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

AMSNS multi pitch class #2

Following the previous clinic, on Soyuz 82 multi pitch route, this is one on is to consolidate what we have already learnt.
Catching up the cold for warm up

The winter of 2015 in Armenia is again not that cold for ice climbing, but we bought the short gap.
“Toilet pan” V0

Yesterday together with Mkrtich Nazarian we went to Hrazdan gorge to take pictures of the rocks “Spitak” rescue team territory for topo.
Experience with Alex Chabot and Sam Bie

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.

Mountaineering and Backcountry skiing

Aghvan Chatinyan (Armenian hard man)

Aghvan Chatinyan was born on December 14, 1926 in Vardapluri, a village near Stepanavan, Armenia.
Mt Ushba south peak (4710m)

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!
"Fox Mountains" ski-touring

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 ;))
Оld guide’s ski-tour in Armenia

This time we were honored to host the iconic mountain guides Claude Jaccoux and Alberto Re in Armenia.