Impenetrable due thick layers of snow covering the range for most of the year, Armenia’s Gegham Mountains is inhabited by Yeizidi nomadic herders during only the high summer months. A commanding chain of volcanic domes, the Gegham Mountains divides central Armenia, running north to south, creating a natural barrier between the high-altitude Lave Sevan, to the east, and the Ararat Plain, to the west. Elevations begin at the town of Sevan at 1,928m (6,327ft), with the ascent to the summit of Mount Azhdahak being at 3,597m (11,804ft). This area is one the most remote and uninhabited parts of the Lesser Caucus Mountains tha stretch from the Black Sea coast of Georgia to the River Arax on the border of Armenia and Iran.

July–August is the optimal season for hiking the Geghams, some of the country’s wildest and most unique thru-hiking opportunities. Earlier in the season, the likelihood of severe weather and/or lingering snow fields is significantly increased, and later in the season it is more difficult to find water. The range is reliably snowbound between November and May.

Info on Armenia

Armenia, situated along the route of the Great Silk Road, is a landlocked country of rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes, located in the southern Caucasus, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.  It is the smallest of the former Soviet republics, bounded by Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the south, and Turkey on the west.

Modern Armenia comprises only a small portion of ancient Armenia, one of the world’s oldest centers of civilization. At its height, Armenia was a regional empire with a rich culture in the years leading up to the 1st Century CE, at one period controlling all the land between the Black and Caspian Seas.  In 301, Armenia was the first state to formally adopt Christianity as its official state religion, twelve years before Rome. 

Ancient Armenia was subjected to constant foreign incursions, finally losing its autonomy in the 14th century CE. The centuries-long rule of Ottoman and Persian conquerors imperiled the very existence of the Armenian people. Eastern Armenia was annexed by Russia during the 19th century, while western Armenia remained under Ottoman rule, and in 1894–96 and 1915 the Ottoman government perpetrated systematic massacres and forced deportations of Armenians. Much of Armenia’s history is centered in tragedy, with large-scale genocide events shaping its national identity.

Tourism in Armenia is rooted in the country’s historical landmarks and natural attractions such as the water resorts of Lake Sevan, the hot springs of Arzni and Jermuk, the forests of Dilijan, Aghveran, Tsaghkadzor, Bjurakan and Gugark, and the mountainous natural caves and cliffs of the Southeast region. The 5165-meter Mount Ararat, geographically located in Turkey, is a national symbol of Armenia and is visible from much of the Southwest region