Mount Aragats
Welcome to Mount Aragats
The insider's travel guide to Mount AragatsAragats is the highest mountain in Armenia, offering adventurous hikers a challenging climb. Start your hike at the mountain lake of Kari (3,200m), ascending to the southern peak at 3,887m. Summitting takes around three hours, with the entire trek lasting approximately eight hours — but the views are well worth it.
The Mount Aragats atlas
2 picks Places & Experiences You Won't Find Elsewhere-
All hikes up Mount Aragats start from Lake Kari, which can be reached by road from Byurakan. Aragats has four peaks, all of which you can climb. The tallest and most challenging being the northern peak, which is 4,090m high and requires ropes and wading through snowfields. The 8.5km trip takes about two days and is for experienced trekkers/mountaineers only. An easier, though no less fulfilling option, is to climb the southernmost peak, which spans 4.7km to reach the 3,893m-high summit. Hikers also sometimes climb the western peak (3,995m) and the eastern peak (3,908m). On your way up or down to the lake, don’t miss Amberd Fortress, a well-kept 7th-century stone fortress that commands beautiful views over the plains. For something totally different, 20km northeast of the town of Byurakan is a field of monuments to the Armenian alphabet, which was built in 2005 to mark the 1600th anniversary of Mesrop Mashtots inventing the language. Many hikers stay in Yerevan and come up to Mount Aragats on day trips, but I'd recommend you stayat Lake Kari, or the nearby towns of Byurakan and Ashtarak.
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Probably my top recommendation for an Armenia walking holiday is the 50km Gegham Mountain trail which takes three to four days of remote trekking featuring glorious alpine meadows, crater lakes, ancient petroglyphs and volcanic peaks, including Mt Azhdahak. The only other people you’ll see out here are a few like-minded travellers and shepherds. This is a camping trek with complex logistics, so is rarely offered by international trekking or walking companies, but can be organised by local hiking specialists. You'll explore the country's highest and most beautiful points, with amazing panoramic views of the Highlands, crater lakes, ancient petroglyphs and dragon stones that point to Armenia's ancient pagan mythology. Cap off the trek by climbing Mount Aragats, Armenia's highest peak, and explore the vibrant city of Yerevan - one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth.
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Mount Aragats from Lake Kari
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Trek the Gegham Mountains
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