"Arev "Armenian First Ascent Open Festival 2011 was successfully and productively completed. 48 traditional, sport and bouldering routes were established as a result of the festival!

The number of the routes in Armenia was almost doubled from the pre-event time. The event was took place in five different rocky areas of Armenia: Hell's Canyon, Chiva Blocks, Noravanq Canyon, Arpa Gorge and   Garni Gorge. It provided a nice opportunity to get useful feedback from climbers of different countries with different climbing styles, which enabled the convergence of their opinions and preferences about the aspects of developing climbing on the rock formations of these sites.

Announcements of Armenian First Ascent Open Festival in the different climbing websites also resulted in numerous feedbacks from the climbers from all over the world who plan on visiting Armenia in the future. Organizing this event the second time, our experience in organizational details and rock climbing aspects escalated. We hope that in the future this Festival will become a nice tradition of gathering Armenian and foreign climbers in Armenia.

Once more we express our gratitude to:

Marine Mkhitaryan and Tatevik Zohrabyan for their donations,

National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia

to find our event as a useful tool for “Southern Corridor Project” and supporting it,

“Maple Leaf Company” to putting new sport routes and sharing presents for event participants,

"HaftGohar" Iranian gear Producer Company for hangers,

“Spitak” Rescue Team for providing safety support.

 

Below is the list of First Ascents done within the scope of Festival

 

New Sport Climbs in Hell's Canyon        
Route Name Grade Height  Route Setter FA
 HELL'S CANYON - East Sector:        
 1.  Redemption   5c/5.9  20m   Jared Nielson    Caroline North  
 2. Hell's Diamond 6c+/5.11b  30m  Mkhitar Mkhitaryan  Will Nazarian 
 3. The sea of dreams     7a+/5.12a  40m Mkhitar Mkhitaryan  project 
 HELL'S CANYON - West Sector:        
 4. The Maple way of drilling (in the cave)  ? 15m   Jared Nielson project 
 5. Cliff Chicken  6c+/5.11c 20m Jared Nielson  project
 6. Institutionalized 6c+/5.11b  20m  Jared Nielson  Jared Nielson 
 7. Death Spank                       6b/5.10c  20m  Jared Nielson Jared Nielson
 8. Centipede  6a/5.10a 20m Jared Nielson Jared Nielson
 9. Side Swipe  5c/5.9 20m Jared Nielson  Jared Nielson 
 10. Frost Bite   6a+/5.10b 20m   Jared Nielson Jared Nielson 
 11. Fire and Brimstone   6b+/5.10d   20m    Jared Nielson Jared Nielson 
 12. Spinal Crack  6a+/5.10b   20m Jared Nielson   Jared Nielson
 13. Screaming Khorovats  5b/5.8    15m Jason Stevens   Jason Stevens  
 14. Cheese and Wieners  5b/5.8  15m   Jason Stevens  Jared Nielson  
 15. Ignorance   6a/5.10a 15m   Jason Stevens  Jared Nielson 
 16. World Famous Nobody   6b/5.10c  15m  Jason Stevens  Jason Stevens 
 17. Estragon and Sissy Bolts   5a/5.7 15m  Jason Stevens   Jason Stevens 
         
 CHIVA BLOCKS - Bouldering Problems        
 Block 1 V3      Caroline North 
 18. A  V3      Caroline North 
 19. B V3      Caroline North 
 20. C V2     Nasim Eshqi 
 Block 2        
 21. A V4      Caroline North 
 Block 3        
 22. With a Help of Nature  V0     Andrea Poppova 
 23. May 23  V0     Aurelia Schwarzmann 
         
 NORAVANK CANYON:        
 24. Nasim and Caro - NC*, TG  6a/5.10a 35M    Nasim Eshqi, Caroline North 
 25. Soviet Nail - SG  5b/5.8 20M   Jason Stevens Jason Stevens 
 26. CatAlex - NC*, TG

R1 6a/5.10a - 45m, R2 6a/5.10a - 40m,

R3 5b/5.8 - 30m 

 115m    Andranik Miribyan, Vahe Tamamyan 
 27. Jo.Si.To. Girls Power - NC*, TG   R1 5b/5.8 -  35m,  R2  6a+/5.10b - 40m, R3 6b+/5.10d - 40m, R4  6a+/5.10b - 50m 165m     Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 
 28. Vehicular Homicide - SG  6b/5.10c    20m  Jason Stevens  Jared Nielson 
 29. Eghegnadzor - TG   6a/5.10a   35m    Aleksey Antonov, Aleksey Adamov
 30. Marshuka Melee - SG  6a+/5.10b  25m   Jared Nielson Jared Nielson 
 31. The End -  NC*, TG  R1 6a/5.10a - 50m  R2  6a/5.10a - 32m   82m   Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi (after event) 
         
 ARPA GORGE:         
 32. Find the Pleasure - NC*, TG 6b/5.10c  20m    Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 
 33. Eagles aren’t Home - TG  6b+/5.10d 28m   FFA Vladimir Belousov 
 34. Short Trip - NC*, TG  6c+/5.11b  26m    Vladimir Belousov 
 35. The Village Hour - NC*,  TG  6a/5.10a  30m     Aleksey Antonov, Aleksey Adamov
 36. 2 Girls in Dreamland – NC*, TG  6c+/5.11c  32m   Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 
 37. Good Bye Tricam -  NC*,  TG  6b/5.10c  32m   Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi (after event) 
 38. Gri-gri Guide - NC*, TG  7a+/5.12a  37m    Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi (after event) 
         
 GARNI GORGE:        
 39. Orphans of Justice - TG 5b/5.8  12m    Jared Nielson 
 40. Thongs of Virtue - TG 5b/5.8  12m    Jared Nielson 
 41. Unnamed 5c/5.9 - TG 5c/5.9 12m   Aleksey Antonov 
 42. Guano Apes - TG 5b/5.8  12m    Aleksey Adamov
 43. AnDoVenture - TG 5c/5.9  12m   Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 
 44. Snakeskin - TG 5c/5.9  12m    Will Nazarian
 45. Spitak is Rescued - TG 6a/5.10a  12m    Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 
 46. Airivanq - TG 7a/5.11d   35m    Will Nazarian 
 47. Knot Doudouk - TG 7a/5.11d   35m    Will Nazarian 
 48. Up The Rocks -  NC*, TG 6b+/5.10d  35m    Caroline North, Nasim Eshqi 

 

Attention – the routes marked NC* mean "No Chains" (or rappel slings) at the anchor. Due to lack of the resources we could provide only bolts and hangers to the event participants to put an anchors on the pitches they did first ascents. For the rappel, prussic on the anchors were used. Do not use the same prussic on the anchors when you climb those routes, put your own prussic before rappelling! Up The Rocks club will appreciate very much to the organizations or individuals who would donate some chains and rappel slings to attach them on the existing anchors!   

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