Basalt Column Climbing BAN

FA of a line in Hrazdab gorge that used to be for a top rope and for rescue training.

The Physics' Wall sector is located in Yerevan, Hrazdan gorge, just below the Yerevan Physics Institute on the edge of the gorge. It's around 10min walk from the "Spitak" Rescue Center, and the members of the YerPhI Alpine Club, the same, founding fathers of "Spitak" Rescue Center, used to train there for decades. However this line remained for top rope only, with a couple of glued bolts on the bottom of it for rigging a rescue system.

I checked it for mixed trad climbing and for most of it you have cracks for the safe protection. On the upper part I have put 6mm x 2.5sm sketchy Soviet "schlambur bolts" for eliminating the runout where there are no cracks. Now it's ready for a show off photo-session with some cams and nuts.

With Anahit, Miqael, Yulia and Vardan we went to taste it.

It’s 20m high 5b/5.8 that requires some middle and small size protection gear.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.uptherocks.com/content/view/197/138#sigProId7612d1dcc6

Details: Category: Rock Climbing; Published: 13 April 2008

WE FLY CROWS

We choose Black Diamond

MOUNTAIN GUIDING

Rock and Ice climbing

Long expected meeting with Alexey Trubachev

Early chilly morning on Sunday, November 22 we started our training.
"Toktam" 7a, by Morteza Eftekhar

On late Oct our guests were Morteza Eftekhar, with his family, in the group of Naser Ararat, from Iran.
Revival WI4, 33m

Our friend, photographer Hayk Barseghyan, had found this amazing part of Akhuryan gorge, and suggested it to us for ice climbing.
Armenian Bouldering Open Championship 2025

On October 19th, with the support of the Armenian Alpine Club and our title sponsor Unibank OJSC the Boulderland Yerevan climbing gym organized and held the Armenian Bouldering Open Championship.

Mountaineering and Backcountry skiing

Ski Season 2023

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.
"The Awake Path"

The Armenian Mountaineering and Skiing National School was born as a result of the transformation of Up The Rocks club, on October 1st, 2024. The School's umbrella organization is the Armenian Alpine Club SNGO.
Another great skiing with nice crew!

It's March 2, but the weather is quite warm already for this time of a year, skiers' must have been driven into depression, but some just go and check the snow!
Ski Season 2021

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!