Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked mountainous country in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, located in the Southern Caucasus. It shares borders with Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Nakhichevan exclave of Azerbaijan to the south. A former republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is a unitary, multiparty, democratic nation-state and one of the oldest and most historic civilizations in the world with a rich cultural heritage, as well as the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion.
Although Armenia is constitutionally a secular state, the Christian faith plays a major role in both its history and the identification of the Armenian people.
Culturally, historically, and politically, Armenia is considered to be part of Europe. However, its location in the southern Caucasus means that it can also be considered to be at the arbitrary border between Europe and Asia.
The climate in Armenia is markedly continental. Summers are dry and sunny, lasting from June to mid-September. The temperature fluctuates between 22° and 36°C. However, the low humidity level mitigates the effect of high temperatures. Evening breezes blowing down the mountains provide a welcome refreshing and cooling effect. Springs are short, while falls are long. Autumns are known for their vibrant and colorful foliage. Winters are quite cold with plenty of snow, with temperatures ranging between -5° and -10°C. Winter sports enthusiasts enjoy skiing down the hills of Tsakhkadzor, located 30 minutes outside of Yerevan. Lake Sevan nestled up in the Armenian highlands, is the second largest lake in the world relative to its altitude, 1,900 meters above sea level.
Trails are prepared by 5 modern snow groomers. Proper snowmobile rescue service is available for ski hours (usually 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). There are excellent conditions for off-piste skiing and snowboarding.
Tsakhkadzor resort city is 55 km northeast from Yerevan, in a gorgeous area. The name Tsakhkadzor means, “gorge of flowers”. Tsakhkadzor is located on an altitude of 1840 m from the sea level, on the eastern slope of Mount Teghenis. Lofty mountains and deep forests surround the city. Tsakhkadzor has a soft climate; the average air temperature in August is +18 C0 and in January is –6 C0. The average annual precipitation is 600-700 mm with 2500 sunny hours in a year. People in the city are occupied mostly in service sector.
Tsakhkadzor is one of the main tourism and leisure centers in Armenia. It is famous for its numerous hotels, resort houses, camping and sport installations. In the near past, Tsakhkadzor was hosting the Main Winter Sports Olympic Center of the Soviet Union. Today Tsakhkadzor is a fast growing resort city, where new hotels, rest houses and leisure centers come up each year.
A marvelous monastery Kecharis, which comprises of two churches and two bell houses, is one of Tsakhkadzor treasures. The main church of the monastery the St. Grigor was built in 1013. The small bell house and burial vault of Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni, the founder of the monastery, is next to the church.
In 2005 the Government of Armenia endorsed a special program for developing Tsakhkadzor into an international tourism center.
Tsakhkadzor Ropeway
Tsakhkadzor city became even more popular as a mountain ski resort after well-known LEITNER Company constructed a new ropeway on the slope of Mount Teghenis (2900m) in 2004. The 1st and 2nd lines of the ropeway were put into operation in 2004, the 3rd line started in 2005. The 4th line is expected to operate from November 2006. It will start after the 1st lift level and will link neighboring mountains. This will create new opportunities for skiing on new tracks.
Skiing Instructor Services
Beginner skiers and snowboarders can get instructor services. The hourly pay is 12000 AMD (About 30 USD). Each 5th hour is free.
The ski runs
There are very different ski runs on the mountain slope. There are runs for beginners, for amateur and professional skiers. The average run lengths are:
1st ropeway level – 1400 m
2nd ropeway level – 1600 m
3rd ropeway level – 2500 m, 2600 m, 2700 m
4th ropeway level – 2200 m, 2400 m
The total ski run length is – 7200 m
The average air temperature on Mount Teghenis from the end of December to mid February is –10-15 C and from mid February to end of March is –1-5 C.
The Ski Season:: End of December - end of March
Next to ropeway station there are sports gear and equipment rentals, a cafe and a teahouse.