‘ARARAT 7’ CLIMBS MOUNT ARARAT

Asbarez
Dec 7th, 2009

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 7â~@³ 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.