Winter 2016/17 was a season for joy and exploration of new ski touring areas and tracks in Armenia and Georgia.
Here is the second part of the project “Rock Us in the Caucasus 2015”, which was held in Chaukhi mountains and Mt. Kazbeg in Georgia.
It is hard to stop going to Indian Creek and Yosemite once you have experienced that already. There are so many climbs to do and the local climbing culture itself makes you feel like you will be missing something if not to go these places even once in a season.
Rumors about this amazing program of rock climbing and mountaineering in Armenia and Georgia had been started in between American Alpine Club and Alpine Club of Iran years ago, in 2011..
The dreams seems to be really powerful. How else would you describe your first climbing trip in US, where Jim Donini drives you to Yosemite, Indian Creek, Red Rocks, Black Canyon and Eldorado canyon..?
Jacob Balzani Loov an Italian photographer and journalist visited Armenia for the work, and at once appeared to our climbing circle to fill his weekends with a joy.
When Sam Bie emailed me about their wish to visit Armenia with Alex Chabot and establish new routes on basalt columns then I realized that the rock climbing is going to rise on the new level in Armenia.
Ok, now I’m happy with a sustainable climbing partner Jared Nielson, a Big Wall climber from California.
10 new sport climbing routes (14 pitches) we set this September in Noravank Canyon. Our friend Martin Tučka from Czech Republic, who visited to our Armenian Rock Climbing Festival in 2013 and put number of sport routes here, was back again for this project.
Club Alpin Français du pays de Gex youth team was hosted by the Armenian Alpine Club at the end of August for a rock climbing program in Noravank canyon and climbing the mount Aragats.
Dani and Miriam Domingo’s were just purchased their Black Diamond ski-touring equipment, and we had to find an appropriate destination to “celebrate” that event ;))
When two guys, who had never met before and don’t know much about each other (besides couple of g-mails) immediately set of to climb a serious mountain from the meeting place – they call it “nonsense” in mountaineering, you will agree!
One of the best seasons in terms of snow abundance and stability during the past decade in Armenia. Although without ski-touring tourists this winter, we made it quite fun anyway!
The initiator of this ski touring program Andre Souvignet, and Up the Rocks was hosting Andre’s team with a pleasure in Georgia.
8/38 Margaryan str., 0036 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Tel: +374-93-337-937, +374-93-318-006.