How to prepare for climbing Mount Ararat ?

Ararat is considered the most beautiful jewel of the Armenian highlands, with its height of 5165 meters, and of course, the symbol of Armenia. Our number gave it the name "dream peak". The first attempt of our club to climb Mount Ararat was back in 1996. In this article, we will tell you how to prepare for climbing Mount Ararat, and we will present you a detailed article about equipment and gear in the near future.

The best time to climb Ararat

The best time to climb Mount Ararat is from July to September. Of course, it is also possible to climb in other months, but if we are talking about the best, definitely climb in July or August. In 2017, we made the ascent on September 21, the day of RA independence, and we celebrated independence with all the participants of the group at the top of the dream. It should be noted that at that time the weather was quite cold, and the air temperature at the top was about -25 degrees.

Is it difficult to climb Ararat?

It is one of the most frequently asked questions. In fact, it is not so difficult if there is desire, responsibility and strong will. Ararat is not considered a technically insurmountable or difficult mountain. For an easy ascent, you need to train properly, follow the guides' advice, eat right, regulate your sleep regime, and not use substances harmful to your health, such as alcohol or tobacco.

How many days does it take to climb Ararat?

First of all, we note that the full tour is 7 days, 4 of which are devoted to climbing Ararat, and the remaining days are excursions to the sights of Western Armenia. The full program is here. As we have already noted, the ascent of Mount Ararat lasts 4 days, before starting, our guides will tell you what equipment to wear, depending on the weather, what items are needed during the ascent, etc. We start the ascent from 2200 meters, take the water we need (1.5-2 liters), food and put it in our small backpacks (25-35 liters), in which there are only basic necessities. The backpack should also have a warm jacket, raincoat, sunscreen, and other items will lift the horses. Having reached the very beautiful and comfortable first camp at an altitude of 3200 meters, we will have lunch, pick up our things and stay in tents (designed for 2 people). In the evening after dinner we will discuss tomorrow's route and go to bed. In the morning we will envy and start climbing to the 2nd camp of Ararat, which is located at an altitude of 4200 meters. When we get there, we will have lunch again and stay in tents. After dinner, it's time to rest, sleep, because at night around 01.00, we will start climbing 5165 meters to the top of Ararat. After a snack and light meals at the specified time at night, we begin the ascent (as we have already mentioned, we will have a separate detailed article about property and equipment). Depending on the weather, we will try to spend a long and unforgettable time at the top. Well, after we enjoy the summit, we go down to the second camp, drink tea, coffee, have a snack and sleep for about 3 hours, rest, get ready, take a backpack, chopsticks, go down to the 1st camp. Well of course, our heavy things will also be transported by horses this time. We spend the night in the 1st camp, and the next day we go down to our starting point-2200 meters, where cars will wait for us and take us to Bayazet.

What kind of physical preparation is needed for climbing Ararat?

The best way is to go camping with us, preferably no later than 2 months before the start. Let's explain why. First of all, you enter into a fabulous tourist life, master the technique of walking in a row and imagine why it is important during ascents and how much this technique helps you. During the hikes, you get to know the leader of the group, ask him all the questions you are interested in, as well as get to know other tourists, many of whom have already climbed Mount Ararat and, of course, they will also give you the answer to many questions, they will share their experience. Over time, you will get the experience of viewing and, of course, testing your equipment. Let's give hiking sticks as an example, if you buy them before leaving and you have no experience walking on them, at least in the first 2 days, trying sticks for you, to put it mildly, will be nonsense and a waste of extra strength. Before the ascent, we organize acclimatization ascents especially for the participants of the ascent to Mount Ararat, mainly to Mount Aragats and Mount Azhdahak.

How will we reach Mount Ararat ?

This one is also among the frequently asked questions. The group leaves Yerevan early in the morning and crosses the Armenian-Georgian border through the Bavra checkpoint, then the Georgian-Turkish border through the Kartsakh checkpoint. Our first stop is Ani, a historical city of a thousand and one churches, after which we drive to Bayazet. We spend the night in one of the comfortable hotels in Bayazet, and the next day in the morning, the cars bring us to the foot of Mount Ararat, at an altitude of 2200 meters, and our ascent begins.

Medical examination before climbing Ararat

One of the important circumstances is, of course, the health condition of the participant. You don't need to look at this question through your fingers, don't forget that you are chasing a dream. Check the heart and lungs first. It is very important to inform the organizers or one of the guides in advance about your health problem, if it exists, do not forget that you will be at an altitude of 5165 meters.

P․S Many details cannot be found in the article for obvious reasons. We organize a meeting in our office with those who wish, present all the details, show photos, videos and answer all questions, after which the participation contract is signed.

You can get acquainted with the details of the climb HERE