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Armenia is a
wonderful place for the adventure and special interest traveler.
Remote country and mountain roads are little-used, making this the
perfect place for mountain biking and hiking. Armenia's
backcountry is not crowded, making hiking and trekking very
enjoyable. Unexplored possibilities for kayaking and rafting are
numerous, and Armenia's rocks and mountains are perfect for the
adventurous climber. Others activities such as horseback riding,
paragliding, skiing, hang gliding, windsurfing, and many others
are also particularly rewarding in Armenia's natural beauty.
Adventure travel
works best with a small group of people. Small groups make for
more fun; inter action, spontaneity and easier traveling. As well
as being more economical, travel groups of 15 or so allow you to
have more personal interaction with your guides, your fellow
travelers and the local people.
Many of our tours go
to remote, undeveloped regions, oftentimes along roads that can be
rough and dusty. If you can handle bumpy roads and basic
accommodations at times then we can show you the world of our best
kept secrets.
Mountain Biking
Armenia is a biker's
Paradise. Biking gives independence from standard routes and as
hiking gives opportunity to enlarge the area of visiting monuments
and to see places.
Big diversity of
landscapes and terrains give the great possibility for bikers with
different levels of physical training- from beginner up to
professionals of mountain biking. Using this ecologically clear,
flexible and in the same time high speed way of transportation
allow you to see the most part of the country in one trip. It is
the main advantage of biking in Armenia. Biking is a relatively
new direction of outdoor activity in Armenia and some trails are
in process of discovering and approbation, and you can take part
in it.
Some routes will be
prepared for funs of extreme.
Biking season in
Armenia lasts from May up to October.
Hiking in
Armenia
Hiking in Armenia is
very rewarding: nature is exotic and wild, the landscapes richly
textured and largely unvisited by non-locals. Since there are no
marked routes in Armenia, and some of the hikes described lead you
through wild landscapes without any visible trails; hiking in
Armenia remains an adventure. However, Armenians are a hospitable
people and you will most likely come across shepherds or summer
settlements of peasants who will help you with food, water and
orientation. Hiking in Armenia is not only an extraordinary
excursion into nature, but also an encounter with people relying
on subsistence agriculture and breeding animals to live in this
rough and rocky landscape.
• Mt. Ara
- Ascending Ara the Beautiful, with a breathtaking view of Mount
Ararat.
• Dzoraget -
Tumanian Museum in Dsegh - Dzoraget - Hike to the house museum of
a famous Armenian writer in a village atop a scenic gorge.
• Ohanavan -
Saghmosavank Monastery - Pleasant, easy walk between two major
historical monuments.
• Mt. Hatis - Near
Yerevan, a beautiful view of the main mountain ranges of the
region.
• Garni - Havuts
Tar Monastery - Garni - Through the magnificent Garni gorge to
the ruins of a medieval monastery.
• Artabuynk-Tsakhats
Kar Monastery-Smbataberd Fortress-Artabuynk - Scenic hike to a
monastery and fortress overlooking the Vayk mountain range.
• Jermuk- Gndevank
Monastery - Gndevaz Village - From a forested summer resort to an
ancient monastery
through the gorgeous Arpa canyon.
Mt. Ara
Mountain Climbing
Far from
established, climbing in Armenia is full of improvisation,
opportunity, first ascents, hard work, and no small dose of
adventure. Armenia has an incredible amount of variety. Beginners
can feel comfortable in Davitashen and Arzni, while experienced
climbers can develop their route finding skills and experience a
delightful solitude that comes from being the only climbers around
at Norovank and Khustup.
Climbing Armenia is
laybacking directly across the river from the 1,000 year old ruins
of a castle (Bjni), riding a horse 4-5 hours to reach the base of
a 600m climb (Mt. Khustup), finding a challenging bouldering move
(Davidtashen), or hitching a ride with locals in Yeghegnadzor.
Unfortunately, climbing in Armenia can also be following pitons
2/3rds of the way up a 100m wall only to find that the route turns
into a chossy mess.
Eco Tours
In spite of its limited territory, Armenia is notable for its
beautiful nature, cultural diversity, and many historical
monuments. Nature of Armenia is attractive and various, with rich
colors, and picturesque landscapes.
The average altitude of Armenia is 1800 meters above sea. One can
witness the change of climate zones with each step-beyond each
mountain ridge lies a different natural environment while in the
planes such dramatic changes lie hundreds and thousands kilometers
apart. Such phenomenon is explained by the complex and diverse
terrain, soil and climate of Armenia, her location at the joint of
totally different bio-geographic areas -moderately humid Caucasus
countries, and arid Anatolian and Armenian- Iranian.
Amber wines, purple peach trees, the golden wealth of
orchards-this abundance of fruits, greens and vegetables
constitutes an anthem to the Sun, labor and people.
Bird watching
tours
Armenia is
rich in birds. 350 Species of birds inhabit in Armenia. A large
variety of domestic and migratory birds make Armenia a must for
birdwatchers. A week of exciting birdwatching for real birding
enthusiasts. Accompanied by birding guides explore a variety of
habitats from high-mountain plateau at Mount Aragats to desert
hills of Vedi and fishponds of Ararat Valley.
For more information contact
incoming@orient.am
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