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

Vaghinak Sirekanyan won the Moscow Youth championship in speed category

The member of 'Up The Rocks" club, Student MIPT Vaghinak Sirekanyan won the Moscow Youth championship in speed category, on March 22, 2009.
“CCCP” cascade ice climbing in Arpa Gorge

On Feb 12, Jared Nielson, Andranik Miribyan and Mkhitar Mkhitaryan went to the project - the fourth pitch WI 4 of the cascade ice falls in Arpa gorge, Armenia.
Rock Us in the Caucasus - Armenia

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..
First multi pitch class of AMSNS

As the Up The Rocks club transformed into Armenian Mountaineering and Skiing National School, we started organizing multi-pitch climbing classes for young climbers.

Mountaineering and Backcountry skiing

Ski Season 2025

The 2024/25 ski season photo report in Armenia, with videos of exploring new ski lines.
Alexey Shustrov in Armenia again!

A great pleasure and fun is to ski with a good friend Alexey Shustrov, who investigated so much to promote ski touring in Armenia.
Study of deadly avalanche in Armenia: VIDEO

On Feb 22, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia reported an avalanche accident in Kotayk Province on the slopes of Mt. Teghenis 2851m.
Ski Season 2026

Ski season 2026 is still going on, check for the updates of the pictures and the article!