Nodes in Middle East

Armenia is a developing rock climbing area where everyone can find the vast variety of climbing depending on what they're more keen on whether it's bouldering, sport, trad or big wall climbing.

Short approach. Lots of climbing.

Great warm up climbs and good for beginners

First bolt could be a bit too high for a first beginner's lead climb.

Good not demanding route for beginners

First bolt is definetely high for a beginner route so one has to be mentally ready for it.

Nice and comfortable route to have your first outdoor climb.

Stretches along the crag from it's one side to the other

This is the main bouldering area more or less directly underneath the "Spitak Rescue Center" The rock is Basalt and generally good but is definitely prone to breaking so be careful! All of the boulder problems here are highballs so make sure you're confident before topping out! It's worth noting that all of these problems were put up sans crash pads (mainly due to there being none in Armenia...)

Note on the safety ratings: All boulder problems warrant a pg-13 rating (except the traverse) as they all top out pretty high (and due to the fact that there are no crash pads here...) That being said most of the cruxes found on problems are down low and not the top outs

Traverses the entire cliff form right to left, then back again. Start on the right and encounter a low crux at about midway after a good stemming rest. Easier moves brings you all the way to the left side of the cliff where another decent rest can be had. On the way back bust up and traverse the upper lip (2nd crux) dip back down when you can (down climb the crack) and finish back where you started.

The left most boulder problem on the cliff. Despite it's danger rating, it has solid rock and movements! Start in a corner and make a big move up and right to a good pocket (can be done both static or dynamic) Make a few more difficult moves to get established in the upper corner, then enjoy a slightly more casual top out. Careful. If you blow any of the upper moves you'll come crashing down onto a large boulder and probably get really messed up...

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

An eliminate but a damn good one! Sit start in the bottom left corner with feet on the left. Stand up with compression moves and avoid the large jug up and left. Use the small pockets your fingers will fit into and dyno to the lip! (for me it was a mono with the left and a two finger tips pickets with the right) The scoop out right is also on and helps you get into the pockets. Stem out right, it makes life easier. Avoid stemming out right to make it for sure a v6. The top out is actually harder than it looks and rather committing.

Has some of the most solid rock at the crag. Sit or stand start and go straight up the face on small and large pockets. A committing top out.

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Sit start (crux) down and on the right side of the cave on a sidepull (left of the wall you will climb.) throw up to a good flat edge and then to another side pull. then climb right into the stand start. Make a few moves on more side pulls and a thin flake to a good pocket thumb catch, a throw to a 2 finger pocket, then a big move to a jug up high. Enjoy easier moves to the top until you're faced with a very committing top out straight up (the holds are there!) The stand start goes at a mellow v1

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

A wonderful climb that would be a great highball if not for the death landing. Climb up underneath the overhang and clip the high bolt. Undercling and heel hook and make a big throw to a jug up high. clip the 2nd bolt and walk off. Then figure out how to get your gear back...

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

This small section of bouldering offers a good selection of easy problems. The problems here tend to be shorter and easier than the Peninsula boulder problems so it's a good place for beginners. As per the area the harder problems are all eliminates. But it's still a fun place to get in some mileage!

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Old school (some may find it hard for the grade). A great eliminate! Sit start with your left foot smeared, left hand on the arete. Right foot smeared, and right hand on a low side pull. Right hand goes up high to a small scoop (1 finger will be solid, the others will kind of be crimped on top of it, or you could try to gaston it) then lunge for the top with either your left or right hand. The left foot smear is really bad so expect your foot to pop unless you keep good body tension

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

One of the better, and the tallest problem in the area. Sit start with left hand on a jug and right hand in a weird shallow hand-pocket on the left side of the main face then climb straight up using crimps, big edges and some jugs. Finish straight up. The top out is tall so bring a good mental game!

sit start with left hand on a small crimp, and right on a prom side pull and reach up to a big crimp that you can match. Make your way up using small crimps and maybe a mono out left if you feel so inclined. Get to a huge sloper at 3/4 heights, then make a big reach past the void to a small but solid pinch. Gingerly bring your feet up and slap the top and top out easily. The jug out right is off.

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

This area is down the gorge a bit further than the Kindergarten wall. This area has some great lines with cool movement.

An obvious landmark to tell whether you are going a right way is a yellowish zip-line platform. The sector is located right below.

An amazing line with great rock! Sit start on a left facing side pull with high feet on good black rock. Make a hard move up to a sloping side pull, then reach out right to another small side pull. Make a big move up to a small crimp up/right. Then make an awesome pogo/ jump move to a big and very good diagonal edge. Same finish as Shadows and Dust (Hike your left foot up and grab the undercling and stand up to a jug, traverse left to a ledge)

To find it walk to the left end of the Old school wall. Climb up 5 feet to a small ledge (Where The Wire starts) and follow the cliff line to the end. Shadows and Kung-Fu are located right there before you turn the corner. Directly to the right of Shadows and Dust. The starting side pull is at the same level as the sit start of Shadows and Dust.

Sit start the crack and lay back up to a nice large flat edge. Make a move or two on good edges then tackle the crux. The crux requires a high left foot to stand up into an undercling above your head. Slap the jug right above it. Then traverse easily off left.

To find it walk to the left end of the Old school wall. Climb up 5 feet to a small ledge (Where The Wire starts) and follow the cliff line to the end. Shadows and The Kung Fu Method are located right there before you turn the corner. This is the middle/obvious crack at the end of the cliff line.

Go past Seven to the left and here you are. There's an obvious crack line around the corner.

Natural anchor.

Climb the arete with a bit of exposure

Hard starting moves that gradually get easier.

2 bolt anchor, no chain.

Start from a big jug and climb up to the roof where you find a savage bouldery crux to go past. Then you come to a slabby technical part and a traverse section after a 4-th quickdraw that joins the route with Blue Gray Fun

You'd better bring either a second rope or 3-4 extensible quickdraws to avoid a massive rope drag after the traverse.

2-bolt anchor without a chain.

Technical moves off the ground that move up into a pocketed face.

2-bolt anchor without a chain.

Climb up the fragile rock countering a distinct crux. Would be best to wear a helmet

Lower crux to easier top

Dirty start leads to friable holds. Wear a helmet

Bouldery start leads to easier climbing

Boulder start to a small runout on chossy rock, to a small bulge at the top.

Dirty and loose the whole way up. Wear a helmet.

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

They say it used to be a dry tooling route. Some may find a section between 4th and 5th quickdraws a bit tricky and slightly commiting as there are loose holds and a huge but slopy right foot. You'll find yourself in a good stemming position right after, though.

There's a 2-bolt anchor without any rings so you'd better clean the route on a top-rope and remove the anchor after topping out. It's safe as the shelf at the top is huge.

Plenty of easier climbs. good for beginners. Rock is medium to low quality basalt.

On all trad routes you can ocassionally find some bolts for addtional protection

Basically there's one line for this route and May Love the only difference is that if you climb the first you have to stick to the left

Basically there's one line for this route and Hrazdan the only difference is that if you climb the first you have to stick to the right

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Named after the famous Iranian mountaineer.

A recently developed cliff with a very easy approach. Albeit a bit short this crag offers harder climbs in the Yerevan area. Gets morning to afternoon sun.

Steep start to a small technical face

A steep start leads to a small bulge

A steep start leads to a puzzling crux

A tough boulder problem down low leads to easier climbing at the top

Tricky climb requiring balance

A good warm up for the area

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

An engaging climb bring your crimp strength. Possibly pre-clip the second bolt.

Slightly overhanging and pumpy. A bit reachy at the bottom

Open project. Get ready to crimp and stand on invisible edges

A bit pumpy, similar to Alex in Fatherland.

A boulder problem down low leads to easier climbing.

Watch out vipers while walking down the gorge

Cool overhanging route. Beware of rope friction when lowering

Start from the ground, not from the rock. Beware of rope friction when lowering

Noravank Canyon is ripe with climbing potential. Steep canyon walls with a paved road that goes up the middle. The rock here is Limestone with a thick layer of volcanic tuft on top. This leads to some of the rock to be super solid, but a lot of it to be very chossy. When establishing new routes here a lot of cleaning may need to be done. Approach to climbs consist mainly of walking 10 feet from your car to climb. Lush vegetation, combined with the river create a pristine environment. Hazards in this area vary from scorpions and vipers to busses and cars traveling up and down the canyon at breakneck speeds.

Please pack out all of your trash!!

This is the first face you see right as you enter the canyon on your left. Currently has two nice, moderate multipitch sport routes. If you climb either of these, prepare for an audience!

Currently has one multi-pitch sport climb with the potential for many more

Despite the modest grades this is not exactly a good beginners multi-pitch. With loose rock on virtually every pitch, sound judgement and route-finding skills are a must. The first two pitches are both very loose. The 3rd pitch has the best quality rock on the whole route and is pretty fun. The 4th pitch is short, and chossy but slightly less so than the first two pitches. The last pitch is higher quality, but has some dangerous death blocks that can be avoided if you're careful. Beautiful views the whole way up!

P1 5.8 60 ft: Climb up the corner/slab using side pulls and high steps until you traverse right to the anchors. The crux may be figuring out which holds are good enough to pull on.

P2 5.8 45 ft: Climb up the easy slab. Lots of loose rock here so be careful!

P3 5.10C 80 ft: The rock quality is much better on this pitch! Balance-y moves and technical face climbing lead you to a very comfortable ledge.

P4 5.8 80 ft: Climb up the easier slab to the base of the much steeper final pitch.

P5 5.11b 115 ft: Climb up the steepening face with awesome exposure! Starts off relatively easy and gets harder towards the top. Watch out for some very big loose blocks near the top!

Rap the route with 2 60m or a single 70m rope.

The most popular sector in Noravanq with many area classics. Gets morning shade and afternoon sun

A steepish route with multiple cruxes separated with good rests.

The first bolt is a bit high but there is a good clipping hold.

The first pitch is classic face and crack climbing with the second pitch being chimney and off width. Pitch 1: Start on Knife and break left after the 2nd bolt onto the small ledge. Clip a bolt to protect the first crux and then move to the duo cracks. After the cracks clip the bolt and do a few harder moves. Keep it moving through the 3 m run-out to the 2 bolt anchor. (5.10a) Pitch 2: Move up the lie-back crack into the off-width. Chimney to ledge and finish on the 3rd pitch of Knife. (5.9)

Pitch 1: Follow the bolted flake to the 2 bolt anchor. 5.8 Pitch 2: Continue up the technical lie-back crack. Careful on the run-out to the first bolt. Great technical moves. Finish on one good and one bad bolt. 5.10b/c Pitch 3: Move left and up the wide broken crack. 5.7 to a 2 bolt ancho