Climbing Ararat
8 DAYS
20 PEOPLE
1350 EURO
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8 DAYS
21.06.2026- 28.06.2026
Touch the mystery of Noah's Ark, climb one of the most revered volcanoes on the planet, conquer your first (or add new ones) 5,000 m, make a tented approach to the mountain accompanied by an oriental caravan, practice using crampons, and take in the bird's-eye view that the pious Noah saw. Touch the new legendary history of palaces and fortresses, drink thick and strong Turkish coffee, eat mutton kebab with a dish eloquently named “imam's delight,” and finish off with delicious Turkish fruit.
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Mount Ararat (5,137 m) is the highest peak in the Armenian Highlands and the Lesser Caucasus. It consists of two extinct volcanoes, Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat, which are joined at their bases. It is located in Turkey, 16 km from the Iranian border and 32 km from the Armenian border. The summit of Greater Ararat offers a magnificent view of Armenia, Iran, and Turkey.
This is a legendary place steeped in myth. According to the Bible, Noah's Ark, which had survived the Great Flood, came to rest on the summit of Mount Ararat, and Noah, upon leaving the Ark, built the first altar after the Flood and offered a sacrifice, giving thanks to God for his salvation. According to the Bible, on Mount Ararat, God made a covenant with Noah and promised that He would no longer punish humanity by destroying people with the waters of a new flood if people stopped destroying each other. According to the surviving legend, Noah planted a grapevine on Ararat, and when he got young wine from the harvest instead of the usual grape juice, he got drunk for the first time from the fermented grape juice, thus starting winemaking. To this day, scientists from different countries continue to debate the issue, and expeditions are being organized in search of the remains of the legendary ark.
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ROUTE
Requirements: Normal physical fitness, mountain hiking experience desirable
• Services of English- and Russian-speaking mountain guides from Paganel Studio;
• All necessary transfers along the route (if you arrive and depart on dates that correspond exactly to our travel itinerary);
• Excursions in Dogubayazit as per the itinerary;
• Permission to climb Mount Ararat;
• Accommodation: 3 nights in a 3* hotel in Dogubayazit, in a tent camp during the climb;
• Meals during your stay in Dogubayazit (breakfasts);
• meals (full board) during the climb;
• services of local guides and cooks during the climb;
• services of mule or horse drivers to transport your main luggage;
• group equipment: tents, kitchen equipment;
• group first aid kit.
• Flight from your city to Iğdır and back;
• Meals not specified in the program;
• Additional hotel accommodation (in case the group descends earlier);
• Tips for the Turkish team (one-time payment) €80 per participant.
1. All expedition participants must be in good physical condition. “Good physical condition” means that a person is physically healthy, has no medical contraindications to climbing, and leads an active lifestyle. They must be able to walk for 6-10 hours a day.
2. For personal expenses, bring small bills in denominations of 5 to 20 euros, and 50 and 100 euro bills for exchange into local currency.
3. The senior guide of the Paganel Studio expedition reserves the right to remove you from the route in the event of: - acute symptoms of altitude sickness; - alcohol abuse; - other situations that are potentially dangerous for you or other members of the group. An agreement to this effect will be signed with each participant during the first days of the expedition.
Clothing and footwear:
· jacket and pants made of membrane fabric (such as Gore-Tex);
· down jacket;
· fleece jacket;
· set of thermal underwear (pants, jacket);
· Fleece jacket, Polartec jacket, or any compact and lightweight sweatshirt;
· Boots for light mountaineering (winter trekking);
· Boot covers – gaiters covering the calves and tops of boots – to protect against dust, dirt, and snow;
· socks: 2 pairs of trekking socks, 1-2 pairs of cotton socks, 1 pair of warm (wool) socks;
· T-shirts, preferably with long sleeves and a collar;
· trekking pants;
· Polar or wool gloves, preferably with windproof and cold-proof overgloves worn over the gloves.
· Hat, balaclava, or mask to protect against wind and frost.
· Sneakers.
· Trekking sandals.
· sun cap with a visor and neck cover or panama hat plus bandana or buff;
· lightweight slippers (such as flip-flops) for the shower and walking around the camp.
Bivouac and other equipment:
· Lightweight thermos (0.7-1 liter) for tea on the go;
· “Seat” - useful for sitting on cold rocks;
· Sleeping bag with a comfortable temperature rating of up to -10°.
· Crampons, sized to fit your boots;
· Telescopic trekking poles;
· Mountaineering glasses (protection factor 4);
· Ski mask (can be with a yellow filter);
· rain cape;
· waterproof bag for equipment (60-80 liters) for pack animals;
· climbing backpack with rain cover (25-35 liters, lightweight);
· headlamp;
· personal medication.
IMPORTANT!
Due to the fact that our expeditions do not include international flights to the starting point of the program, we cannot be held responsible for changes in flight conditions by airlines or airport requirements. Since our travelers fly from many different countries and cities, we never participate in the purchase of air travel and limit ourselves exclusively to advisory services in the selection of flights. Air agents or airlines from which tickets were purchased are responsible for the purchase and technical support.
ITINERARY
Day 1
21.06.2026
Arrival in the city of Igdir. Transfer to Dogubayazit (70 km, 1.5 hours, 1,650 m), check-in at the hotel.
Excursion to the Palace of Ishak Pasha (2000 m) – one of Turkey's main attractions, built as his summer residence and partly used for secular purposes (his image can be found on the 100-lira Turkish banknote).
The legendary fortress of Bayazet (1,950 m), whose events are vividly described by Valentin Pikul in his novel “Bayazet” and illustrated in the film of the same name. We have planned two nights in Dogubayazit before the ascent. Climbing to 5000 m is no joke, and additional acclimatization and rest at 1650 m will be very helpful during the ascent. And the town itself is very colorful and delicious :) and staying there turns a simple climb up a mountain into a full-fledged journey. Today we have a general evening of introductions and the distribution of personalized T-shirts and expedition badges.
Overnight stay in a 3* hotel (dinner included).
Day 2
22.06.2026
My personal program starts early in the morning with Turkish coffee on the main pedestrian street in the company of respectable Turks who spend their mornings reading newspapers. Today, before lunch, we will visit the Noah's Ark Museum, and on the way we will visit several original Kurdish villages.
As with the Ararat anomaly, professional archaeologists do not take these claims seriously. Nevertheless, in 1987, a small tourist center was built at this site in collaboration with the district administration. But who knows, the imprint of the object freed from the soil is very reminiscent of a huge ship, and the museum curators' version deserves attention. At the same time, we get additional acclimatization, as the area is located at an altitude of 2,100 m.
We will return to Dogubayazit for lunch. The town is small, but there are many places and opportunities to enjoy a variety of delicacies, from lamb to trout and fruit. We will spend the rest of the day relaxing, acclimatizing, and finalizing our equipment for the mountain. You can enjoy a real Turkish hammam. And, most importantly, get a good rest. Overnight stay in a 3* hotel (breakfast included).
Day 3
23.06.2026
In the morning, transfer to the village of Tsevirme (2,200 m, 1 hour). Trek to the first camp (3,200 m). The trek takes about 4-5 hours. The trail is not steep, but you will have to cover a good kilometer. Along the way, there are breathtaking views of the plateau below, herds of goats and sheep. Except for assault backpacks, luggage is transported by mules or horses. Overnight stay in tents (breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner included).
Day 4
24.06.2026
Acclimatization day. Ascent to 4000-4200 m. We move slowly, we need to gain altitude very carefully.
The highlight of today's landscape will be Small Ararat, a perfect cone 3,927 meters high. At the top, we will have a leisurely snack while enjoying the views, and then slowly descend back to the camp at 3,200 meters. (Ascent and descent 16 km, about 8 hours.) Overnight stay in tents (breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner included).
Day 5
25.06.2026
Transfer to the assault camp at 4200 m (8 km, 4-5 hours). Luggage is transported by mules or horses. The goal is to get up and arrive early so that after lunch you can take an hour-long walk uphill to acclimatize and, upon returning, get some quality rest before the assault.
*** The program may change in case of snowy weather. Transfer to camp at 3800 m. Overnight stay in tents (breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner included).
Day 6
26.06.2026
Climb to the summit of Greater Ararat (5,137 m) (breakfast at 1 a.m. and departure, climb – 4–5 hours).
Despite the absence of technical difficulties during the ascent, good physical fitness is required. Snow and ice begin at an altitude of approximately 4,900 meters. Crampons are necessary.
The reward for our efforts will be the laurels of a climber and a stunning 360-degree panoramic view. Perhaps Noah himself admired this view :). Descent to camp at 3200 m, 4 hours. Overnight stay in a tent at 3200 m (breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner included).
*** If we start from 3800 m, we will set off at 23:00. The ascent will take about 9 hours, the descent 4-5 hours.
Day 7
27.06.2026
A spare day in case of bad weather. If the spare day is not used on the mountain, descent to Dogubayazit, hotel accommodation, free day. Turkish coffee, lamb doner kebab, imam bayaldi, grilled trout, and lots of fruit will restore our bodies, exhausted from the climb (breakfast included).
Day 8
28.06.2026
In the morning, transfer to Igdir Airport, farewell tears, plans for new expeditions and adventures, and departure home.
WHY WITH PAGANEL?
We are unique
For many years, we have been traveling the world to our small planet's most remote and unusual places. We do not use the services of domestic travel agencies. The trips we invent and carry out are always unique and have their unique zest, charm, and adventurous spirit.
Creation
The first thing that interests us is creativity in everything. During the expeditions, we shoot a lot of videos, take pictures, write stories, draw pictures. If you are interested in a creative approach to life and travel, then WELCOME... we are very happy to meet you!
Interest
By joining our team, you join a kind of club family, which already consists of several hundred people who are interested in discovering the world with us.
Since most of the expenses for organizing a trip – air tickets and travel documents for other modes of transportation, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. – are made by us in advance, long before the trip, the prepayment or payment for the trip is non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
Since most of the expenses for the organization of the trip are air tickets and travel documents for other types of transport, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. are not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We simply have no way to return it.
Please note that this itinerary is tentative. The weather always has the last word. The itinerary is designed to allow sufficient time at the end of the Expedition in case of any weather-related delays. If necessary, the captain can change the expedition route depending on external conditions!
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