Up The Rocks

In the morning of May 29, the crew left for Garni Gorge, the last destination of the Festival where basalt columns rock formations were waiting for climbers. As it was mentioned before, the basalt columns in Garni and Arpa Gorges are considered Natural Monuments and Up The Rocks club got the permit to Clean Climb on these formations during the Festival from Ministry of Nature Protection.

In the afternoon of May 26, the event crew set up the camp on the plateau above Arpa Gorge, one of two basalt columns formation of Armenia. Like the basalt columns at Garni Gorge, basalt column formations in Arpa Gorge are also considered Natural Monuments. To climb on these formations during the Festival only by Clean Climbing discipline,
Up The Rocks club received permission of Ministry of Nature Protection.

We got to Noravanq Canyon in the afternoon of May 23. It was raining, so it was decided to stay in the small hotel close to the restaurant at the crossroad of Noravanq Canyon. After a small rest and shower participants walked through the canyon to check out the rocks and choose the lines for the next day’s climb.

This amazing bouldering site, on the slopes of the mountains above the Chiva village, was discovered by Jared Nielson. It’s located some 15km closer than Noravanq Canyon when you drive from Yerevan. There are countless boulders with a huge potential of hundreds of bouldering problems from V0 to V8 and higher. There are two large flat areas among the boulders which may serve as campsite.