When did you set a goal to climb Ararat?

You know, every person sometimes has ideas that seem so daring and hard to realize that there is no point in even dreaming about them coming true. My thought of the ascent to Ararat was something very similar.

I remember that as a child I was very impressed by the story of the poet Khachatur Abovyan who had completed an ascent to Ararat. Then I asked my parents who Abovyan had asked permission for, and they told me that he violated the ban… I thought that not everyone was able to climb to the top of Ararat, but the extraordinary people only. What an interesting surprise…

Many years later, when I became mad about mountain climbing and considered it vital for me, I had special respect for the hikers who had climbed Ararat. I didn’t even dare to imagine myself among these brave and proud people. I was still afraid to dream… It took some time for my dream to finally mature.

What kind of obstacles did you face?

From the very moment I said to myself I could do anything, I never doubted that one day I would achieve the top of Ararat. My dream was becoming more and more real, it got its own coordinates on the map and the day appointed for its implementation. I may say that I was moving towards my dream in space and time.

How did you imagine the ascent to Ararat?

I subscribed to some people who were planning to climb Mount Ararat and was carefully watching their activity on social networks. I already had a vague idea of ​​what height I would have to climb, what obstacles I would have to overcome, and even what I would see there on the top of Ararat.

Every moment of my upcoming ascent was thought out in advance, my imagination was occupied by the views of the mountain peak, as well as options for designing a post on Facebook…

And what was it like in reality?

When people ask me how difficult the ascent to Ararat really was, I usually answer: “It wasn’t so easy.”

If everything was exactly how I imagined, it would be boring, you know. So, during the real, not imaginary ascent, there were some injuries and attacks of altitude sickness due to lack of oxygen, there was a strong wind due to which I took so few photographs, my equipment “let me down,” and then I lost my warm gloves, but at least I got emotions, a lot of emotions…

What were your thoughts when on the peak of the mountain?

To be honest, about nothing. All my senses were dulled, my thoughts froze, and my attention was focused only on moving forward and breathing correctly. But when I climbed to the top and suddenly realized every obstacle was left behind, my emotions and feelings just burst out. I had never been so emotional as when on the top of this mountain.

What is one word to describe your emotions at that moment?

Well, there is a concept of “catharsis” in psychology that describes a situation when a person has such strong emotions that all his/her anxiety and tension suddenly dissipate, and then… wings grow behind his/her  back. I think the word “catharsis” fits the best.

What was your most memorable moment?

I enjoyed every moment of my ascent to Mount Ararat and even remembered it in its entirety, “frame by frame.” There were a lot of impressions. I remember that on the very eve of the ascent we got up in the dark, had breakfast in silence, and then – on the same day, but after the ascent to the top, – our group was drinking hot tea and laughing! I also remember my friend Liana and I staged a tent “concert” and how we helped each other secure the climbing crampons, how we were encouraging and supporting each other during the ascent. And the soup that our guide Yusuf cooked for us was so delicious as well as the watermelon we ate on the way back.

Has climbing Mount Ararat changed your life?

Before the ascent I naively thought my life would change dramatically – it would sparkle with bright colors and so on – but I was wrong. Everything in my life remained the same: family, work, people around. The changes did not affect any other aspect of my life, but myself. Suddenly I realized that I not only completed the ascent to the top of Ararat, but also rose above my fears, anxieties and doubts. I may call it my “inner” ascent, you know. I have changed a lot, and become a different type of person.

What has Ararat become for you?

Ararat is a reason for my good mood now. I smile when I think about Ararat or see it. My friends and acquaintances always ask about my climb to the top of Mount Ararat when they want to cheer me up.

Are you planning to complete the ascent to Ararat again?

Only in my memories and imagination. I don’t have this habit of climbing my favorite mountains more than once. I think Ararat must remain a half-dream. Let a person ask himself/herself from time to time whether he/she actually climbed Mount Ararat, or whether it was a wonderful dream…

What would you advise to people who are dreaming of climbing Mount Ararat?

Start your ascent only when you really feel you are ready. You must stop thinking of Ararat only as a fashionable and majestic mountain. Consider you are ready for the ascent only when Mount Ararat becomes a permanent object of your thoughts. You understand it’s time to pack your backpack when you have an irresistible desire to go to the window and see Ararat at least for a moment. Again, you are ready only when you feel you are dying to spend your summer vacation on the top of Ararat. Consider it’s the right time when a look at Mount Ararat evokes a feeling of aching melancholy in your heart. Start your ascent only when you hear the call of Ararat…

 

Naira Harutyunyan 

Read more about Ararat ascent here.

Hiking and trekking tours in Armenia