South, West Summit of the Mount Teghenis 1 (2,851m)

Ski trail description
Teghenis 1 Mountain is located on the border of the Aragatsotn and Kotayk provinces. To start skiing on the slopes of the mountain, you need to set off to Shoghakn village, which is covered by 1-2 meters of snow in January and February. The skiing trail begins at the edge of the village and leads up to the nearby hill. The slopes of Mount Teghenis 1 are covered with birches, firs, and Siberian pine trees.
From the top of the Mountain, you can admire the beautiful mountains of the Armenian plateau: the Pambak Mountain in the north, Mount Ara in the south, the Geghama Mountains in the east, Aragats in the West, and Ararat in the southwest. An aeration center operates on the top of Mount Teghenis 1, and is inhabited throughout the year.

Monument description
Heading for Mount Teghenis 1 from Yerevan or vice versa, you can visit

Hovhannavank (5th -13th centuries) is located in Ohanavan village of the Aragatsotn province. It is beautifully perched on a gorge, high above the right bank of the Kasagh River. The monastery overlooks Mount Ara and the Geghama Mountains in the southeast. For different periods, the monastery used to own vast plowlands, gardens, pastures, oil mills, mills and villages. It also used to be a significant center for Armenian writing, with a rich library; some of the manuscripts created there have been preserved to date.

Saghmosavank is located in the Saghmosavan village of the Aragatsotn province, at the edge of the deep gorge of the Kasagh River. It is ‘backed’ by the gigantic Mount Ara from behind, and overlooks Mount Aragats and Mount Ararat as well. Built by Prince Vache Vachutyan and his dynasty in the 13th century, the monastery consists of the St. Sion and St. Astvatsatsin (St. Holy Mother of God) churches, a narthex and a scriptorium. St. Sion is the main church of the complex; it is a domed church with several aisles and a four-pillared narthex on its west side. The scriptorium-church is located southeast of St. Sion. It differs from other scriptoriums of its time, by its unique layout, wherein its walls have niches and it has an altar on its east side. A cemetery, full of remarkable cross stones and monuments is located on the north end of the monastery.

The Armenian Alphabet Monument is located on the eastern slope of Mount Aragats, near the village of Artashavan, of Aragatsotn. The Armenian alphabet was created in 405-406 by Mesrop Mashtots, a prominent linguist, religious and political leader. The monument was built in 2005 to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the alphabet. It features 39 beautifully ornamented letters of the alphabet and statues of key Armenian figures. Each letter is 1.5m-2m high.
According to tradition, anyone who visits this monument takes a photo with the first letter of their name. By the Monument you can see the statues of the great minds of Armenia – Mesrop Mashtots (with the letters in his hands), Grigor Lusavorich (holding the cross beyond), Anania Shirakatsi (a symbol of the earth and the universe in his left hand), Mkhitar Gosh (with “Datastanagirk” - the Book of Reprisal - in his hands), Khachatur Abovyan and Hovhannes Tumanyan.

Fauna
While passing the Teghenis 1 Mountain piste, at a height of 2,500m, you’ll most probably come across wolves and bears.

Safety and Security
Ucom and VivaCell-MTS networks are almost always available while climbing up the Teghenis 1 Mountain. In case of emergency, call 911, a service which is available throughout Armenia.

Technical parameters
Best period: January, February, March.
Distance: 45km from Yerevan
Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ski run: 5 hours.
Ski trail length: 12km.
Altitude from the sea level: 1,950-2,751m
The best drink to have on hand is warm tea.

How to Reach the Ski Trail
To reach the trail, you need to take a taxi from Yerevan to Shoghakn village, where the skiing trail begins. Taxi services are quite affordable throughout Armenia. We recommend taking a cab with a working meter, and make sure that the driver uses it.