Tigran Gasparyan

What’s your profession? What do you do?

I am a customs officer, but I have never worked in that field. From a young age I was interested in trade, now I really love watches. For many years I have been combining two of my favorite elements – I sell expensive watches.

When and how did you decide to take part in a hiking trip for the first time? What did you feel being out of your comfort zone for the first time?

I have many friends who hike and always show me their photos. I’ve always been close to nature, but never even though about mountaineering. One day I saw a photo of Mount Azhdahak, put on jeans, city boots, golden sunglasses, and went there…and stayed there.

Why do you climb mountains, what do they give you?

I don’t like this question, as it is difficult to give an answer. I can just list many intangible nouns: freedom, tranquility, achievement, but none of them fully expresses what I feel when I climb mountains.

Do you have a favorite quote about mountains?

There are many of them, especially in Armenian literature. Armenian writers have a different attitude towards mountains. Tumanyan introduced us and our mountains in these six lines:

…And we gaze with dolorous, longing eyes

At the earth in its gloom,

At the distant stars;

Ah, when will the dawn break at last

Over our green

Armenian Highlands.

Do you have a desire to climb higher mountains?

Of course, that desire drives us forward. In any matter, you need to have the desire to move (at least) one step forward.

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

It seems that for a person who climbed Mount Ararat, no other mountain can compete with it. But I have such mountain – Bardogh. The experience I had while climbing Mount Bardogh, being on top of it and even descending it, I never had anywhere else. By the way, it happened exactly one year ago.

What advice do you have for those who want to start to go hiking but don’t dare to do that?

From my own experience I can say that mostly people are waiting for a “good and suitable” hike. But I think that there are no good and bad hikes, there are lazy and not lazy asses. :)

How do you make up for the lack of hiking during a pandemic?

I look at the photos, but it doesn’t help anymore.

Where will you go first after the abolition of the restriction of freedom of movement law?

It doesn’t matter where I will go, as long as I go there with my friends.

Members of ArmGeo Club