GLENDALE–A group of Homenetmen Ararat members and parents got together in May and formed a hiking team to climb Mount Ararat. The team was named “Ararat 7” for the number of people on the team. It took four months to make the travel arrangements, hire a guide, and train physically for the climb. The team flew to Yerevan and drove through Georgia to get to the City of Dogubeyazit in Turkey near the slope of Mount Ararat.
“Ararat 7” team members are: Vatchik Zakarian, Baghdig Der Gregorian, Seroj Khachikian, Vahik Avanessian, Adis Zadourian, Roubik Mardirosian and Roubik Sarian
On August 30, the “Ararat 7” started the adventure from hotel Isfahan in the town of Dogubeyazit, Turkey and drove about an hour to the trail head at 7,130 ft elevation accompanied by a guide and a cook. It took the team three days to reach the summit. The trail was extremely steep covered by fresh snow from the earlier storm and lack of oxygen with low pressure due to the high elevation made the climbing very difficult. The team made to the summit at the elevation of 16,900 ft around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1.
This was a great personal achievement and group accomplishment for the Homenetmen Ararat family to raise the Armenian flag on the summit of Mount Ararat at the center of our historic homeland.
Congratulations. Still a lot of snow. Snow is melting on Everest even.
You don’t say if they have deployed armenian flag clandestinely or with authorisation of turkish autorities ?