Լալվար

Virahayots Mountains

Length: 86 km

Highest summit: Mount Lalvar (2,552 m)

The Virahayots mountain range extends along the length of the border between Armenia and Georgia, reaching as far as the Debed River Gorge, where some of the mountain slopes appear to be terraced and have an almost stair-like appearance. The Viyahayots range is made up of a group of separate ridges which branch out in mountainous formations in different directions. The range is divided into three parts – Western (Mount Lok, 2,140m), Central (Mount Lalvar, 2,552m) and Eastern (Mount Lejan, 2,527m).

Mount Lalvar

Due to the relatively low altitude of the surrounding area, the range resembles a series of hills rather than a cluster of mountains, with the highest summit being that of Mount Lalvar. There are few cliffs or jagged peaks, and the mountain slopes are mostly overgrown and partially forested, with piles of stone occasionally appearing among the greenery. Generally speaking, the mountains slope more gently towards the Lori Plateau than they do towards the Kur River Valley.

The northern slopes are completely clothed in forest, while the slopes on the Debed River Valley side are bare of vegetation. The Lejan Massif (to the south) is more fragmented, and this is the source of several springs.

Mount Lalvar

Mount Lalvar rises from the central part of the Virahayots Mountain Range, of which it is the highest peak and the point from which several river valleys radiate. The mountain summit is largely flat, with some mildly undulating areas and features such as scars, cliffs and springs that can be found at altitudes of 2,000 to 2,200 m. As noted above, the northern and western slopes tend to be less fragmented and more forested than the southern and eastern slopes, and, as is the case with all high mountains in Armenia, sub-alpine and alpine vegetation can also be found at the summit.