MOUNT ARARAT SOUTH ROUTE
South Route of Mount Ararat is the most preferred route for climbs and hikes. It is possible to reach to this route from most of the villages on the mountain. The route Two Ararat Firm uses, start at Çevirme (Çarme) Village at 2200 meters. Access from Doğubeyazıt to Çevirme Village, starting point of the hike, takes one hour with vehicles. The distance is about 8 kilometers, but the trip takes time because of the stabilized mountain route. This route has two camping areas. First of these areas is the Green Camp at 3200 meters which can be reached by a 5-hour hike. Camp got its name from the campers climbing here because of the foliation during spring months. Our firm serves a special area outside the general camping area.
Second camp area of the south route has an altitude of 4200 meters. You can reach this area after an average of 4-hour walk. Used for pre-climb stays, this camp area has a rocky texture. Over the years, mountaineers cleared this space from rocks one place at a time and made spaces for tents. This area requires a fair amount of attention and is rather cold compared to the Base Camp area. It can snow, rain or hail instantly and the wind can reach very high speeds. There’s a water issue in this area. Drinking water is obtained from the melting glaciers.
Mount Ararat South Route Climbing Map:
Right next to the camping area, Öküz valley, one of the two biggest valleys of the mountain is located. The highest point of the valley goes as far as the glacier point where we’ll pass during our hike. The hike from second camp area to the summit at 5134 meters starts at midnight when the weather is calmest to reach the summit earlier in the day. At these hours, the summit of the mountain is mostly cloudless and the wind doesn’t have high speeds. From the second camp area, you can reach the summit after a seven hour hike. The main reason why the south route is widely used is the fact that the glacier between the Öküz valley and the second camp area is 4700 meters behind. This way the climb is much less risky and summit can be reached by a short glacier walk.
