
As the Up The Rocks club transformed into Armenian Mountaineering and Skiing National School, we started organizing multi-pitch climbing classes for young climbers.
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!
"Tigranes The Great" is my beloved climb on Titanic Rock in Gnishik canyon, Vayots Dzor province of Armenia. I have bolted it in 2018 and climbed it in 2019.

Three routes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Petit Grepon and two on Longs Peak.
Like in the Alps and Caucasus, the snow conditions were poor in Armenia as well during past winter months. In Aspen though, where I spent skiing and teaching for the ski school there, it was a decent early season and very good snow throughout the season. Then came the long awaited March to guide for ski touring in Armenia.
I finally skied one of my projects in Fox Mountains, solo. My skiing buddies were busy to support me on this backcountry trip, and the weather is warming drastically in the valley now, so it had to be done now or postponed to next year which I didn't like for some reasons.
The basalt crag above village Bjni, where during early eighties they organized Soviet Union rock climbing championships, is still desired trad climbing cliff just 32km from Yerevan.

Before reading an article in Rock & Ice and watching Sam Bie’s excellent film on Armenian climbing, we virtually knew nothing about this little land locked country, except for the genocide and their world famous wrestlers.
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.

Phhh. Our car stalls in the Zvartnots parking lot just as the third member of our climbing team, Marius, reports he “knows how to drive stick.”
While the ski tour program in Armenia last year, Philippe Descamps, with his group of skiers, was interested in the ski tour trip in Georgia for March 2013.

From Feb 25 to March 5, a French group was hosted by Up The Rocks for ski-touring program in Armenia.
The 2024/25 ski season photo report in Armenia, with videos of exploring new ski lines.

On cold November 22, with Dani and Lucia I finally went to the Granite Circus, which they had discovered a year ago.
8/38 Margaryan str., 0036 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Tel: +374-93-337-937, +374-93-318-006.