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.

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.

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

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

The bolted route to the left of Richter Scale. Climbs up a face using crimps and big huecos and flakes.

Finishes under the big roof. Has cleaned up significantly over the years but still be weary of a couple of thin looking flakes.

a 60m gets you down just fine

Bouldery overhanging jugs lead to a good rest 3/4 way up. Then steep technical climbing to a crux at the last 10 feet pulling over the roof. Start is behind a grove of trees. Beginning holds are a bit high up, stand on a tree if you must.

2-bolt top anchor with a chain

Technical slab with a healthy amount of crimps, slopers, and high steps. Pull left around a corner and join up with Richer scale, which means the crux of the route is the same as Richter scale's, pulling over the roof at the last 10 feet of the climb. Beginning is up a small path behind a grove of trees.

Climbs the slabby to vertical face to the left of the triangle routes. A sustained pitch with multiple cruxes between good rests. Flakes and layback moves with plenty of highsteps thrown in. A bit dirty at the moment.

A classic and many peoples first outdoor climb. Climb the left side of the triangle. You may find it to be hard for the grade if you are unfamiliar with stemming and jamming. Most stem/chimney inside the wide crack on the left, but it's also possible to stick to the arete on the right, keeps the grade the same.

They say it's 5c. If you want it to be that you'd better climb a couple of first moves more to the right not straight up, though. Pretty slabby one. Good to get the hand of your foot work

One of the older routes and definitely an area classic. Bouldery start (easier if taller) leads to moderate pocket pulling straight up the face. A must do for the area.

Be prepared to have dozens of tourists stop and watch/take pictures of you!

Easy lay back moves lead to jamming with your right hand and crimping with your left. Crux is pulling over the bulge at the top which involves awkward hand jams. The bolt for the crux is poorly placed, if you blow it, you could deck on a lower ledge.

Originally bolted by Alex Chabot and called Flake Appeal. In the spring of 2013 Mkhitar Mkhitaryan lead the route on gear, then made the decision to chop almost all the bolts and rename the route.

Two 60m ropes should get you to the ground, but as always, knot the end of your ropes!

the left most of the 4 sport climbs. Climb the easy pocketed slab encountering a bulge near the top.

Similar to Alecram but slightly harder. Climb up the pocketed slab and shares the last few bolts with Alecram and finishes at the same anchor

Similar to the other routes next to it. Enjoy the pocketed slab, climbing over the occasional bulge. Shares the same anchor with the two routes to the left.

Probably the best line of this cluster of routes. Climb up the slab, bust out a small roof, the climb up a faint dihedral to the top. Ends at it's own set of anchors.

Walk a few hundred feet past the Central Sector

A deceptively hard face climb. A bouldery start leads to a small ledge where a rest can be had. Continue up the face on small edges and pockets for a few bolt or until you reach another boulder problem. Using very small holds, and even smaller feet, climb over the bulge. Easier climbing leads you to the anchors. The opening boulder problem will feel harder for short people

Thin and reachy. Climb up an easy slab to a hollow sounding flake. Make strange moves with underclings and high steps to a small ledge where you can take both hands off. Then quest up difficult to read terrain with no so great hand holds but decent feet. Gets easier the higher you go.

Crimps and jugs along the rib to the right of a gully.

Pockets and crimps on great limestone to awesome lie backing on a right facing flake.

A contrived start leads to technical climbing up a dead vertical wall. Strange movements and less that solid rock on this one.