

Afterward the director of Armenian Geographic project Tigran Varag spoke about the project. He presented one of the greatest achievements of this year – his bilingual book “Mountains of Armenia” . He also spoke about his next book “Mountainous Island” which will include the mountain ranges of Armenian Highland and their highest summits.

The director of Armenian Geographic Project – Tigran Varag

While on the subject of our discoveries we spoke about our next journey to Artsakh. This time we have visited Khashatagh region, where we were aiming to climb Mount Tovmasar. It was the last distinctive mountain of Artsakh mountain range that we hadn’t climbed yet. The short video about Tovmasar reveals everything that is on the “backstage” of our overnight hikes.

Sasun

Next was our most important discovery in the territory of Historical Armenia – which was the ascent to mountains Tsovasar and Sukavet. This was also the most long-awaited hike of the year. We have met the name of mount Tsovasar in many books, and that’s the name which we mostly associated with Historical Armenia and Sasun. That was the reason that our group was waiting for the moment when they will contemplate the Mount Maratuk and Sasun from the top of Mount Tsovasar for the whole year. The second goal of this hike was Mount Sukavet. Mount Sukavet, according to some sources, is considered to be the highest point of Haykakan Par mountain range. And we celebrated our ascent to Sukavet by dancing an Armenian dance on the top of it. Afterward we’ve watched Sipan Grig’s video about our unforgettable journey.

The Awaited ascent of Mount Bardogh

An equally important to the ascents of Tsovasar and Suakvet was our ascent to the top of Mount Bardogh. Our team first saw this mountain in 2014, but the idea of climbing it appeared only in 2018. And this year we were finally eager to accomplish it. One day our guys just decided to follow their dream and after some days they were standing on the top of mount Bardogh. This ascent was also remarkable as we were the first Armenians who stood on the top of the Mount Batdogh over the last 100 years. And as after the first ascent there was a great interest towards the mountain we decided to repeat it. And after some months we were again standing on the top of Mount Bardogh.

Conclusion of the Event

Again returning to the name and subject of our event we want to mention that this year Armenian Geographic joined the Ararat Challenge organized by “Aurora” forum. And Maria Hovsepyan talked about the forum in short.

Maria Hovsepyan presents “Aurora” forum

At the end of the event we’ve watched Luiza Vardanyan’s film “Sunrise from Mount Ararat”, which was telling about the ascent of one of our groups.

We finished our event with the ceremony of presenting the certificates to the participants of Ararat 2019.

So we are 7 years old and despite all our achievements and conquests, our greatest achievement remain the people whom we have found during our hikes, the ones who inspire us to reach more and also the ones who are just following us.

Thank you for your belief and support.

See you in the mountains!!!

Photos by Sipan Grig

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Presentation of the Book “Mountains of Armenia”

armeniangeographic — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 14:37:56 +0000

On the 1st of July 2019 the presentation of Tigran Varag’s book “Mountains of Armenia” took place in “Elite Plaza” business center.

“Mountains of Armenia” is a unique bilingual book which will make Armenian mountains famous not only in the territory of Armenia but also in the whole world. People from all over the world who are interested in mountaineering can learn about mountains of Armenia and due to it Armenia can become one of the most visited mountaineering destinations.

The idea of the book became real with the financial support of CNF.

On the basis of the book there are two major factors – first is the project “Ours” and the second is a group of adventurous young people whose interest of endless discoveries made the project real.

The author of the book Tigran Varag

The Ptoject “Ours”

The idea of climbing the highest summits of all mountain ranges of Armenia appeared to Armenian Geographic project in 2003. The ascents were available for everyone who was interested in mountaineering and wanted to participate.

The project gave an opportunity to discover new heights, to get acquainted with nature, nearby villages, people living there and also recognize the cultural and historical monuments. During the project we’ve climbed many mountains and 64 peaks of 46 mountain ranges found their place in our book. If you want to climb any of these mountains or just have the book “Mountains of Armenia” in your library, please contact us.

During the presentation of the book

“Mountains of Armenia” Book

The book aims not only to provide practical information about the mountains, their geographical location and geological specificities, but also to provide stimulus for the development of mountaineering in Armenia and encouraging the growth of ecotourism in the country. As such, it is designed to be of interest for those with a specialist interest in the geography of Armenia’s mountain landscapes, as well as visitors who would dare come to this magic land.

With the help of the book “Mountains of Armenia” you will feel the beauty of our mountains and the spirit of group hiking.

The book includes photographs which were taken during the very mountain treks that helped to establish the trails and routes provided on the book.This photos also serve as an inspiring reminder of how humankind is dwarfed by the power and sublimity of nature.

“Mountains of Armenia” presentation

“Mountains of Armenia” shows us everything that is near us every day through the eyes of a hiker.

250 pages of the book summarize the mountains of Armenia with their whole beauty and attractiveness. The book consists of 3 parts:

Northern mountain ranges
Volcanic mountains
Southern mountain ranges

But the project “Ours” isn’t limited only by the mountains of Armenia, it also aims to reach the heights of historical Armenia. The next book is going to be about the mountains of Armenian Highland. The book will show all the known but unachievable mountains with their whole beauty.

Photos by Hrachuhi Ayvazyan and Ani Baghdasaryan

Our Events

"The Mountainous Island" / 10 years in a book

ArmGeo is 10 years old: “The Mountainous Island” book

Mountain guides’ training courses

The Everest of Irena Kharazova

Conclusion of the Year / We are 7 years old

Presentation of the Book "Mountains of Armenia"

Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present

Conclusion of the Year / We are 6 Years Old

International Mountain Day: The Year in Review

"Messner" / Film Screening

Armenia - The Land of Endless Discoveries

"Touching the Void" / Film screening

Film screening / "The Salt of the Earth"

"The North Face" / Film Screening

Seminar "Armenian Highland" for Tourism Industry

Conclusion of the year / We are 4 years old

Seminar "Waters of Armenia"

Seminar "Armenian Highland"

Lake Sevan Cleanup

Armenian Geographic Project - 3 Years Together

Photo Contest "Man In The Mountains"

Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present

armeniangeographic — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:23:52 +0000

On the 9th of April 2019 our documentary film watching “Hamshen at Crossroads of past and present” took place at the “Elite Plaza” business center.

In recent times people talk much about Hamshen. The youth has a great interest towards the culture of Hamshen, they sing their songs and dance dances of Hamshen. But few people know what Hamshen really is and what makes the culture of Hamshen so different and at the same time so close and inviting.

Hamshen is a foggy and gloomy place, surrounded by impassable mountains, deep gorges and thick forests. Today also many ethnic Armenians live in Hamshen together with other nations, who carry unique culture, music and dialect.

The Opening of the Event

The opening speech of the event was made by Sergey Vardanyan. He spoke about the creation of the film and about the whole film-making process. He mentioned that the film won the Armin Wegner humanitarian award in the “Arpa” international ceremony at Hollywood. The film was also shown in the “Golden Apricot” and “Socially Relevant Films” film festivals, “Nur” festival in Toronto, Prague and etc.

Sergey Vardanyan also spoke about Lusine Sahakyan’s new book called “Hamshen in Armenian Manuscripts”.

Afterwards we started watching the film.

Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present / Film watching

First part / Artvin Province

The film is made of two parts. The first part that is called “Artvin Province”, after short information about Armenian Hamshen district, tells about the life of Hamshenis in Hopa district of Artvin province. The film was made according to Lusine Sahakyan’s journey. After being forcibly Islamized in the 18th century a group of Hamshen people moved to Artvin. Though they lost many important parts of their Armenian identity, surprisingly they managed to keep their Hamshen dialect in that huge Turkish environment. That is reason why some of them accept their Armenian origin.

The people of Hamshen have their unique music and dance culture which is accompanied with the sounds of swirel and bagpipe, and they also use zurna and dhol. There are also screens of dances of Hamshen people of Hopa district, songs performed by famous singers and villagers, samples of their local dialect, folklore, beliefs and cuisine.

Second part / Rize Province

The second part that is called “Rize Province” presents the Turkified people of Hamshen. In the region of Rize the Turkish roots are deeper. They forgot their mother language and speak Turkish. Some of them accept their Armenian origin but say that they have already become Turks.

After watching the film the author of the film Lusine Sahakyan answered the questions of the participants, told some funny stories and talked about the difficulties that rose during the shooting.

The evening was full of the spirit of Hamshen. During the event the participants got answers to their questions about what Hamshen is and who the people of Hamshen are.

In the end of the event some young people filled with Hamshen spirit performed the national dance of Hamshen “Trtruk” .

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Top 5 waterfalls of Armenia

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Conclusion of the Year / We are 6 Years Old

armeniangeographic — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:13:36 +0000

On the 17th of December 2018 our annual event “Conclusion of the year” took place at the “Elite Plaza” business center.

We are 6 years old which means more than 450 hikes in Armenia and outside its borders, thousands of participants and a lot of discoveries.

Our event was dedicated to Historical Armenia and our expeditionary ascents there.

We are 6 years old

Our main mission has been and remains the same – to present the geography of Armenia and discover the unknown.

The head of the project Tigran Shahbazyan spoke about the origin of the project and concluded the past 6 years and the project “Ours” which was successfully completed this year.

The 4 Summits of Lake Van

The four mountains that surround lake Van from the south, north, east and west are Mount Sipan (4058m), Mount Varag (3200m), Mount Artos ( 3550m) and Mount Nemrut (2935m): In the latest years we have ascended all four of these summits. During the event all the members who have reached these summits were presented with certificates and the title “Eagle of Vaspurakan” from our project .

4 Summits of Lake Van

The Ascent of Mount Artos

Օn the 20th of July 2018 we made an expeditionary ascent to Artos mountain. The expedition succeeded and our group waved the Armenian flag on the top of Mount Artos. This ascent was very remarkable as in the last 100 years we were the first Armenians that reached the summit. During the event we also watched Sipan Grigoryan’s video about our ascent to Mount Artos.

Special Guests of the event

The special guests of our event were vice president of “Armenian Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism Federation” Suren Danielyan and the director of the “Research on Armenian Architecture” foundation Samvel Karapetyan. The latter gave a speech on the topic “The Chronicle of the Ascents of Mount Ararat”: who and when was made the first attempts of climbing Mount Ararat.

Afterwards we had a closed presentation of the film “Shatakh” which was about historical Shatakh province.

Continuing the Line of Discoveries

During the event we also discussed our expeditionary ascent to Mount Varag on the 30th of May 2018. This is also a mountain that hasn’t been reached by any Armenian during the last 100 years and after the decades our team was the first to succeed in doing it. Each successful climbing in Western Armenia, especially for expeditions, is a big conquest for us as there is always a chance that the whole journey could fail.

Mount Varag itself is very beautiful with breathtaking views from it’s top and I’ll keep silent about the emotions of the participants.

The Most Awaited Climb of the Year

The most awaited climb of 2018 was Mount Ararat. After a long intermission we started our hikings to the most desired mountain. During the event the head of the project Tigran Shahbazyan gave certificates for climbing Mount Ararat to all the participants of the ascent. Afterwards we watched Sipan Grigoryan’s film “The Closed Mountain” dedicated to our ascent of Mount Ararat.

After the event in the entrance hall there was a exhibition of Sipan Grigoryan’s photos again on the theme of Western Armenia.

We are 6 years old

During our 6 years we have managed to make a lot of discoveries, overcome new summits, to bring to an end our project, to become better, but our greatest achievements are those people who are with us, who believe in us and who are ready to pass with us through difficulties and conquests. Thanks for your belief and for being with us.

See you in mountains.

Article by Hrachuhi Ayvazyan

Photos by Babken Arzumanyan and Sasoun Danielyan

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International Mountain Day: The Year in Review

armeniangeographic — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 06:58:24 +0000

Since 2003, December 11th has been celebrated… This is a day which is especially important for all of the mountaineers, mountain lovers and for those involved in mountain tourism. A meeting with the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs was organized on December 11th, in order to make the day more memorable and significant. The achievements of 2018 and the partnerships and goals of 2019 were discussed during the meeting.

International Mountain Day

The Minister also highlighted the importance and strategic significance of mountaineering and sport tourism for Armenia. Minister Ghazarian has awarded certificates to several representatives of mountain tourism and the climbing industry, as an acknowledgement of the work done. ArmGeo didn’t stay apart from this: The Armenian Geographical Project’s founder-head Tigran Shahbazyan was awarded a certificate for effective activities in the field of mountain tourism, development and implementation of the project “Our”.

International Mountain Day – Certificate

International Mountain Day

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

The Volcanic Seven Summits Project

One Week in Armenia

Water as a landmark of Armenia

Lake Arpi

Top 7 Mountain Lakes of Armenia

Top 5 waterfalls of Armenia

Arteni

Azat Reservoir

Trekking in the mountains of Armenia

Summer in Armenia

Strange Armenian Phrases

Mysteries of Astghashen

“Messner” / Film Screening

armeniangeographic — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:04:46 +0000

At 26 of January 2018, Armenian Geographic held a film screening event in “Team Time” anti cafe. This time we were watching “Messner” movie.

“Messner” film screening

The film was named after a famous Italian mountaineer Messner, and tells us what is hidden behind this name. The documentary film is about mountaineering icon Reinhold Messner and how he became what he is. This film is as much about his personality as it is about his extraordinary exploits – the psycho-gram of a controversial mountaineer.

The film has such a slogan: “Everyone should lead a life, which is close to his heart and fits his personality”.