Coordinates: 39°35’4.56, 46°10’34.68
Located 9 km northeast of the village of Noravan, Greater Ishkhanasar is the highest point of the Ishkhanasar Massif (3,549 m). The Noravan tributary of the Vorotan River, the Metsdzor tributary of the Noravan River, the Vaghatin tributary of the Vorotan River and the Shamb River all flow from this mountain’s slopes. The mountain is, of course, volcanic in origin and its steep slopes are broken by deep gorges and crevasses.
Another peak – that of Lesser Ishkhanasar – stands to the north of Greater Ishkhanasar. The glacial Black Lake lies on the eastern slope of the mountain, at an altitude of 2,666 m. The lake is 1.6 km long and 1.2 km wide, with a surface area of nearly two square kilometers and a maximum depth of 7.5 m. The lake is almost oval in shape and is fed by both melting snow and precipitation, and rout have been multiplying in Black Lake since they were introduced in 1968.
Goose Lake lies to the east of Black Lake, and is far smaller than its counterpart. The Khoznavar rivulet flows from this lake, although in summer, the streams that feed the lake dry up.
Hiking and trekking in Armenia
