General Information
This Route is Closed for Climbing!
Mount Ararat Glacier Climbing program is a special program for professional mountaineers that requires more strength compared to the south route. Glacier hike during climb increases the climbing risks. Mountaineers who will prefer the Mount Ararat North route are required to have an experience of similar climbs previously.
Climb to Mount Ararat Expedition Organization and 5 Days Glacier Program & Details:
1st Day: We’ll reach to Korhan Plateau at 2000 meters with our vehicles. At this point, carriers will handle our equipment to deliver them to base camp area. This is where our hike begins. After a comfortable hike of about 5 hours, we’ll arrive at the first camp area at 3400m.
2nd Day: We’ll begin our hike to the second camp area at 850m to conduct acclimatization exercises. Even though it’s a much harder stage compared to the previous day, we’ll arrive at the second camp area in about 6 hours. We’ll rest here for one hour and make little walks around the second camp area. And then we’ll start our descent to the first camp area at 3400 meters. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to rest at the camp area before the summit climb, where we’ll reach after a five-hour hike.
3rd Day: After breakfast, we’ll start our climb again to the second camp area at 4250 meters. Because the carrier mules can only climb to 3700 meters, equipment will be carried by manpower from this point to the camp area. After this climb, we’ll spend the night in the second camp area at 4250 meters. Here we’ll do our equipment check and we’ll have to prepare our bags for the summit climb we’ll start at midnight
4th Day: After a night of rest, our summit climb will start with waking up at the time our guide has determined. Even though the first stage of our hike doesn’t pose any difficulties, the glacier hills and cracks we’ll face along the way will make this climb much harder. We will reach the summit in about 7 hours. After resting half an hour at the summit, we’ll head towards to the second camp area at 4250 meters. After 5 hours, we’ll reach the second camp area where we’ll rest about an hour and start our descent to the first camp area at 3400 meters, where we’ll spend a beautiful night.
5th Day: We’ll have our breakfast and start our descent to vehicle transfer point at Korhan Plateau at 2000 meters. We’ll reach to vehicle transfer point after 4 hours and head back to our hotel from this point.
There is an emergency extra day in our program. Weather conditions on the mountain sometimes make the climb impossible. With an extra day, you’ll have a chance to wait in the second camp area to wait for the weather conditions to improve and then try again the next day when the weather gets better. If there are no bad weather conditions, this day will be used for the summit descent to rest at the Base Camp area at 3400 meters.
Tour Beginning Location: Doğubeyazıt
Tour Ending Location: Doğubeyazıt
Mountain Route Used: Mount Ararat North Route
Hotel accommodation: 2 Nights
Mountain accommodation: 4 Nights
Extra Day: 1
- Welcome and send off
Our climbing programs start with reaching to the mountain from the hotel by vehicles and end in the same way with returning back from the mountain to the hotel. There are no welcome and send off days in our programs because of the transportation differences of our guests.
We can welcome and send you off in the same way at the airport at your request as well as set up days for the welcome and send off days in our program schedule.
- Mount Ararat Climbing Organization Info:
We are serving at a special camp area on the south route of Mount Ararat. In this camp area, we have our camping tents and kitchen. During the climb, our firm will keep a cook at the mountain ready, responsible for preparing your hot food and drinks. On climbing days, our cook will provide your rations every morning and the climb nights for your consumption during hikes. Since camp area will be a private area, there’ll be guards securing the camp. This way the equipment you left behind will be safe and the tents will be under surveillance in the case of bad weather conditions. The equipment you won’t need during the climb will be kept by our contracted hotel to be handed back to you after your return. Equipment you’ll be bringing to the mountain will be transferred between the camps by carrier mules and you won’t be charged any extra fee for all these services.
We request our vegetarian and vegan visitors to inform us in advance about their choices.
- Attention: Please do not leave your group during the climb without informing your guide. Staying together with the group will help you to spend less of your energy and protects you from any possible accident that may happen. You should especially have a good choice of gloves and boots. Remember, Mount Ararat is a mountain that has a large ice mass that doesn’t melt throughout the year and affected by cold because of its equatorial position.
You should bring your trekking poles with you and use them during the hike. These poles will not only lower the possibility of an accident, but it’ll also help you lighten your weight so you’ll be less tired. Poles that are adjusted to your heart level will also help you to relax your circulation.
CLIMB TO MOUNT ARARAT EXPEDITION “GLACIER” 5 DAYS:
1st Day: 3400m Mount Ararat North Face Base Camp
Today will be the first day of our expedition to the glorious Mount Ararat. We’ll head on Mount Ararat with our vehicles after a breakfast in our hotel. About an hour later, we’ll arrive Korhan Plateau with an altitude of 2000 meters. Here, our cook will provide the rations we’ll use during the trek. We’ll be handing over all of our equipment (about 20 kg) to the carriers. We’ll take the equipment we’ll use during the trek to our 15-liters backpacks. Our trek will continue with little photo breaks en route until we reach the Base Camp area in 3400 meters (about 5 hours). When we arrive at the camp area, our cook will greet us with warm food and drinks. You can spend your free time with little exploration hikes to Küp Lake.
Accommodation: 3400m Mount Ararat North Face Base Camp
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hours | 5km | 1400m | 15° – 20 |
2nd Day: 3400m Mount Ararat North Face Base Camp “Acclimatization Day”
Today, we’ll climb 850 meters and return back to our camp to adjust our body to the altitude of the mountain and to make a safe and comfortable climb possible. This way, our body will be adapted to the altitude and it will reduce any possibility of complications. After the breakfast, we’ll start our hike with our guide and occasional breaks along the way to the second camp area at 4250 meters. The route is on a dusty trail compared to the one we hiked on the first day and the foliage leaves itself to the bare land and rocky texture. We’ll rest for an hour when we reach the second camp area. Here, we’ll have the opportunity to observe the camping area we’ll use for the next day’s summit climb. And then we’ll start our descent to 3400 meters. We’ll rest in the meal time with the food our cook will serve.
Accommodation: 3400m Mount Ararat North Face Base Camp
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Hours | 4km | 850m | 20° |
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hours | 4km | 850m | 20° |
3rd Day: 4250m Mount Ararat North Face Second Camp
Today we’ll climb back to the second camp area where we’ll start our summit climb and stay the night here in our tents at 4250 meters. Our support team will carry other equipment we’ll need at the second camp to 3700 meters with mules. After that point, we will have to carry our own equipment by ourselves. After a 6 hour hike, we’ll reach the second camp. Our guide will share the information needed for the summit climb and will check the required equipment during the climb.
The equipment you’ll need during the summit climb should be prepared that day before the climb. We request you to check your bags and batteries since it’ll take the time to prepare for a climb that’ll start at night when it’s dark. Also, it’s possible that you can forget some equipment you’ll need at the summit because of the night.
Please tie your crampons to your boots before the climb to test them before you start because this carries utmost importance for your safety. If you’re having any troubles with your crampons, please inform your guide.
Accommodation: 4250m Mount Ararat North Face Second Camp
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Hours | 4km | 850m | 20° |
4th Day: Mount Ararat “Summit Day 5.137m”
We’ll wake up at 4250 meters at the second camp area to climb the summit. We’ll eat the hot meals and take the rations provided by our cook. We’ll start our hike with the help of our headlights and try to reach the summit from the second camp area while occasionally crossing areas with the inclination of 25-30 degrees and ice glaciers and cracks. Hike usually begins after midnight between 01:00 and 02:00. The first stage of the hike may not cause any trouble but as we ascend, the effects of the cold weather may be particularly hard.
We’ll see the summit when we get the past the second glacier ridge and reach the summit with 30 degrees of inclination after passing a 100 meters long area. It’s possible to see the five countries around from the viewpoint of the mountain. “Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, and Nakhchivan. After resting at the summit for half an hour, we’ll start our descent to the second camp area. When we arrive at the camp, we’ll rest for an hour. We’ll reach the carrier point at 3700 meters while carrying our own equipment. Here, our equipment will be picked up by our support team and delivered to the base camp area. We’ll spend our last night at Mount Ararat resting in this camp area.
Accommodation: 3400m Mount Ararat North Face Base Camp
Extra Day:
It’s possible that a climb may not happen because of the weather conditions. That’s why our program has one “extra” day. We’ll descend to the Base Camp at 3400 meters and spend our last night here, weather permitting.
If not, we’ll stay one more night at the camp at 4250 meters and try to climb to the summit next day if it’s possible. After the summit, we’ll return back to the camp at 3400 meters and rest an hour before we go back to the transfer area at 2000 meters.
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Hours | 3km | 884m | 20° – 30° |
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hours | 3km | 884m | 20° – 30° |
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hours | 4km | 850m | 20° |
5th Day: “Return to Doğubeyazıt”
We’ll be moving after the breakfast for our descent from the Base Camp area at 3400 meters to the transfer point at 2000 meters. We’ll be reaching our vehicles after a four-hour walk. Our equipment will already be loaded into the vehicles by our carriers before we arrive. That way, we won’t have to wait here and can hit the road to the hotel to treat our bodies to a hot bath.
In the case of using the extra day, we would lose the chance of staying at the camp at 3400 meters. Instead, we’ll have a break and descend to the vehicle transfer point at 2000 meters.
Accommodation: Doğubeyazıt Hotel
| Average Hiking Time | Average Hiking Distance | Average Ascension | Average Inclination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Hours | 5km | 1400m | 15° – 20 |
Climbing Transportation,
Carrier (mule),
Climbing Permit Fees,
Crampons,
Mat,
Personal Tent (One tent is for two people),
Professional Mountain Guide,
Cultural Guide,
All the entrance fees for the museum and surrounding areas,
Hot food for the duration of the climb,
Non-alcoholic beverages for the duration of the climb,
2 Nights of Hotel Accommodations including Breakfast,
Summit Certificate,
A Celebration Dinner in the City,
