From April 27 to May 10 our guests from France Alex Chabot, Sam Bie and Pippa Planques did 7 amazing FAs in Garni, Arpa gorges and Noravanq canyon.
Actually it had started even before, when Sam Bie found the pics of the basalt columns on which we where climbing during “Arev” Armenian First Ascent Open Festival in the climbing websites where the announce of our event was posted.
Since then Sam and me have been in touch planning the project.
And finally April 27, the day when our guests, exhausted by transit flights Beirut-Moscow-Yerevan, with a huge luggage of climbing equipment, bolts and perforator arrived Armenia.
Hopes where high relating the good whether, driving just rented Niva in Yerevan’s rainy streets we where planning the next early morning climbing on Garni gorge's basalt columns. But although till the end of the program we saw sun very few times and the “putain de bordel” was the main expression of us.
The next day was rainy too, so we spent some hours afternoon exploring Garni gorge’s basalt columns. They where excited. Morning day 3 was also very fogy and rainy, though we moved to the gorge, not to hang out all the day in the city. On the damp rocks Alex climbed “Doudouk” 6b+. Back to Yerevan, trying to get some fun in the clubs which would help not to loose the optimism about good weather for the next days.
Day 4 was the day of firs FA of Alex Chabot. In the Garni gorge on the overhanging basalt columns he put a stunning line. oh my Goddd.. it has really started..
Further days we spend in Arpa gorge and Noravanq canyon both productive and funny. Though some 2-3 days hanging out at city Vayq hotel because of rainy days, we couldn’t loose the mood with a company of Pippa Planques. His striped socks where enough to make you cheered up.
The next FA was in one of the grottoes of Arpa gorge’s basalt column range, near Devil’s tower. The route was the same type on overhanging broken columns like the previous one and even harder. And to that route it followed another two trad ones in Arpa gorge and three sport ones in Noravanq canyon (one of those is 150m high, the major sport route in Armenia so far).
Here Luca started his lead climbing carrier under Pippas guidance, climbing at once 5a, 5b and 6a sport routes. And here, in Noravanq canyon, Mkrtich Nazaryan expressed his genius deeds the first time: joining us from Yerevan he took a 0.33L bottle as a camp water container for two: he and me.
At the evening of May 9 we all where satisfied: 7 beautiful trad and sport routes where set, all the bolts where used, Sam took a lot of nice photos and video shoots and we had a pretty good time and two weeks of joy. The next (again rainy) day we saw off our French friends having a feeling of missing them.
For more stunning photos from the different viewpoints contact Sam Bie www.sambie.fr. To get more info about the routes and specifics of climbing these contact Alex Chabot www.alexchabot.com.
Click here to watch the video by Rock and Ice Magazine about the article in the issue 189, October 10, 2010.
I would like to express my gratitude to Vahe and Andrea Keushguerians for supporting the program.
Below it is the short description of the routes we did during this program:
«Pixelization» 7a+ 42m, trad FA. Garni gorge.
«Our Desires are Organs» 7b+ 36m, trad FA. Arpa gorge.
«Pencils» 6c+ 38m, trad FA. Arpa gorge.
«Russian rulette» unrated 40m, trad FA. Arpa gorge.
«Take Off» R1-6c+, R2-7c, R3-7a/+, R4-5c, 150m. sport FA. Noravanq canyon.
«Richter Scale» 7a+/b 32m, sport FA. Noravanq canyon.
«Flake Appeal» 5c, 55m, sport FA. Noravanq canyon.
DO NOT ADD ANY BOLTS OR PITONS ON THE ROUTES!!!
